Opens Friday: Maurice James Jr.’s New Negro at Art of Noize

Graphic artist Maurice James Jr. is reimagining Black history through art. Although his career only started in 2021, he’s become quite prolific during those three years. By March of 2023, he was displaying his work at three overlapping exhibits, and this year he was the first artist to be featured in Homme Gallery’s new location inside Union Station; he even did a show earlier this month in Oakland, California. Much of James’ previous work has focused on imagining a Black utopia by portraying Black people in mediums they’ve been excluded from in the past—from comic book covers and movie posters to old-time propaganda. Now James plans to build on his earlier themes in his third showing at Petworth gallery Art of Noize. The New Negro: Manifest Destiny focuses on the architecture of James’ Black Utopia. The idea behind this exhibit came from his observation that, though Black architects have been recognized for their work in the past, they weren’t “necessarily building anything that added to the efforts of Black liberation.” By pairing figures from the Harlem Renaissance and portraits drawn by Winold Reiss with architectural designs, James says the exhibit shows what “true Reconstruction” would’ve meant to Black people after slavery. One such piece that captures this vision is a depiction of educator Elise Johnson McDougald with a sketching of a building meant to be the imaginary “Department of Negro Education.” James’ art is a blend of history and imagination that he describes as “AfroFuturism from the 1920s,” and a blueprint of Pan-African and Black Nationalist ideas woven into society. New Negro: Manifest Destiny opens on July 26 with an opening presentation from 6 to 10 p.m. The exhibit runs through Aug. 31 at Art of Noize, 821 Upshur St. NW. artofnoizedmv.com. Free. —Dorvall Bedford

Friday: The Pointer Sisters at MGM National Harbor

When Beyoncé released Cowboy Carter earlier this year, much fuss was made about a Black woman singing country music. But anyone with the slightest knowledge of popular music would know that R&B singers have delved into country long before Beyoncé with great success. Most notably, the Pointer Sisters, who won the Grammy for Best Country Vocal Performance by a Duo or Group for their 1974 song “Fairytales,” and were nominated in the same category the following year for “Live Your Life Before You Die.” The Pointer Sisters were so busy in their career at the time they failed to realize they had reached a milestone. “I was in shock when they said, ‘You won a Grammy,’” says Ruth Pointer. “We were like ‘For what?! We were on the road and we didn’t even go to the ceremony.” This marked the start of an extensive run of hits and accolades for the group who will be performing alongside the Commodores and the Spinners at MGM National Harbor on Friday (though her sisters, Anita, June, and Bonnie—who left the group to go solo in 1977—have passed, Ruth continues performing with her daughter Issa Pointer and granddaughter Sadako Pointer). Contrary to the belief that girl groups don’t write their own songs, the Pointer Sisters wrote several of their hits throughout their career including “Fairytales” and “I’m So Excited.” Not that producers in the industry thought these songs should automatically be included on their albums. “I remember my sister Anita fighting to get songs that she wrote, that she and me and June wrote together, on the album,” says Ruth. “Even ‘I’m So Excited’ was on the album before Break Out and it just kind of went unnoticed. Anita fought and said, ‘No! We’ve got to rerelease this song. I know it’s a hit and I’m insisting,’ and she got it back on there.” (Rereleased as part of the 1984 pressing of Break Out, “I’m So Excited,” along with the hits “Automatic,” “Neutron Dance,” and “Jump (For My Love),” helped the album go triple-platinum). And while the Pointer Sisters will perform hit after hit at their show at MGM, Ruth is most looking forward to seeing the other acts perform. “I’m a fan of all of those guys,” she says. “I’ll probably run out there and watch them before we go on.” The Pointer Sisters play at 7:30 p.m. on July 26 at MGM National Harbor, 101 MGM National Ave., Oxon Hill. mgmnationalharbor.mgmresorts.com $93.37–$235.70. —Christina Smart

Friday: Previous Industries at Songbyrd

Does Open Mike Eagle belong in the best albums about divorce? While Marvin Gaye’s Here, My Dear and Frank Sinatra’s In the Wee Small Hours pack an emotional punch both sonically and lyrically, they’re not exactly fun. Bob Dylan’s Blood on the Tracks is a bit more relatable with songs like “Tangled Up in Blue” and “Idiot Wind,” but it’s a little much sometimes—how do you top Dylan? Richard and Linda Thompson’s Shoot Out the Lights was the best of the best of the breakup records—not too heavy, a classic on par with Blood on the Tracks without the weight of Dylan. But it may now be the second best divorce album. Open Mike Eagle’s 2020 opus Anime, Trauma and Divorce is the best entry in his catalog, though it’s not the most streamed. I get it. Who wants to listen to a concept album about the end of a marriage when you can listen to more universal songs about social anxiety? If you’re not 100 percent comfortable in your relationship status, it is a good idea to stay the hell away from songs like “The Black Mirror Episode.” But if you’re not afraid of Netflix and not-at-all-chilling with your significant other, it’s the best breakup song of the decade. It’s heavy, obviously, but it’s also fun. It is possible to see the humor at the end of the road! Open Mike Eagle is not touring behind a 2020 record. This appearance is part of the new Previous Industries, a project featuring Mike and two fellow former Chicagoans/current Los Angelenos: Video Dave and Still Rift. If you like Mike’s solo stuff, this new trio’s work is in the same wheelhouse. Video Dave is on the aforementioned Anime, Trauma and Divorce and all three musicians are on the excellent 2022 single “Circuit City” and 2023 single “WFLD 32.” Previous Industries play at 8 p.m. on July 26 at Songbyrd, 540 Penn St. NE. songbyrddc.com $20–$22. —Brandon Wetherbee

