Let's Grow!

Over the last month or so I can't help but read a lot about the state of DC music. It seems like everyone has an opinion - good or bad. But I think the fact that there is even a discussion is telling. We can't reclaim the halcyon days of DC's musical past. In fact, why would we want to? It's been done. Let's create something new!

It seems as though a good number of DC bands, MCs, and artists are working really hard to provide DC with a great reason to be proud of this town again. And I can do nothing but respect that. Let's be critical of each other as artists so we foster an atmosphere of growth. But let's also show respect and recognize the stark difference between criticism and pure negativity.

All this is really just foreshadowing. After reading David Malitz's piece in The Washington Post's Going Out Guru's section, I was struck by how well he broke it down. Here's a snippet:

Look, there's no denying that D.C. rock was once more of a force then than it is now. There's a reason people still identify Dischord (or even Teenbeat or Simple Machines) as the D.C. standard bearer. Nothing has really come along with the singular impact to knock any of them from the throne. But that doesn't mean it's a wasteland out there. And one need only to have been at this past Saturday night's show at the Cherch to know that things are alive and well.

Malitz goes on to describe Saturday's house show this last weekend at the Cherch. And in it, he captures the balance between building community and bar-raising musicianship. In many ways, this article is the beginners guide to supporting DC music.

I cannot claim to know all facets of this city's music. Many more artists are picking up instruments and making a racket than they were five years ago. If you haven't noticed that, then you're living under a rock. Creating something new will mean growing pains here and there. But I'm willing to put in the time to see where this thing goes.

Make sure to read the rest of Malitz's piece here.