Fillmore SS Shows

[Mobius]

I don't know about contractual obligations and what not . . .to me it seems like the primary requirement to get booked at this place is that you are no longer creatively viable but yet you still exist.


Rock the Bells moving from DC to Boston seems somewhat reasonable . . .if they only have 2 east coast shows it makes sense to play NY and then alternate the second venue.  Why Boston though . . .when I think Boston-hip hop all I can think of is the verse from Bell Biv Devoe's Poison (delivered from a top the basketball rim I believe) and Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch.  Though DC doesn't have much of a better history, sadly.  Atlanta seems to make more sense.

[travelinbeat]

I don't know about contractual obligations and what not . . .to me it seems like the primary requirement to get booked at this place is that you are no longer creatively viable but yet you still exist.


Rock the Bells moving from DC to Boston seems somewhat reasonable . . .if they only have 2 east coast shows it makes sense to play NY and then alternate the second venue.  Why Boston though . . .when I think Boston-hip hop all I can think of is the verse from Bell Biv Devoe's Poison (delivered from a top the basketball rim I believe) and Marky Mark and the Get Fresh Crew.  Though DC doesn't have much of a better history, sadly.  Atlanta seems to make more sense.

RTB has been in Atlanta in the past.  I also think that DC has a much more than negligible hip hop history-- from ancient history like Duke Ellington (admittedly not a hiphop artist, but definitely a hugely influential force in all African American music), to another hip-hop-affecting genre, go-go (see Chuck Brown), to DJ Kool, who most famously wrote "Let Me Clear My Throat" (which may be somewhat laughable).  Jarobi White of A Tribe Called Quest has been recorded as saying that the DMV is "home for [him]", and though his involvement in ATCQ has dwindled, he remains involved in DC hiphop as the the manager of area-artist, Head-Roc.  More recently Wale, who is hooked up with Interscope (the label he chose after a bidding war took place between them, Atlantic, Epic, and Def Jam), is another young DC rapper with very distinguished credibility.  Howard U has also long been regarded as a hugely important venue to win over for up and coming (and even established) acts.  We may not be ATL, NY, or LA, but DC can hang with some of the second-string hip-hop towns out there, and is CERTAINLY more hip-hop than Boston.

[hutch]

I don't know about contractual obligations and what not . . .to me it seems like the primary requirement to get booked at this place is that you are no longer creatively viable but yet you still exist.


Rock the Bells moving from DC to Boston seems somewhat reasonable . . .if they only have 2 east coast shows it makes sense to play NY and then alternate the second venue.  Why Boston though . . .when I think Boston-hip hop all I can think of is the verse from Bell Biv Devoe's Poison (delivered from a top the basketball rim I believe) and Marky Mark and the Get Fresh Crew.  Though DC doesn't have much of a better history, sadly.  Atlanta seems to make more sense.

RTB has been in Atlanta in the past.  I also think that DC has a much more than negligible hip hop history-- from ancient history like Duke Ellington (admittedly not a hiphop artist, but definitely a hugely influential force in all African American music), to another hip-hop-affecting genre, go-go (see Chuck Brown), to DJ Kool, who most famously wrote "Let Me Clear My Throat" (which may be somewhat laughable).  Jarobi White of A Tribe Called Quest has been recorded as saying that the DMV is "home for [him]", and though his involvement in ATCQ has dwindled, he remains involved in DC hiphop as the the manager of area-artist, Head-Roc.  More recently Wale, who is hooked up with Interscope (the label he chose after a bidding war took place between them, Atlantic, Epic, and Def Jam), is another young DC rapper with very distinguished credibility.  Howard U has also long been regarded as a hugely important venue to win over for up and coming (and even established) acts.  We may not be ATL, NY, or LA, but DC can hang with some of the second-string hip-hop towns out there, and is CERTAINLY more hip-hop than Boston.

I would also add Gil Scott Heron.