Wednesday: Joan Baez at Sixth & I

Iconic folk musician and activist Joan Baez has added a new title to her illustrious resume: poet. While she played her final concert in 2019, she’ll hit the Sixth & I Stage Wednesday as an author to discuss her recently released debut book of poetry, When You See My Mother, Ask Her to Dance. Despite decades of making her voice heard on some of the world’s biggest stages (the March on Washington, Kennedy Center Honors, Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction, and the inaugural Newport Folk Festival, just to name a few), the book marks the first time Baez has publicly shared her poetry with the world. Baez told Vanity Fair earlier this year that her creativity “just exploded as soon as I quit touring.” The autobiographical poems vulnerably reflect on critical moments, people, and places from her long and impactful life in the public eye. Baez will be joined in conversation by NPR’s Ari Shapiro. The conversation with Joan Baez starts at 7 p.m. on July 31 at Sixth & I, 600 I St. NW. sixthandi.org. $12–$45. —Serena Zets 

Wednesday: Plena Libre at Strathmore’s Gudelsky Gazebo

You don’t have to be familiar with the folkloric origins of plena, a Puerto Rican musical genre, or even speak Spanish to appreciate the rhythms and fast-tempoed flow of the Grammy-nominated band Plena Libre. Formed in 1994, the Puerto Rico-based group have modernized the way plena is sung and combined their take with the barrel-shaped conga drums of bomba with touches of salsa and jazz via horns, bass, and a keyboard. Plena Libre were founded by bassist Gary Núñez, who died of cancer in 2023. Under Nunez, Plena Libre released 15 albums and brought their lively sound to concert stages around the world. Now his son LuisGa Núñez has assumed his late father’s role as bassist and bandleader. While the unit’s music has always been rooted in traditional Puerto Rican folk styles, that doesn’t mean it’s sedate. Live, some of the frontline vocalists, who also hit handheld drums or maracas, do choreographed dance moves, and harmonize behind a lead vocalist while the horn section expertly comes in and out with riffs, and the bomba and timbales drummer pound away. There’s a lot going on, but it’s well coordinated and not atonal. Audience members can both admire the musicians chops and dance. Plena Libre play at 7:30 p.m. on July 31 at Strathmore’s Gudelsky Gazebo, 10701 Rockville Pk., Rockville. strathmore.org. Free. —Steve Kiviat

Wednesday: Reyna Tropical at Songbyrd

If you combine the Spanish words for “bad” and “happy,” you get a portmanteau that rolls off the tongue: malegría. Over two decades ago, Manu Chao used the word to name a song on his seminal 1998 album, Clandestino. This year, it serves as the title of an entire album: the debut from Reyna Tropical. In one of the many interludes sprinkled throughout Malegría, Reyna Tropical co-founder Nectali “Sumohair” Díaz says the duo’s music seeks to encapsulate that bad-happy feeling. “Being able to dance it off, it’s very important,” he once said. “When constructing a track, I think about, like, how can people move, even though the song is not the happiest song in terms of lyrics?” That question took on heightened meaning for Fabi Reyna, the other founder of Reyna Tropical, following Díaz’s tragic death in an e-scooter accident in downtown Los Angeles in 2022. “For several months I didn’t know how to perform on stage without him, or how to write music without him,” she told Rolling Stone last year. “It left me with the question of, ‘How is this going to continue? Is this fair, is this what he wants?’ But the answer was always a resounding yes.” Although he’s gone, Reyna invoked Díaz all over Malegría—in intimate interludes made of old voice memos, in lyrics tinged with grief and depression, and in its bittersweet, malegría spirit. Despite its inherent heaviness, Reyna Tropical’s stellar debut album overflows with joyful, tropical rhythms that will make you want to dance. Reyna, now a solo project, weaves together sounds from Mexico, Colombia, Peru, Puerto Rico, and other cultures in Latin America, with special attention and reverence paid to Afro-Latine and Indigenous traditions. The result is an expertly crafted statement about creative partnership and diasporic living that doesn’t shy away from the ugly (say, colorism within the Latine community, or the harmful effects of ecotourism), but also staunchly celebrates the beautiful. Reyna’s soft, enchanting voice swings between sophisticated lyrics and simple mantras, giving certain songs an almost prayer-like effect—if prayers were something you sprung up and swayed your hips to. Reyna Tropical plays at 8 p.m. on July 31 at Songbyrd, 540 Penn St. NE. songbyrddc.com. $15–$22.—Ella Feldman

Painting is so integral to local artist Roderick Turner’s life that you’ll hardly ever find him not working on his art. Even in mid-conversation, it’s likely he’ll pull out his supplies and begin a new project—something he did while speaking with City Paper for this article. Sitting on a bench inside Foundry Gallery, where staff prepared for the artist’s opening reception scheduled for the following hour, Turner, pencil in hand, placed a sketch pad on his lap and a bag full of paints on the ground next to his feet.

“I like to work while I talk,” he tells City Paper. “When you’ve been an artist as long as I have, multitasking comes easy to you. I’m always thinking of a new idea.”

Turner may not have been born in D.C., but he’s lived here long enough to know the city as well as any native. Ever since the visual artist moved here in the 1980s for school and the opportunity to work on murals, he has been painting the city as he sees it—the good and the bad—with a particular focus on Southeast neighborhoods. Turner’s decades-long work to document D.C. has culminated in Life in DC, which is on display at the Foundry through June 2.

“I came up with the title because I’m trying to show the city’s treasure, past and present, in this show,” he says. “It’s all about bringing attention to what we have here in the city—not so much the major landmarks but rather the subtle things in this ever-changing place.”

Besides a single, large portrait of an “unknown pianist,” Life in DC consists of cityscapes in three different styles: watercolor, acrylic, and oil painting. But these pieces are not mere depictions of city skylines—they’re stories of change. Many of the works on display focus on the same locations at the same angles, but at different time periods. What might look like glimpses of uneventful moments in time are recontextualized when viewed together, revealing years of gradual gentrification.

