DC9 booker Steve Lambert

By its own count, DC9 hasn’t had any trouble attracting musicians since Ali Ahmed Mohammed died feet from the 9th Street NW venue one year ago. “Hundreds, if not thousands, of bands have played since that time,” says Steve Lambert, who books acts at DC9 and other venues in the District. “DC9’s been booking full storm since we were exonerated.”

Exonerated, he means, after the incident that saw one of DC9’s owners, Bill Spieler, and four of its employees charged with murdering a 27-year-old Ethiopian immigrant who had thrown at least one brick through the club’s window last October. And exonerated, perhaps, in the public’s eyes—even following Metropolitan Police Chief Cathy Lanier’s description of the alleged murder as a “savage beating” and “vigilante justice” not long after Mohammed’s death; following a liquor license suspension issued by the Alcoholic Beverage and Regulation Administration that left the club shuttered for three months; and following numerous protests and vigils.

Considering that the U.S. Attorney’s office dropped criminal charges against the DC9 employees in November and stopped pursuing the case in June, it’s no surprise that Lambert describes business as “normal booking as usual.”

That said, savvy concert-goers may notice that DC9 is booking fewer buzz acts in 2011 than in years past—a product, most likely, of another venue booked by Lambert, The Red and the Black, merging with the bar next door and doubling its capacity. (The newly minted Red Palace and DC9 each hold about 200 patrons.)

As far as Lambert will admit, there’s really been just one blip: In March, local bands The Cornel West Theory and Noon:30, facing pressure from fans and peers, pulled out of their DC9 show. The concert was with Trophy Wives, a four-piece punk outfit from Louisville, Ky., and Phonic Riot, a D.C.-based noise-pop group (who did not respond to interview requests). The concert was one of the first live acts scheduled at DC9 after Mohammad’s death; ABRA had lifted the venue’s remaining liquor-license restrictions only weeks earlier.

“Phonic Riot had contacted us and we were really excited,” Noon:30 guitarist Aissa Arroyo-Hill says. “We contacted The Cornel West Theory and honestly, we weren’t really tapped into the substance how everybody was feeling about DC9. We weren’t aware of it until we took the booking. It wasn’t anything that was thought about before.”

According to DC9 co-owner Joe Englert, bringing live music back to DC9 was tricky. The club officially reopened in December, but only on weekends and holidays, and at first without live acts. “We were basically screwed,” he says. “We couldn’t book high-caliber bands because they book so far in advance.” When ABRA lifted its restrictions, he explains, the venue relied on booking “faithful locals” to fill the first few months. The March 28 concert, like other shows in the spring, was an important step toward returning to DC9’s standard routine.

Arroyo-Hill says she caught the first inkling of trouble when she told a fan about the concert. That’s when she learned about ongoing tension between the club and some residents that live near 9th and U Streets—the neighborhood knows as Little Ethiopia. “It was around the time we were all like, ‘Oh wait a minute. There’s a protest,’” she says.

The Cornel West Theory, on the other hand, had kept tabs on the Mohammed case and was eager to play DC9. “I’ll listen to anyone say anything, but it always comes down to us,” vocalist Rashad Dobbins says. “My goal was to play at that place to smash it all and touch those people.”

Noon:30, which makes atmospheric art punk, and The Cornel West Theory, which makes politically conscious rap rock, are among a fairly small number of acts whose members are mostly black and have followings within D.C.’s largely white indie-rock scene. You could put rapper Head-Roc, who also leads the funk-rock band GODISHEUS, in the same category.

“Head-Roc left us a message on Facebook,” Noon:30 singer Blue S. Moon says. “He basically reiterated what we’d been hearing, that there’s this ongoing protest against DC9 regarding what happened and what it means to this community.”

Head-Roc, who contributes to Washington City Paper and has been a fixture in the D.C. music scene for more than a decade, is a prolific critic of Lambert, who in addition to scheduling DC9 and Red Palace also books Rock & Roll Hotel, where he’s a co-owner. Many shows at Lambert’s venues use a practice called “door polling,” in which fans are asked which act they’re there to see; bands are paid according to that data. Head-Roc and other indie rockers have criticized the practice in recent years.

Head-Roc proudly admits to “taking chunks” out of Lambert on his Facebook page; in conversation, he calls him a “menace” and a “predator” to the scene. “It’s such bad karma and such bad juju that these unfortunate things, like the death of the Ethiopian cat, have befallen that establishment,” he says.

Moon says that she knew about Head-Roc’s history with Lambert when she read his message, but nonetheless considered his advice. “Everybody knows about his issues with DC9,” she says. “I don’t really know what his intentions were, but all I can really go on is the face value of what he wrote.”

