Dropping Like Flies: local venues

[bearman🐻]

The Recher, Sonar, and Capitol Ballroom rank as some of my least favorite venues of all time.

[i am gay and i like cats]

anybody willing to wager a guess on who is next.  i say . . . madams organ.  what a yawn fest.

[hutch]

anybody willing to wager a guess on who is next.  i say . . . madams organ.  what a yawn fest.

 

 

[i am gay and i like cats]

everybody has their own opinion . . . thats what makes them neat.

[hutch]

everybody has their own opinion . . . thats what makes them neat.

yeah, opinions are like assholes..."neat"..


Madams Organs is just about one of the few remaining genuine places in Adams Morgan... all the places that made the area thrive in the 1990s have been closed down and replaced by boring cookiecutter lounges owned by corporations or recent sports dive bars with zero personality..unfortunately that is what the people want, that is what they must have, that is what they will get... when will there be enough lounge bars or places selling fancy beer at fancy prices

I've enjoyed many a great night at Madams (both the old one where the blaguard now is [actually a surprisingly decent bar] and the new one).... They used to have this guy doing blues on Tuesday nights that would really tear it up: Ben Andrews (RIP)... he was unbelievable.

If Madams goes it will be replaced by some expensive froo froo lounge selling you 88 types of fancy beers...

but I doubt its going anywhere cause the owner ain't exactly old and I think he loves running the place. See that's the difference between Madams and those corporate fancy bars popping up everywhere.. when Ben Andrews died, I happened to stop by and asked about Ben, and the ID checker told me to talk to the owner..which I did because of course he was there hanging.. he was broken up and told me what had happened.. over the next few days we got some people together and a friend of mine uploaded  a little promo video of Ben and the owner organized a remembrance for Ben.....its called community and it means something to me.

But I can see how someone who had no history with the place might feel its a yawn fest... having said that whenever I've gone- which isn't that often lately- I just see a bunch of happy people and feel a good vibe at the place so I'm not sure what your experience was that prompted you to write what you did..

[i am gay and i like cats]

cool.  im glad you had such great times.  i mean somebody who writes that much has real passion for a place.  i thought it was boring the times i went there, but i demand a seperate kind of mental stimulation.  so theres that.  would you rather i said . . . jammin java?

[hutch]

cool.  im glad you had such great times.  i mean somebody who writes that much has real passion for a place.  i thought it was boring the times i went there, but i demand a seperate kind of mental stimulation.  so theres that.  would you rather i said . . . jammin java?

Iota's ('s dedicated to James Ford) I think is on the ropes.... I wouldn't much mind seeing that place go...

the truth is that in the past year The Hamilton, Howard, Fillmore Silver Spring, Hill Country BBQ and many other places have opened up.. even the National Theatre i now having rock concerts...there are far too many venues for the area in relation to musical acts... which is why so many venues are now booking cover bands... some venues are struggling for sure.. I dont' think anyone expected the Fillmore to have such a bare lineup... the State Theatre is losing acts to these venues and if it wasn't for the Legwarmers two monthly sellouts I wonder how they would make it.

a lot of competition and more coming... people in DC (other than me) apparently have a lot of money to burn, are young etc...... I think I even heard a while back that the Madison Square Garden group was interested in coming to town...

I'm not sure what stimulation you are speaking of but I really don't want to know!

[Justin Tonation]

The Ontario, for good (so to speak)

[atomicfront]

Ontario was a great place to see a show.   Shame it hadn't been used for so long and now it is gone forever

[chancegardener]

Ontario classic: Thin Lizzy and Code Blue, 12/9/80, the day after John Lennon died.  The power went out mind-way thru "Boys Are Back in Town" but the drummer carried on and Phil Lynott had the crowd chanting "the boys are back, the boys are back" until the sound returned.  It was a great way to get thru a very sad time.

[Yada]

Has the Ontario even been used in the last 20 years?

Also, Iota is about my favorite place to see a show in this city, albeit not too often.

[showlistdc]

Also, Iota is about my favorite place to see a show in this city, albeit not too often.

Have you been recently?  Ever since the expansion, there's a lot of talking that goes on at shows, especially on the weekend-- I think folks just view the ticket price as a cover and wander in to drink, not really knowing/caring much about the band performing.

Weeknight shows tend to be better-- Neil Halstead a few months back was fantastic (and the crowd was respectfully quiet).

[killsaly]

What is up with Bell Foundry being raided? i cant find any more info than what was already mentioned on here.

[showlistdc]

this is Boston not DC, but check out this article about cops trying to shut down DIY spaces:
http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/crime/2013/03/boston_police_catfishing_indie_rockers_cops_pose_as_punks_on_the_internet.single.html