In one series of five paintings, Turner documents 9th Street in Southeast as it was in 2000 (a mostly tree-filled, scenic stretch of road) and the gradual construction that took place until the street became an urban neighborhood with multistory housing. In another series of paintings, Turner documents in acrylics how the city’s wharf looked when he first arrived here in the 1980s, with docks displaying a replica of the Amistad. In more recent watercolor paintings, he shows how the ship and simple docks have been replaced with modern buildings and grand architecture, centering on the neighborhood’s main attractions such as the Anthem.

“In D.C., we’re dealing with gentrification, which means neighborhoods are changing and people are getting pushed out,” Turner says. “I want to show people that the way these areas look is important.”

He continues, “It might be no big deal to you now but your children and their children will want to see how the city used to look. That’s what I’m providing for them here.”

The inspiration behind painting D.C. over the span of decades came from his time spent in France. In 1993, Turner traveled to Giverny for a four-month artist residency. There, he observed how French impressionists such as Claude Monet painted their own cities and began to think that not enough artists were doing that for D.C. Turner wants his art to document change but also highlight the unique culture of the city. 

“These paintings are my story—my visual journal,” he says. “To some people they might seem like paintings of buildings and urban scenes, but not to me. The more you stay and look, you’ll see there’s a story within them.”

But Turner has found it increasingly difficult to be a painter in D.C. as the years have passed. He says hardly anyone questioned him when he first moved here, yet now there are times when he has to show a permit to authorities just so he can paint outside. Despite facing more obstacles today, Turner’s dedication to documenting his home means he has no intention of ever stopping—or leaving.

“I’ll keep painting D.C. as long as I can,” he says. “It’s important for people to recognize what they have because if you don’t, then you’ll end up … not valuing it. When you start embracing and being thankful for what you already have, it makes you appreciate it more and take care of it a little better.”

“I’ve witnessed so many stories here and there are still more that need to be captured,” he says.

Roderick Turner hosts a watercolor workshop at 3 p.m. on May 18 and gives an artist talk starting at 4 p.m. on May 25 at Foundry Gallery, where Life in DC runs through June 2. foundrygallery.org. Free.

Commuters traveling through Union Station are about to experience something new. Currently known for its slate of fast food offerings and a handful of shops, it is one of the busiest train stations in the country and it’s about to be the home of D.C.’s third Homme Gallery location. The grand opening takes place on April 12 with its inaugural exhibit: graphic artist Maurice James Jr.’s High-Speed Freedom: The History of the Underground Railroad.

“I want everybody in D.C. to come,” gallery owner Amir Browder tells City Paper. “It’s going to be the opening of something great.”

The Union Station gallery is the latest Homme space as Browder continues to expand his operation. He first opened Homme back in 2014 when it was a clothing boutique inside the Anacostia Arts Center. Over time he connected with all types of local creatives and began offering artists space to show their work. Browder moved the business out of the Anacostia Arts Center in 2015 and into a location on O Street NW in 2016; there, it would eventually become a full-time gallery in 2019 after the artwork slowly replaced the clothing as the identity of Homme. Looking for an opportunity to find a larger space, Browder partnered with Golden Triangle Business Improvement District to open up his second gallery on L Street NW in 2021 as a pop-up meant to last for only three months—now it’s nearing three years at its second location.

Browder’s goal with Homme is to provide a platform for emerging and independent artists and to offer a place where they can feel at home (pun not intended). He invites artists of different backgrounds to showcase their work at his galleries and express themselves in any way they want. “I want Homme to be inclusive, where artists can be unfiltered,” Browder says. “That goes for art collectors and enthusiasts, too. My galleries are welcoming environments where you can feel creative.”

Compared to Homme’s two other locations, the Union Station space is going to blend O and L streets’ best aspects. Browder describes his spacious L Street NW location as the most like a traditional gallery with very high ceilings and white walls, while Homme’s 52 O Street Studios location is a lot more intimate, with a neighborhood feel. The new gallery’s size is somewhere in between the two and will be more retail-oriented: Browder plans to revisit clothing with pop-up shops as well. In fact, he hopes to host all kinds of events in the new space, including movie screenings and wine tastings.

“The space is very inviting,” he says. “I want it to be very intimate as well as regal. I hope it’ll help highlight the already beautiful interior of Union Station.”

Highlighting Union Station is actually one of the reasons why Browder chose the artist he’ll be featuring for the grand opening. Browder and James met back in 2021 at 11:Eleven gallery when James was showing his first ever solo exhibit. Browder became a fan of the artist’s work and they eventually collaborated on the exhibit Homme Away From Home in 2022.

Browder chose James for the grand opening because, in February, James showed him new art that reinterpreted the Underground Railroad with actual images of trains. Browder was immediately captivated and asked James to create a whole exhibit centered around that idea. “The artwork was perfect,” Browder says. “He was showing me all these images about empowering Black people and trains, and I knew at that moment his exhibit would be the best way to make use of the space at Union Station.”

High-Speed Freedom: The History of the Underground Railroad has refined some of the Black liberation themes James has been playing with for years. Previously his art contemplated how modes of transportation can serve as symbolism for escaping oppression; this new work will combine historical fiction and Afrofuturism. He plans to show Homme’s patrons a world where the Underground Railroad continues to exist to help Black people find freedom. One of his notable new pieces blends images of 19th-century trains, the first Black members of Congress, and Harriet Tubman into a depiction of his imagined utopia. “It’s a made-up universe based on actual history but taken further into another realm of possibility,” James tells City Paper. “I want people to realize with this exhibit that Black people have never stopped trying to be free.”

Though he’s taking everything one step at a time, Browder doesn’t plan for the Union Station gallery to be his last new location. “I don’t want to stop [here],” he says. “I want to always be pushing boundaries and moving forward … To see this growth happen is a dream come true.”