Dobbins, who has known Head-Roc since 1994, also heard from the rapper. “I understand how he felt, but personally I wanted to go right into the belly of the beast and talk about it,” he says. “I want to go right to the center of it all.”

In the end, though, it came down to respect. Noon:30 kept hearing from peers that playing DC9 would be disrespectful to Mohammad’s memory and his family. Dobbins didn’t hear from fans of The Cornel West Theory, he says, but friends within the Ethiopian community told him that playing “would be like stomping on their soul.” So with two weeks to go before the concert, the bands called Lambert and told him they wouldn’t play. “If what happened to that young man happened to my brother, I would hope people would handle it with respect,” Moon says. “Our choosing to pull out had less to do with Heady or any other person and more to do with wanting to respect his family and the people who were affected by this tragedy.”

After The Cornel West Theory released a statement announcing its decision, Head-Roc sent out a Facebook message lauding them. “The Cornel West Theory is family to me,” he says. “I would never put any type of family business out in the street, so I congratulated them.”

The news caused the smallest of ripples within the local music scene. Some black musicians, such as Steve McPherson, who has performed at DC9 as DJ Stereo Faith, never even heard of pressure to avoid the venue. And if he had, McPherson says, he wouldn’t have budged. “As far as I could tell, there hasn’t been a thing going around where you shouldn’t play that particular venue,” he says. “As a black man who has run up against false accusations with the law, I feel like that’s wrong—banding against people who were proven innocent. That’s something I cannot support.”

Englert says that opinions like McPherson’s—which he says are shared by “the people who know the club, the kids who come and dance and know what we’re all about”— are largely responsible for getting DC9 back on its feet. And now, the venue’s decidedly upright: Since Lambert started booking major acts again in June, Englert says sales have jumped 75 percent compared to past months. “We really had no business from Oct. 15 on because we couldn’t book bands and the miserable spring weather kept the outdoor deck closed,” Englert says, estimating the club lost $500,000 in income and attorney’s fees. “It’s been a hell of a comeback that proves this is a good place.”

And for what it’s worth, Lambert says he has no hard feelings about the dropped sets. “I booked The Cornel West Theory and Noon:30 numerous times before, and honestly, I would book them again,” he says. “It was annoying that they dropped off, but it was what it was and it was what they felt. There wasn’t any bad blood. I didn’t write them off or black list them or anything. We just moved on.”

With DC9 back to where it used to stand financially, Lambert says he’s no longer concerned. “These are two bands, relatively unknown D.C. local bands, out of the large pool of local bands that came back and played DC9,” he says. “This is a very, very small pool. Not downgrading either bands’ importance—but, for me, I don’t really need to dwell on this. There’s tons of other bands that want to play DC9. I’m not gonna put much thought into it.”

Photo by Darrow Montgomery

We've been digging Noon:30 for a while, but we've never heard the D.C./New York group like this. The band, now a two-piece, stopped by the City Paper parking deck last week to record a short set, but the two songs they played—"The Dream Architect" and "Peter Pan"—were nothing like the group's Pylon-esque post-punk that we wrote about in 2009. The new material is dreamy and minimalistic and loud when it needs to be; it also doesn't really bother with choruses, and it works. This was a nice surprise.

Be sure to catch Noon:30 Sept. 17 at La Casa with Tereu Tereu and Imperial China.

On his Bandcamp page, two of his releases are dated 2014—you can download and stream both, though.

But first, you'll want to listen to DC Re:MIXtape, the only item on the page dated 2010. On it, Shock Diamond turns songs by local indie rockers True Womanhood (disclosure: they're my buds), Noon:30, and Hume into glittery house music that occasionally melts down and rebuilds itself. The project is only a quarter done, so expect more reworkings of D.C. bands soon.

Download DC Re:MIXtape here, or stream it after the jump:

There's more to life than gigs.

A handful of area musicians are keeping that notion in mind this weekend, stepping outside their comfort zones for collaborative, one-night-only performances. There's Zomes, the drone-y project of Lungfish's Asa Osborne, which performs tonight at the Writer's Center in Bethesda as part of the ongoing Story/Stereo series. For the performance, Osborne will collaborate with two local artists, the fiction writer Dylan Landis and the poet Brian Gilmore, who will both read from their work. The performance starts at 8 p.m., and is free.

Then, for tomorrow, Sockets Records' Sean Peoples and Panda Head Magazine's Melissa Krodman have organized an experimental program called District Calling: Freedom. The evening, which includes two performances at the District of Columbia Arts Center in Adams Morgan, features music (members of the Cornel West Theory, Hume, and Noon:30), visual and video art (Ayo Okunseinde), and theater and dance artists (Carmen Wong and Heather Doyle). The evening's theme is freedom, and the artists have been collaborating on the project for several weeks. As for what it'll sound like, Arts Desk has no clue, but consider our curiosity piqued. The shows are at 7:30 and 10 p.m., and tickets are $10.

