Auditioning for subway gigs

The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority held auditions to find performers for its subways.

NYTimes, 5/12/07 - It’s Not ‘American Idol,’ but Subway Station Auditions Draw Crowd in Washington : "An average of 700,000 commuters in the greater Washington area ride the Metro to and from work each weekday. Visitors bump that number up considerably on weekends and during the tourist seasons, making the system the second-busiest in the country after New York City’s, which also features performers chosen by audition.

In Washington, performers will need to keep their day jobs — panhandling will not be allowed.

But the musicians will be paid $200 for each two-hour performance. The Arts in Transit performances will begin in early June and last through October, before returning for the winter holiday season. The number and times for performances have not been set, nor have the stations been chosen that will feature the artists. But there will be twice-daily appearances, in the late morning and then again in the early evening, close to the morning and afternoon commutes, at the selected stations."

High school nights at local clubs

An article about a group of promoters who host events at clubs for high school age students in the Bethesda and DC areas.

blackandwhiteonline.net, 2/12/07 - Can I borrow your club? Local venues host teenager nights

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Washington DC and the All-Ages culture

After a teenager was shot in DC at a club which serves alcohol, there has been talk of going to a 21+ rule for clubs with alcohol. Most in the local music scene there say it won't protect teenagers and will hurt the local live music scene. Here's an article talking about the history of all-ages clubs in DC and their importance.

Mark Andersen - D.C.'s All-Ages Treasure - washingtonpost.com, 1/28/07: "The D.C. scene not only embraced the all-ages show as an article of faith, but it gave birth to life-affirming phenomena such as the anti-drug philosophy 'straight edge'; the sociopolitical engagement of Positive Force DC, an organization I co-founded that uses music to motivate young people; and the feminist empowerment of Riot Grrrl. Benefit concerts for community groups and issues became standard. While the anti-corporate stance of bands such as Fugazi, Bikini Kill and Nation of Ulysses kept them from cracking the Billboard Top Ten, the word was out: Washington was the real deal, an inspiration to alienated and creative kids anywhere."

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Appeal to everyone and put on lots and lots of shows

This is a great article on how a Washington DC club has become one of the best venues in the country.

Five Years of Jamming (and Java): "If you didn't know better, you'd probably drive past Jammin' Java without a thought. Set into one of the many strip malls that line Vienna's Maple Avenue, alongside a credit union, sub shop and Mandarin restaurant, Jammin Java's name recalls a folkie coffee shop in a laid-back college town. It certainly doesn't sound like a venue that concert-industry bible Pollstar called one of the top 100 clubs in the world in terms of ticket sales in 2005 or a concert hall with a top-notch sound system that offers more than a dozen shows a week, including children's entertainers and nationally recognized touring acts....

"'We're all ages, all the time. We're smoke-free. We're a rock club, and we're a listening room [with 170 seats] at the same time. We're accessible. We're in a safe area. We have plenty of parking.'

"...the key to their success is the venue's versatility. Commuters stop in at the coffee bar for mugs of joe at 7 a.m. Later in the morning, the performance space is more "Romper Room" than Viper Room, as bands such as Rocknoceros sing silly songs about washing your hands and brushing your teeth while toddlers jump up and down, dance and clap along.

"...'We have to pay the rent. Early shows, late shows -- I think that's how we got on the Pollstar list. We just do so many shows.'...

"'We try to capitalize on the whole suburbs thing,' Brindley explains. 'There are moms looking for stuff to do with their kids. We'd do a kids' show during the week, in the middle of the afternoon, for free and hope people would come in and buy coffee. And we started getting crowds. Then it went to five days a week -- every morning at 10:30, and it was packed. We decided we'd start charging a cover, and it didn't slow down. It went to three shows on Monday.'..."

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