Homme Gallery’s Union Station location’s grand opening takes place from 7 to 9 p.m. on April 12. instagram.com/homme_dc. High-Speed Freedom: The History of the Underground Railroad runs from April 12 through April 28 at Homme Gallery’s Union Station.

Some of D.C.’s finest bands are gearing up for a standout concert in support of unemployed D.C. residents who face barriers to stable work. Argo and the Violet Queens, Home Remedies, Massie, and Dorinda will play Rock Against Homelessness, a fundraising show at St. Ann Catholic Church on April 13. The show will benefit Friendship Place, a local nonprofit dedicated to ending homelessness in D.C. Tickets are free with an option to add a suggested donation of $15, which will go to the organization’s employment program AimHire.

“It’s incredibly important to me that, no matter what amount of money is raised, we as musicians do this concert and help people find out about Friendship Place,” says Arav Goswami, frontperson and singer of Argo and the Violet Queens. “People need to be more aware of the crisis of homelessness happening here.”

Goswami came up with the idea to organize the fundraising concert. Argo and the Violet Queens already have a history using their talent for the public good; last year the band performed small shows in Leesburg to raise funds for Loudoun Hunger Relief and the therapeutic arts organization A Place To Be. In January, Goswami began volunteering for Friendship Place’s AimHire, a job placement program, and pitched a benefit concert to help raise money. 

“I wanted to do what I did before but on a larger scale,” Goswami says. “In D.C., you can get more people involved, especially if you get bands like Massie, Home Remedies, and Dorinda to play at the show. If we can keep the music going for a while, then hopefully more people will walk in and donate.”

Friendship Place got its start 33 years ago as a humble grassroots effort when concerned neighbors came together to help those experiencing homelessness in the upper Northwest. Together they opened a drop-in center on Wisconsin Avenue NW in Tenleytown along with five small congregation-based shelters. In the three decades since, Friendship Place has grown to serve not only all of D.C., but also some surrounding counties in Maryland and Virginia. According to its 2022 Impact Report, the organization managed to end or prevent homelessness for nearly 4,500 people and secured jobs for 136 people in 2022.

To achieve its mission of “empower[ing] people experiencing or at risk of homelessness to attain stable housing and rebuild their lives,” Friendship Place provides a variety of services that try to meet the many needs of those seeking help. Such services include its short-term housing facilities Valley Place and the Brooks, long-term housing complexes where staff help guide residents through the process of rebuilding their lives, a free clinic where visitors can see health care providers, and more. AimHire, the program that the upcoming concert will benefit, specifically helps people find jobs through one-to-one mentoring from volunteers on useful skills like resume writing, answering interview questions, and filling out job applications.

“Ending homelessness is easy—all you got to do is put somebody in an apartment,” says the organization’s community engagement associate Alan Banks. “The hard work comes after they’re housed, helping them put their life back in order.” 

This is especially true for people who’ve been experiencing homelessness for years. Banks himself sought help from Friendship Place in 2010 when he was unhoused. In the past decade, he’s watched as thousands of people have been assisted in finding housing and work. And as a volunteer for the AimHire program, Goswami has seen how Friendship Place helps people find work. The organization also understands the importance of celebrating each win: The office on U Street NW rings a bell whenever a client gets hired. 

“I’ve seen it every time I’m there,” he says. “Each time I go, someone in their program has gotten a job.”

Goswami has handled most of the organizing of the fundraiser: creating the lineup, and spreading the word; he even set up the link to purchase tickets. The hardest part was finding a venue, which took about a month. 

“It’s a pretty large-scale event and I was looking for a place that we could affordably rent and would be willing to support having it,” Goswami says. “I had to make a lot of phone calls.” St. Ann Catholic Church agreed to make their event space available.

According to Banks, who plans on attending the event despite being “too old” for rock concerts, this will be the first show of its kind in Friendship Place’s history. He calls it a sign of the organization’s growth as it continues its efforts to reach more people. “We are all fully onboard on this,” Banks says. “These performers are doing it for us and we’re thankful for that.”

Goswami is also thankful that the other bands agreed to play the benefit show. “They’re performing for free on a Saturday just to assist with our mission,” he says. “It feels really affirming of this whole project.”

The other acts playing Saturday night are equally excited. The trio behind the pop rock band Massie are no stranger to fundraisers, having previously raised money for the DC Abortion Fund. “One of the biggest roles you have as a musician with a platform is to use your voice to support the community that you’re in,” says drummer Samantha Collings. “AimHire does really phenomenal work for our community, and we’re super happy to be working with them.”

“I really hope this is a success,” Goswami adds. “I hope this ends up being a big event and maybe something we can continue to do in the following years. I know it’ll be a great time.”

Argo and the Violet Queens, Home Remedies, Massie, and Dorinda start playing for Friendship Place at 5 p.m. on April 13 at St. Ann Catholic Church. zeffy.com. Free.

After a seven-month hiatus from performing live, D.C. punk band Des Demonas are finally coming back to the stage with a multitude of previously unreleased songs that they’re currently mastering for an upcoming album release. They play the Runaway on March 21.

“This show is just a warm-up for what we’ve got planned for the rest of the year,” guitarist Mark Cisneros tells City Paper. “We’re coming out of this hiatus with a new record and a new focus.”

As discussed in a 2022 interview with City Paper, Des Demonas started out as a supergroup of experienced local musicians nearly a decade ago and have become a staple of the District’s punk scene. Since they began performing back in 2015, the band have released two major projects: Their 2017 self-titled debut and their 2021 EP, Cure for Love. “We were just a group of friends that got together to make music when we first started playing,” Cisneros says. “Now it has ended up being a vehicle to voice our thoughts on things that are important to us.”

