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.