i went a few times when i was in school. the first time you go you think, "well, i'm gonna hit the bowery ballroom at 800, then go to the knitting factory at 930, mercury lounge at 1115 and cbgb's at 1." that doesn't work. besides cab fare adding up quickly, many venues limit the number of badges they let into each show, so they can get actual paying customers. if you have a badge, you end up waiting in line a lot. and when set times change/shows run late, it throws everything off.
like joz said, your best bet is to just pick one or two showcases per night and stick to that. but honestly, unless your trip is paid for, i'd say it's not worth it since a good number of those bands end up playing shows in d.c. around then since they are in the area. not all of them, obviously, but enough.