The band’s brand of punk incorporates garage rock and instruments such as Farfisa organ, but their lyrics and the topics they sing about are the epitome of punk. According to Cisneros, that same indescribable sound will return on their upcoming album. “All of that is still in there,” he says. “I feel like it’s more focused now—and it’s sharper.” Earlier songs such as “The South Will Never Rise Again” showed the band’s interest in tackling the very real concerns of racism and police violence, and that tradition continues with new songs “The Duke Ellington Bridge” and “Miles Davis Headwound Blues.”

Cisneros says the lyrics written by lead singer Jacky Cougar Abok are one of the best and most important aspects of the album. He describes Abok’s lyrics as a weapon used to carve multiple meanings and interpretations into the songs. People can expect tracks to be both subtle and hilariously blunt while discussing serious topics. “Jacky has found a really special way of being able to voice these feelings. He puts them in a very artful and thoughtful way.”

There isn’t a definitive title for the album yet, but one of the working options is Apocalyptic Boom Boom. In their 2022, the band discussed how their songs, like the previously mentioned “The South Will Never Rise Again,” typically had a hopeful outlook focused on a belief that racist and hateful systems will always fall apart. However, when considering the ongoing conflicts in Ukraine and Palestine, Cisneros says some of the band’s new songs have adopted a more disappointed view of the world. “We’re covering a lot of the same topics as before because these things just don’t go away,” he says. “It seems no matter how many generations come, somehow we just cannot shake off some of this shit.”

While less optimistic when it comes to the bigger picture of humanity, Cisneros is feeling better about the local music scene’s post-pandemic recovery. The band are still concerned about decline of local venues, which they hope to combat with their upcoming show at the Runaway, a venue that almost closed down in January. “If you like any of the local venues, you need to go and support it,” Cisneros says. “That’s how we keep the scene alive.”

Since their 2020 U.K. tour plans were canceled due to COVID, Des Demonas are making new plans and are equipped with new music. “It feels great,” Cisneros says. “It feels like starting over again, fresh and new.”

Des Demonas play on March 21 at the Runaway. therunawaydc.com.

Arav Goswami always wanted to be a performer. As a kid, he felt more drawn to his favorite artists’ live shows than their recorded music—he’d watch videos of Queen, David Bowie, and Talking Heads concerts on YouTube all day long. He was enamored with the intricate details these artists put into their imagery: the clothes they wore, their color scheme, even the way they moved onstage. “I liked their music, but what really made me stick around and love them was who they were as performers,” Goswami says. “I loved the way they created a total image of themselves.”

Now Goswami is pursuing his dream. The 19-year-old freshman at American University currently fronts a psychedelic funk band called Argo and the Violet Queens. They’ve been playing shows around D.C. since 2022, but lately, he and his band have started to elevate their game. Headlining the Pocket on Feb. 15, they played into the event’s anti-Valentine’s Day theme with both their outfits and set list. That night, Goswami and guitarist Evan Novoa wore shiny dress shoes, black suit jackets, and white button-down shirts in order to look like “guys who got rejected at prom” as they sang covers of songs like ABBA’s “S.O.S.” and Toto’s “Georgie Porgy.”

Even at their Pie Shop show on Feb. 7—when they were missing bassist Erl Fantilaga due to illness—they captivated the audience as they leaned into a hard rock-oriented set list and swung themselves onstage with an energy that pulled everyone away from the bar and toward the stage. “We learn so much about ourselves and what we can do every show we do,” Novoa says. “It’s always going to change and it’s going to become more interesting each time around.”

Soon D.C. will get to see Argo and the Violet Queens’ biggest change yet. Goswami has big plans for the band starting with their upcoming show at Songbyrd on March 13. There, the band will unveil something they’ve been working on since December: a new experimental set involving stage props, visuals, choreography, and never-heard-before songs. “The new set is going to be everything,” Goswami says. “Our brand, music, and live shows will all be centered entirely around this.”

Conceptual is the word Goswami uses to describe the band’s new set. The idea is that the upcoming show will immerse the audience in a 30-minute world of the band’s creation with a clear beginning, middle, and end. The set will center around a mannequin wearing a suit with a functional television for a head. The TV will display everything from clips of silent films to advertisements from the 1950s. Band members, dressed in uniform, will manipulate the visuals in real time onstage.

Along with the mannequin, the band will play some new music that pulls from multiple genres and aesthetics from different time periods, including classic rock and psychedelic jazz. The idea of the experimental set and music is that it will all reflect the ways music has changed over time as both a medium and a commodity. As Goswami puts it, the mannequin can be seen as a stand-in for the concept of music while the band members’ manipulation represents how the music industry tries to control the art form. “I want our performances to spur some thought in our audience and make them delve deeper into our lyrics to figure out what they just saw,” he says. “But we’re intentionally leaving it abstract so that they interpret it in any way they want.”

Even Goswami’s fellow band members are still trying to figure out the meaning behind his vision. “A lot of these ideas are his and the influences are his to know,” drummer Samuel Tyson says. “We’re sort of finding it out with everyone else.”

Goswami hopes this new style of live performance will be the “total image” of Argo and the Violet Queens. This shift will also affect the way they post on social media and interact with listeners. Now, their online presence is like any other band—mainly posts announcing shows and releases—but over time it’ll increasingly become more aligned with the fictional world they aim to create during their live shows. Goswami still plans to release the band’s work on streaming platforms such as Spotify despite the fact that their songs are meant to be a critique on the ways music is distributed and consumed, but he wants to do this more for the band’s listeners than for profit. “I’m not doing any of this with the intention of growing our numbers or getting on playlists,” he says. “Instead of playing live shows to promote our recorded music, I want our recorded music to promote the live shows.”

Argo and the Violet Queens open for Aidan Leclaire at 8 p.m. on March 13 at Songbyrd. songbyrddc.com. $19.32.

