so over on the 930s facebook page, there were several people quite angry saying that black artists weren't represented at all other than a public enemy setlist, bad brains something or the other and like 1 other thing.
i haven't been yet. thoughts?
Yeah, I got all annoyed at this woman.
930 is and always has been great to black performers (and concert goers)
there was major representation in just about every display there
and they weren't just token things, they were prominent
Not to mention the entire video board/section dedicated solely to gogo and in the green room there was a cutout of Chuck Brown and the hair dryer + story of James Brown! Plus a cool sign for George Clinton's dressing room that I liked a lot
Some people just like to stir shit up. It wasn't like this was about Jazz in DC and snubbing Duke Ellington or something. Come on.
Real talk - I'm a white gal from rural mountain Maryland. The 930 club was how I learned about Go-go and Chuck Brown when I was a teenager. The lady who lodged that complaint about the exhibit has no clue how much of a multicultural place the club is. It's more than just black or white acts, it's about the fact the venue was and still is a place to learn new music, meet new people and all sorts of things. Plus, I don't know about anyone else, but I feel the crowds I saw last night at the exhibit displayed loudly just how diverse the club is in terms of its history, culture, roots, etc.
Here's the thing that pisses me off... I'm cool about talking about race, but this lady should've checked her privilege at the door. According to the article WAMU published - yeah they did an interview with her- she saw the exhibit as part of a VIP thing on Tuesday. Per a few club friends I talked to last night - Tuesday night was huge VIP as in the Obamas were there. So I'm doing the math and find it really pompous that considering all the hard work the staph put into this and the fact she was there when the President and the mayor and their families were there - who the hell is she to say crap? I'm not trying to stir anything up. I'm just annoyed how easy it is for someone with an ego to get this attention especially since last night felt like a celebration of everything I love about DC - the 930 club, punk and go-go.