D.C. - #1 City for Music Lovers

America's Top Cities for Music Lovers

1. Washington, D.C.

Despite its staid reputation?or maybe because of it?the nation's capital has fostered thriving underground music scenes for decades, including go-go (the funky genre's driving force, Chuck Brown, was from D.C.) and hardcore, led by bands like Bad Brains and Fugazi. Today there are plenty of places to see live music in D.C., including legendary venues like Bohemian Caverns, where Miles Davis and John Coltrane once played; the 9:30 Club has hosted everyone from Arcade Fire to Rob Zombie. D.C.'s museums are also filled with music history: The National Museum of American History, for instance, has old cassettes and other pop-culture ephemera in its collection.

Places to go: The 9:30 Club (pictured); John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts; Bohemian Caverns, The Black Cat, National Museum of American History, Blues Alley

When reality reflects the Onion?

Then why does no one in DC dance!? GAH!

Yada wrote:
When reality reflects the Onion?

i personally miss the cities music scene. portland at #15 makes less sense than DC at #1.

the dancing thing is easy to explain when you realize half the crowd on any given night is probably some sort of do-gooder government or non-profit bureaucrat.

Carlos wrote:

Yada wrote:
When reality reflects the Onion?

i personally miss the cities music scene. portland at #15 makes less sense than DC at #1.

the dancing thing is easy to explain when you realize half the crowd on any given night is probably some sort of do-gooder government or non-profit bureaucrat.

I'm not going to complain about the amount of music that comes through DC in regards to national acts, indie acts, etc. at places like the Black Cat, 930, … but the actual music scene in regards to say walking into a random bar on XXX night and being blown away by XXX band, I'd say that's highly lacking. However, I'm no killsally or azgahal.

Yada wrote:

Carlos wrote:

Yada wrote:
When reality reflects the Onion?

i personally miss the cities music scene. portland at #15 makes less sense than DC at #1.

the dancing thing is easy to explain when you realize half the crowd on any given night is probably some sort of do-gooder government or non-profit bureaucrat.

I'm not going to complain about the amount of music that comes through DC in regards to national acts, indie acts, etc. at places like the Black Cat, 930, … but the actual music scene in regards to say walking into a random bar on XXX night and being blown away by XXX band, I'd say that's highly lacking. However, I'm no killsally or azgahal.

as in local acts? local acts have been an embarrassment for a decade or so now, seems like there's no platform for it. baltimore on the other hand…

Carlos wrote:

Yada wrote:

Carlos wrote:

Yada wrote:
When reality reflects the Onion?

i personally miss the cities music scene. portland at #15 makes less sense than DC at #1.

the dancing thing is easy to explain when you realize half the crowd on any given night is probably some sort of do-gooder government or non-profit bureaucrat.

I'm not going to complain about the amount of music that comes through DC in regards to national acts, indie acts, etc. at places like the Black Cat, 930, … but the actual music scene in regards to say walking into a random bar on XXX night and being blown away by XXX band, I'd say that's highly lacking. However, I'm no killsally or azgahal.

as in local acts? local acts have been an embarrassment for a decade or so now, seems like there's no platform for it. baltimore on the other hand…

Yeah… when I think of a music loving city, that's what comes to mind. Not a city that has a lot of national acts roll through it.. Cities that cater to musicians, the life style, etc. 

It's come a long way with regard to good local acts over the last five years.


You're more likely to find one of these local acts in a house venue than a bar because bars here seem allergic to music unless it's top 40 garbage being pumped through a PA at maximum volume which is fine with me because I don't like bars.


More show listings featuring local acts than anyone would know what to do with

Thing on current hardcore

Some other current bands

nice links, the last ones lede seems to capture the idea: "For a growing share of D.C.?s population, life is comfortable ? it?s healthy, convenient, increasingly safe and even luxurious. But luxury rarely produces great music."

the DIY shows seemed to become more accessible after i left. 

Carlos wrote:

the DIY shows seemed to become more accessible because i left. 

FTFY