Alt-rock band Birthday Girl are young in every sense of the word. The trio are made up of 16-year-old singer-songwriter Mabel Canty, 17-year-old bassist Isabella MacKaye, and 18-year-old drummer Tess Kontarinis, all of whom only started performing live together in the summer of 2023. Although they’re new to the scene, the band are quickly gaining attention from venues and audiences. Along with releasing a self-titled debut album in July, they’ve performed at the Black Cat (for the historic venue’s 30th anniversary), Rhizome, and Fort Reno Summer Concerts for adoring crowds who danced—and cried—along to their music. The band also recently opened for Snail Mail at DC9’s 20th anniversary celebration in February. There, they were meant to represent the future of DC9 and the local music scene. “At all our shows we’ve received so much love and respect, even though we’re so young,” MacKaye tells City Paper. “It’s hard to believe so many people love our music.”

“It’s kind of insane,” Canty adds.

And Birthday Girl still have more planned for this spring and summer. For the first part of March, the band are opening for D.C. music icon singer-songwriter Mary Timony on her East Coast tour (they stop at the Black Cat on March 14). In May, they’ll perform at Comet Ping Pong, and on June 7 they’ll open for indie legends Guided By Voices at a sold-out show at the Atlantis. They intend to book more shows and hope to record what might be either an EP or sophomore album later this year. “At our upcoming shows, expect us to be charming yet unpolished,” MacKaye says.

“And expect a lot of feeling behind what we’re playing,” Kontarinis adds. “We seem to make a lot of people cry.”

There’s a reason why people tend to cry at Birthday Girl performances. The songs that Canty writes for the band focus on adolescent experiences and what it’s like to view the world as a teen. Canty describes her lyrics as simple yet versatile, with lines that directly tap into a specific emotion. For example, on “Stains,” Canty sings, “I don’t like you anymore/ You stain too easily on the bathroom floor,” showing the songwriter’s ability to craft relatable lyrics for all ages. “I like putting things in layman’s terms,” she says. “It’s such a teenage perspective.”

For all their youthfulness, Birthday Girl have D.C. coursing through their veins. Both Canty’s father and MacKaye’s uncle were members of Fugazi, one of the city’s most important punk bands (MacKaye’s father was a member of the Faith and the Warmers). The two friends have been attending local concerts ever since they were children. And though Kontarinis didn’t go to many shows when she was younger and doesn’t have any family members who were prominent in the local music scene, she did hang out at places like Fort Reno growing up and felt a full-circle moment when she got to play there last summer.

Still, Birthday Girl aren’t too concerned with legacy or fame. Writing songs and performing live are how the three of them express themselves. The band are excited about the prospects of performing in other cities and getting their music to a wider audience. “I feel like people actually relate to our songs,” Kontarinis says. “That sense of connection between us and the people listening is special.”

“It’s so cool and beautiful,” Canty adds. “I could play shows in D.C. and never get sick of it.”

Birthday Girl open for Mary Timony at 7:30 p.m. on March 14 at the Black Cat. blackcatdc.com. $20–$22.

It’s been a challenging four years for local music venues. In fall of 2020, amid the worst of the pandemic, U Street Music Hall closed its doors. Less than a year later, both  Velvet Lounge and Dodge City followed suit. And just last month, the Runaway almost shut down. Years after the pandemic first upended live music, the places that keep our local scene alive are still struggling to regain their balance.

But one small but mighty staple of the scene shows no signs of stopping. In fact, DC9 has a reason to celebrate this month. The bar and music venue located on 9th Street NW turns 20 on Feb. 13 (a year away from being old enough to drink). To mark the occasion, owner and manager Bill Spieler has organized four shows between Feb. 9 and Feb. 13 that will showcase artists from the venue’s “past, present, and future.” Such acts include local punk rock band Loud Boyz, New York singer-songwriter Margaret Glaspy, and Baltimore’s own indie-rock artist Snail Mail.

“We’ve been planning this since June and now it’s finally here,” Spieler tells City Paper. “We hope these shows will be ones people will never forget.”

DC9 got its start back in 2004 when Spieler, after working at a now-shuttered venue called 15 Minutes, decided he wanted to open a new music stage of his own. To make his vision possible, he found a vacant space to set up shop and got financial assistance from friends and his former boss. It was also the same year he married Amber Bursik, DC9’s cook since 2011.

DC9 started off simple—originally with just one bar on the first floor and a stage on the second. It’s grown over the years including the addition of the venue’s kitchen and roof deck. 

According to Bursik, she and Spieler thought of DC9 more as a bar than a music venue for the first few years of its life. They still have many regular patrons who’ve never set foot on the second floor. “I’ve described us as the neighborhood bar that happens to have a music venue on the second floor,” Bursik says. 

Today, the place is known by locals for its stage and its burgers.

But from the beginning, Spieler intended for DC9 to become a place that hosted live shows with both local and international musicians. It has certainly attained that status. The venue’s alumni include Phoebe Bridgers, Lucy Dacus, and Mac DeMarco. DC9 served as an early career venue for each of these now-acclaimed artists to build up their devoted fan bases. Another notable example Spieler recalls is the English pop rock band the 1975, who performed at DC9 in 2013—it was one of their first shows ever in the States. “It’s been a big honor to have played a role in these musicians’ careers,” Spieler says.

Spieler and Bursik have witnessed all types of shows: ones where the second floor visibly curved from the jumping crowd, others when the band performed on the sidewalk. Spieler has made it a priority to ensure the musicians and audience have a great time every night.

Bursik, on the other hand, appreciates the more intimate moments. Her favorite part of any show is the soundcheck. She’s fascinated by watching the performers get ready and fine-tune their sound for the night to come. “It’s like having my own little concert before the actual show starts,” Bursik says.

But running a music venue in D.C. is no easy task. Not to mention the stress that comes with trying to ensure, for two decades, that every night is the best night. And it’s only gotten harder in the post-pandemic era. Spieler and Bursik are honestly surprised they haven’t beed forced to close, and they claim to have no secret to their survival. They’re just happy to have devoted patrons and a dedicated staff. “We’re so glad to have them because they keep this place running,” Bursik says. “But things still haven’t returned to how it was before the pandemic.”