More cross-pollinated performances after the jump, including randomly assembled dance, strange maracas, and classic Warholian acid tests!

Radiohead, Sigur Rós, and Merce Cunningham Dance Company: Merce Cunningham's contributions to dance are incalculable, and he participated in a host of fascinating collaborations—most notably with his romantic partner, the great avant-garde composer John Cage. Split Sides was a work in which every element—choreography by Cunningham, music by Radiohead and Sigur Rós, design, costumes—was created in two parts, and matched up by chance immediately before the performance. The dance troupe first performed the work with both bands at the Brooklyn Academy of Music in 2003, and Sigur Rós released its half of the music, some of which was played on a xylophone made of dancing shoes, as the Ba Ba Ti Ki Di Do EP. A bootleg of Radiohead's half, meanwhile, is out there in the ether.

Lucky Dragons and the audience: This experimental duo from L.A. makes lengthy, ambient compositions that basically sound like Christmas in Hyrule: See Little Dragons live, and don't be surprised if someone shoves a magic stick—an instrument not far off from a maraca or rain stick—into your hands, or likely something weirder. Few bands are so Zen. Also: Want Lucky Dragons to make music in your living room this winter? Write them.

Sonic Youth and Gossip Girl: Kidding!

The Velvet Underground and Andy Warhol: Perhaps the classic example. The Exploding Plastic Inevitable productions paired rock's original hipsters with Warhol's art films and performances—well, "performances"—by members of his Factory retinue. Also, lots of seizure-inducing lights.

Beauty Pill (Chad Clark):

-Sitting at a cafe, eating a sandwich & overhearing a very awkward first date at the table to my left. Guy working too hard, girl turned off.

-Mary Timony gives guitar lessons. That seems like something I invented in my head, but it's true. Is there also a Vespa made of 2Amys pizza?

-File under: cool stuff that escaped my notice. Madlib's apparently on some kind of Sun Ra trip. http://bit.ly/aMrSF & http://bit.ly/Oui50

U.S. Royalty:

-Things U.S. Royalty never do: USR never only uses the mens restroom.

-Things U.S. Royalty never does: USR never checks out of their hotel room on time.

Casper Bangs:

-Just got some delicious white vinyl for the Casper Bangs 7". It's gorgeous. http://yfrog.com/0wgo8gj

-Loading gear out at 5 am is true rock stardom.

Tabi Bonney:

-If you fall to pieces in a crisis, there wasn't much to you in the first place.

-I forgot to mention that last quote was from Proverbs. I didn't come up with it. Just sharing with you guys

Noon:30

-is honored to have the chance to collab with the laughing man and see the blk jks! see us all on the 29th

An occasional feature in which esteemed D.C. rapper Head-Roc shares what’s on his mind.

On Saturday, August 22, Mustafa Akbar (Riddems Crew ,Thievery Corporation, Fort Knox Five, Nappy), hosts the 7th annual MuStock, a D.C. indie music festival held on his ancestral farmland down in Lignum, Va.

MuStock is a 10-hour concert/ weekend retreat in a beautiful setting with a great stage, fantastic sound, and overnight camping (folks can come down the night before and can actually stay until Sunday afternoon). And yes, there are portable bathrooms with sanitation stations (for washing your hands), and there's also a gigantic tent, so rain is no problem.

The 7th Annual MuStock is a free event, but because it is run with no corporate or institutional sponsorships, we're asking for a suggested donation of $20 to help cover the production costs and the artists' expenses. Supporting the careers of some of our area's undervalued, overworked, and underpaid working musicians is STRONGLY SUGGESTED! …AND GREATLY APPRECIATED!!!

What really makes MuStock especially noteworthy is the fact that it’s one man's labor of love to provide a great show and platform for some of D.C.'s hardest working professional indie music artists.

The first time I went to MuStock I was blown away by the visual presentation and spiritual vibration.  The hospitality Mustafa provided was a welcome change from dealing with some of the folks at the usual venues we indie pros rock: He offered what he had to all musicians who responded to the invitation to participate.

And the way Mustafa hosted the event was done in such a way that the concert day moved along fluidly–much like a mixtape. Artists, in addition to performing their own material, were encouraged to (and did) mix it up with other artists across each others sets.

Maybe the most striking memory of attending is witnessing the farm at dusk, and seeing the full glory of the sky. It made me think of the survival of our ancestors on this soil in the days when the the descendants of enslaved Africans were forbidden to express our spiritual selves freely and out in the open. Taking my daughter to MuStock was huge in this regard, as I watched her observe, emulate, and participate in the musical offerings from my art peers on the scene.