[Mobius]

I also think that DC has a much more than negligible hip hop history

Culturally, absolutely.  Creatively?  It seems to me that DC's strong musical history and culture have primarily played the role of 'muse' in the history of hip hop . . .influencing and inspiring but not (to a large extent) creating.   Where was DC in the 'golden age' of hip hop?  Some noises being made today (but Wale making Maybach Music does not seem to bode well).

[travelinbeat]

I also think that DC has a much more than negligible hip hop history

Culturally, absolutely.  Creatively?  It seems to me that DC's strong musical history and culture have primarily played the role of 'muse' in the history of hip hop . . .influencing and inspiring but not (to a large extent) creating.   Where was DC in the 'golden age' of hip hop?  Some noises being made today (but Wale making Maybach Music does not seem to bode well).

This is a fair point too, but I feel that the crux of my argument lies in my final sentence-- we certainly are not and never have been NY, LA, ATL, but we have always been more than Denver, Nashville, Seattle, Boston, Louisville, Milwaukee, Portland, and pretty much every other cities of comparable population.  We even do better than some cities twice our size (Pheonix, San Antonio, etc.).  And I suppose that if I had to talk about where DC was during the golden age of hiphop, I'd have to start talking about Bad Brains, Fugazi, and Minor Threat... none of whom are hip hop obviously, but all of whom enjoyed quite widespread national success (albeit niche success).  Creatively I feel like DC's Go-Go sound is still audible in much of the hip-hop we have produced.  It may not be quite as successful or popular as southern rap or the tell-tale synthesizer wurrings so omnipresent in west-coast gangster rap, but nonetheless I do feel that it is just as valid and recognizable a trademark as something like Bay-Area hyphie.

[travelinbeat]

Primus at FSS is $54 all up.  Insane.

[StoneTheCrow]

Ouch!

[killsaly]

Creatively I feel like DC's Go-Go sound is still audible in much of the hip-hop we have produced.

And in RuPaul's epic track Tranny Chaser:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pQOu2d0L1qE

[Mobius]

If it weren't for the filmore, there would never have been this re: filmore ss shows thread, and if we didn't have this thread I never would have been aware of the Tranny Chaser video.  I ain't mad at you Fillmore!  It was all worth it!!

[hutch]

Primus at FSS is $54 all up.  Insane.

I don't know if people in the burbs are dying for Cheap Trick or Primus but they are both crazy expensive...

[azaghal1981]

And both probably will sell out as soon as Michelle Bachmann makes a rational statement.

[i am gay and i like cats]

do you think there is a "hidden backlash" in the world of those who entertain us, that whispers stay away from live nation?  duran duran is what i would think is a perfect example.  i don't study it too deeply, but can anyone play a live nation owned venue, correct, without having to sign weird contracts that make the old days of shady record company contracts look like gold leaf?  duran duran chose dar over the chance to truly bring the "initiation" shows that a new venue needs, regardless of who owns it.  i mean . . . dar over a fillmore venue that is state of the art?  is there that much a "hidden hatred of live nation/ticketmaster new world cloning of music into blue house fillmores that mean nothing more than cash revenue, that a band would choose a venue such as dar.  i mean, come on.  dar?  i would give them credit if they played lincoln theatre or even lisner.  that could of been epic.  duran duran needs epic.  it is who they are.  their song, the chauffeur proves that. 

[azaghal1981]

LN put on shows at DAR too sometimes.


Is Duran Duran definitely an IMP event?

And speaking of IMP, they also use Lisner and Lincoln.

[i am gay and i like cats]

so seth is floating solo on an island surrounded by the shark infested seas?

[bearman🐻]

I have to say that you cannot get me to spend $54 and go out to Silver Spring to see a show that should realistically cost $30 and be a little more accessible. I don't know how most folks feel, but living in the city and working long hours, there's just no way I'm going to want to spend my time, energy and money that way. I want to be able to pop over and be there relatively quickly and not invest a ton of time getting to and from a venue. It's just too much hassle. And that's one of the benefits of living in a city. I guess the idea is to make the venue more accessible to people in the burbs, and draw bands that are likely going to appeal to folks who go to maybe a few shows a year and don't mind dropping $60 a pop on tickets? I dunno.