“I was worried we wouldn’t make it through,” Spieler adds. “After we closed our doors in 2020, I was uncertain about if they would ever open again.”

Small venues like theirs offer a place where music careers start and aspiring musicians can gain an audience. They’re necessary stepping stones on the way to larger venues such as the 9:30 Club. And for people who want to go to concerts, tickets to a small venue are often more affordable. “I’ve always believed that, if you’re an artist, you do what you do because that’s the only way you can live,” Spieler says. “DC9 is a place where you can be alive.”

Local bubblegrunge band Pickaxe, one of the performers for the Feb. 12 anniversary show, recently formed, but they’re made up of musicians who’ve been performing in the local scene for years. As people who have played at DC9 and attended shows as audience members, they have seen the venue change over the years. Drummer Dan Newhauser says the venue has improved its sound quality to the point where he thinks it’s one of the best sounding rooms in D.C. “A lot of venues have come and gone, especially in that area,” he says. “But DC9 has stood the test of time and it’s only gotten better.”

Pickaxe particularly love how intimate the space is, saying it makes the experience of seeing a performance different from that of some other local venues. “It’s such an intimate stage that you can stand right in front of your favorite artists,” says Emily Rainey, the band’s lead singer and, coincidentally, DC9’s marketing director. “You don’t get that experience at places like 9:30 Club where there’s still a barrier.”

Even greener acts new to the scene share the same sentiment. Birthday Girl, formed less than a year ago by local teens and (descendants of D.C. punk royalty) Isabella MacKaye, Mabel Canty, drummer Tess Kontarinis, will have their inaugural performance at DC9 when they open for Snail Mail on Feb. 13. MacKaye and Canty have been going to the venue for years with their parents and agree that it’s the intimacy that makes DC9 special. “It’s not too big, but it’s not too small,” bassist MacKaye says. “I love DC9 and I’m amazed that we’ll be playing there with Snail Mail.”

“Being up at the front of the crowd during a DC9 show is an almost euphoric experience,” singer-songwriter Canty adds.

The anniversary show series is meant to highlight the venue’s present but also its history and future—honoring bands who have performed there in the past and those who will perform there in the years to come. Snail Mail, who played DC9 in 2019, represent the past, while Pickaxe represent a regular act at the venue today. Bands like Birthday Girl are seen as up-and-comers who Spieler and Bursik believe will be the future of D.C. and DC9’s music scene.

Over the past two decades, the venue has gone through trial and error, yet it continues to serve many in the city’s music scene. “There were times when we were ready to give up,” Bursik says. “But here we are now and it’s already been 20 years.”

“We want to keep hosting greats for our bands and our supporters,” Spieler adds. “Thank you to everyone who has been supporting us for the past 20 years. It’s tough running place like DC9 but it all feels worth it whenever someone tells me they had a life-changing experience here.”

PLVTINUM perform at 7:30 p.m. on Feb. 9 at DC9. eventbrite.com. $15-$75.

Margaret Glaspy performs at 8 p.m. on Feb. 10 at DC9. eventbrite.com. $30.

Loud Boyz perform with Pickaxe at 8 p.m. on Feb. 12 at DC9. eventbrite.com. Sold out.

Snail Mail perform with Birthday Girl and Flowers for the Dead at 8 p.m. on Feb. 13 at DC9. eventbrite.com. Sold out.

While local punk band Pinkhouse might have released their debut EP, Vanity Project, on Jan. 19, their origins date back to the fall of 2019. That was when longtime friends Max Fillion and Steven Hacker saw a Facebook post that Velvet Lounge (RIP) was looking for an opener for a show. The pair decided they had what it takes, despite only having a couple of original songs released under Fillion’s name and no other band members. 

In the matter of six days they found drummer Brandon Breazeale and bassist Nick Cervone, learned how to perform a mix of original and cover songs, and stepped onto the stage of Velvet Lounge, nerves high but ready to go. “We’ve all been in bands before so we’d all gotten past the typical pre-show nerves,” says Fillion, the band’s lead singer. “The real problem was that we only had three practices.”

Though the group felt a little unprepared, their performance together was a success. As their set went on, the audience slowly inch toward the stage and, by the end, everyone seemed sucked into the music. It was such an encouraging experience that the band would follow it up with gigs at house shows, an appearance at Songbyrd, and a return to Velvet Lounge. Not even the pandemic managed to stop them. They began playing live again in September 2021 with brand-new songs written while quarantining.

It’s actually those songs written during the height of the pandemic that make up Vanity Project, the release of which will be celebrated with a performance at Songbyrd on Jan. 20. It’s actually the EP’s second release show to be scheduled—the first was in 2022, but Pinkhouse hadn’t managed to finish the EP in time. Today they confirm that the delay came about because they underestimated the time that goes into recording and producing an EP. “It’s been very much a learning process,” says Fillion. But now it’s available on streaming platforms everywhere.

“We’re psyched that it’s finally been put out into the world,” Fillion says. “And we’re all even more excited about what’s to come.”

Something to know about Pinkhouse is that they describe themselves as “goofy yet serious.” The goofy part can be seen clearly in the demeanor of the band—they like to joke around and get involved with their audience while onstage. The band recall the several times Cervone dropped his bass to join a mosh pit at their shows; in one case he even brought the bass to play as audience members pushed him around.

“I had to use a very long cord and I was nervous I was gonna get unplugged, which would’ve killed the vibe,” Cervone says. “It’s fun. If the energy is high, it feels really communal. You feel as though you’re just part of it like everyone else.”

But Pinkhouse also know when to get serious. Fillion’s lyrics tackle topics he believes are important to talk about, including his own mental health struggles and his reaction to ongoing political issues. Two examples he brings up are the songs “Oh Well” and “Dumb Expression.” The former describes Fillion’s feelings that protesters and news organizations seem to quickly forget about police brutality after they’ve helped give it worldwide attention; the latter is about how your mental health will only get worse if you don’t take care of yourself.