Please make plans to come join us this year!

Performing live at MuStock 09’:

Mustafa Akbar
Tamika Jones
Pure Light Seed
Noon:30
Asheru
GODISHEUS
The Fif
DJ Oji
Punk Rodgers
Bredren Sound System

Special MuStock “Honors” performance by the one and only:

ENGLISHMAN!

Head-Roc is a founding member of legendary D.C. hip-hop crew 3LG, WAMMIE award-winning solo MC, and frontman of the hip-hop/funk/rock group Godisheus.

• Eric Felten Jazz Orchestra. Blues Alley. $25.
• L.A. Guns w/ Mis-Fit, Tilt, Sinner’s Trail, Bitter Pill. Jaxx. $18/$20. +21.
• Sheryl Crow, Ari Hest. Filene Center at Wolf Trap. $30-$48.
• TheoryCast, ReVeL, Fight The Bear, Conshafter. Rock and Roll Hotel. $10. All ages.
• DC Summer Extravaganza w/ Tittsworth, Nadastrom, Will Eastman, Bobby Jae & Ken Lazee, Dmerit. 9:30 club. $10. All ages.
• Canda, Bobbie Allen, Mila Levine, Michelle Murray, Treevibes, Lulu Fall, Vox Pop, Lux Operon, Peter S. Pinocci, Liberated Muse, Rob Wolcott. Artomatic. (For more info, see our Artomatic Manual)

Saturday

• 40th Annual Smoke-In: Human Rights (HR of the Bad Brains), See-I, Christos, Telesma, The Package, The Omsteaders, J.B. Bevereley and The Wayward Drifters, and DJ Bedroom. 23rd and Constitution Avenue NW. Free.
• National Symphony Orchestra: “A Capitol Fourth.” US Capitol, West Lawn. Free.
• DJ Regal, Fort Knox Five, All Good Funk Alliance. Black Cat. $10. All ages.
• Independence Day Noon:30 Release Party w/ The Laughing Man, Achtung Panda, Ghost Light, DJ Natty Boom. Velvet Lounge. $3-$8. +21.
• DJ Dk. Cafe Saint Ex.
• NoiseHouse, BLOODSHOT, HeeBeeGeeBees, Jeremy Steinhaus, Machines of Living Death, Anil Rock, Copper Rose & Bone, Julie O., Fat Roberta, Princess of Controversy, C.O.M.P., Mother Courage, The Very Small, Mambo Sauce, Zip The Uncanny, Vmasta & Cortez, Glasgow Tunnel, The FiF. Artomatic.

Sunday

• Blues Jam with the Idle Americans. Bangkok Blues. Call for price.
• Jay Reatard, TV Smith. Black Cat. $12. All ages.
• The Scare, Energy, Fallen From The Sky, Ante Up, Debaser. Velvet Lounge. $8. +18.
• St. Croix Virgin Islands Reggae Tour 2009 w/ Batch, Ras Attitude, Empress Ima, Jah Empress. IOTA Club & Cafe. $12. +21.
• Smithsonian Folklife Festival: Only Men Aloud! Kennedy Center Millennium Stage. Free.
• Triple Staccs, Mzery Loves Company, Mary Battiata & LITTLE PINK, RC Rex & the Progressionals, SAW Showcase, Seth Barna, House of Echo, Rob Wolcott, Dark Electric Showcase II, Sesshin No-Fi, Sarah Fridrich. Artomatic.

"A Capitol Fourth" 2007 photo by boboroshi, Creative Commons Attribution License.

• Joey Cape (Lagwagon), Jon Snodgrass (Drag the River), Chad Rex. Black Cat Backstage. $10. All ages.
• Sol Blues. Bangkok Blues. $5.
• Yazarah. Blues Alley. $20. All ages.
• Noon:30, The Press, Achtung Panda. DC9. $8. +21.
• Northwestern University Bienen School of Music. Kennedy Center Terrace Theater. Free.
• Bob Perilla and the Big Hillbilly Bluegrass Band (Every Wednesday). Madam’s Organ.
• 18th St. Singers. Mansion at Strathmore. $15.
• Edward J. Ricart (Guitar). Twins Jazz. Call for price. +21.
• Liechtenstein, Sundress. Velvet Lounge. $8. +18.
• Sinem Saniye, Ilhan Ozulu. The Red & The Black. $6. +21.
• Another Empty Box w/ Jongol and Super Bon Bon. Wonderland Ballroom. Call for price.
• Videohippos, Screaming Females, Eubonics. Big Bear Cafe.
• Birdman, My Favorite Dress w/ DJs Kathryn Wildt & the Holiday Girl, Casper Bangs. Cafe Saint Ex.

Photo of The Press via MySpace.