The band believe it’s important they play music that addresses heavy issues. To them, it‘’’s both a form of survival and an obligation they have to themselves. “It’s the thing we do because we just kind of feel like we have to do it,” Breazeale says. “We do this because we don’t feel like we have a choice.”

“During the periods of my life when I wasn’t in a band and putting out music I just didn’t feel like my whole self,” Fillion adds. “My whole self is what comes through in these lyrics.”

Upon returning to the music scene in 2021, Pinkhouse have been busy promoting their music. They’ve played at many of the local venues, including the Pocket, Black Cat, Pie Shop, and more. But they also continue to perform at house shows in the area: “I’ll never turn down a house show,” Fillion says.

But if one event marked a turning point in the band’s career, it was the “weekender” they did with pop-rock trio Massie in July. In a single weekend, the two groups performed in Baltimore, Philadelphia, and D.C. It was Pinkhouse’s first attempt at playing outside the local scene. That people showed up to their out-of-town shows and enjoyed their music convinced them that they’re capable of doing bigger things in the future.

One of those bigger things is their upcoming full-length album. “We’ve got enough songs for it already,” Breazeale says. “We’re really excited about all the new stuff because, although the EP definitely represents us, it’s made up of songs that mainly came out of Max. The newer stuff is way more collaboratively written.”

Looking back, the members of Pinkhouse can hardly believe it all began as a group of strangers. Now they’re inseparable. “Really great friendships blossomed out of this band,” Fillion says.

“It’s pretty wild that we met the week of our first show and now we have the EP out there,” he continues. “Together we hope to keep putting in the work as we establish ourselves in this great music scene.”

Pinkhouse perform with Keep Your Secrets, Outerloop, and Orbweaver at 8 p.m. on Jan. 20 at Songbyrd. songbyrddc.com. $18.

Cat Janice, a local 29-year-old alt-pop artist, is ready to release her upcoming single, “Dance You Outta My Head,” on her birthday, Jan. 19. It will be her second release since her 2023 album, Modern Medicine. It will also be her last.

In the spring of 2022, Janice found out she had cancer. Now, after a long two years of treatment, she’s unsure if she’ll make it to her 30th birthday or even see the release of her newest song. Her condition has become so dire that she’s using radiation therapy to try to buy herself enough time to see it through. “Cancer has won,” she tells her followers in a TikTok video. “I’ve fought hard, but sarcomas are too tough.”

Janice wants something good to come out of people buying her last song. She announced in an Instagram post on Jan. 5 that she’s handed over the rights to all her songs to her 7-year-old son, who she says is very musically inclined. She hopes the proceeds from her music, particularly her upcoming song, will help let him pursue his talent. “I changed all the rights of my songs to my son so I can leave him behind something,” she says in her latest TikTok video. “I don’t have much … I might not be here but my baby boy will be.”

The pop artist has been releasing music for a decade; she says in a District Fray interview published in December 2022 that she released her first EP back in 2014. And, as her career grew, she built a large community in the local music scene, where she has certainly left her mark.

“Not only do I have my personal story behind this song, but I cannot thank enough the years of D.C. music influence that has gotten me to this point,” Janice tells City Paper over email. “The connections that brought me to these songwriting sessions have strictly come from D.C. word of mouth, and I will forever be grateful for that support.”

Joe Lapan, co-owner of Songbyrd Music House, has known Janice for roughly eight years and has seen her perform several times at both Songbyrd’s current and original locations, including the last show she headlined in August. He’s always been impressed with how she’s able to play multiple instruments and make each performance feel intimate.

“Cat is an energetic and commanding performer,” Lapan says. “I’ve never seen an audience not love her.”

Guitarist and singer Emily Yaremchuk from local pop rock band Massie was there to perform with Janice at her August release show. It’s a performance Yaremchuk won’t forget. “Cat represents what is best about the D.C. scene—artists supporting artists, and making the music for the pure pleasure and necessity of it.” Yaremchuk says. “We’ve only had the privilege of sharing a single bill with Cat and her band, but it was a show we loved, in no small part because of Cat’s enthusiasm and desire to put connection at the center of everything she does.”

Many people Janice has befriended over the years have been vocal on social media about their support for her. While they’re devastated by Janice’s worsening condition, they’re just as determined to bring attention to her upcoming song. “Please support our dear friend … who has been fearlessly battling an extremely rare and aggressive cancer,” says Monica Alford, former editor in chief of the recently shuttered District Fray Magazine, on Instagram. “Help keep her legacy alive.”

The song itself is classic Cat Janice, according to Lapan, while also showing off the continued evolution of her production, songwriting, and arrangements. “Dance You Outta My Head” describes how it feels to be wrapped up in a romantic interest backed by a funk-pop sound reminiscent of Chromeo, Bruno Mars, and Mayer Hawthorne. “But as a female lead she distinguishes herself from them,” Lapan says.

“Most of the song was worked on in the studio during workshops, but I am so proud of the parts my son had to play in it,” Janice adds. “He has gotten very confident at chiming in on my car writing sessions and he has had some pretty great ideas. I am very proud of it!”

Janice’s soon-to-be-released single reflects her attitude in the face of her dire prognosis. She wants her fans to celebrate the upcoming release and to continue enjoying the discography she’s leaving behind with her son. 

“I am not scared because I know I have so many loved ones around me,” Janice says on Instagram. “I want to leave behind smiles, grooves, and joy for you and I know this is the right song for that.”

Fans and music lovers can help Cat Janice achieve her goal by pre-saving “Dance You Outta My Head” here. All proceeds go to Janice’s son.

Correction: A previous version of this article misstated the publication date of a District Fray interview, which was published in 2022, not 2024.