Iota closing this month

https://www.arlnow.com/2017/09/08/breaking-iota-club-closing-this-month/

Pour one out for Iota and share your favorite shows. It's been a while since they regularly got decent bookings but I saw so many great acts there. Off the top of my head:

Mark Eitzel (3-4 times)
Vic Chesnutt
Lisa Germano
Ryan Adams
Felice Brothers
Iron & Wine
Micah P Hinson
Smog (Bill Callahan)
Eef Barzalay (Clem Snide)
Laura Gibson

Ryan Adams
Asylum Street Spankers
Firewater
Bobby Bare Jr
Clem Snide (not sure on this one…)

Felice Brothers
Scott McMicken
Sean Hayes x 2
Bahamas

Those are the top shows that come to mind.

Black Rebel Motorcycle Club
John Wesley Harding
Dirtbombs
Detroit Cobras
Heartless Bastards
Chris Whitley
Immortal Lee County Killers

I didn't see any of these shows, but culled this from an article about Iota:

"To me, it's a major room; it just is a small room," says Michael Jaworek, who books the Birchmere and has helped book national and regional acts at IOTA since 1997. "It's the first step on your way to the Birchmere, or the 9:30, and to theaters," he says, pointing to such acts as John Mayer, Jason Mraz, Jack Johnson, Great Big Sea and Norah Jones, all of whom played their first Washington area gigs at IOTA .


Also, Drive By Truckers in 2000.

Citizen Cope
Tommy Stinson (twice)
Dale Earnhardt Jr Jr

Here is my best Iota story. I confess it makes me look less than a perfect gentleman, but for the sake of the tale, I tell it here.

One time my wife and I went to see Bobby Bare Jr. at Iota. He had a sticker with his cell phone number on his guitar case. We wrote it down. The next time he played Iota, we called his cell phone number and left a message asking if he wanted to get an ice cream with us before the show. He did not respond.

The next time he played Iota, we left the ice cream message again. We also put in a request for an old Bare JR song that he never does live, but hey a couple can dream. I can also sort of pinpoint this as the night my child may have been conceived, but that's another story.

Anyway, midway through the set, a group of rowdy drunk 20somethings entered the room. It seems like you got these people at every show at Iota. They were looking for another drinking spot and didn't give a shit about the music. The group proceeded to dance wildly to the music and make a bunch of noise. The dancing totally didn't match the music, they didn't give a shit about the music, it was all about being drunk and rowdy.

One girl in particular repeatedly danced into us. Yes, there was actually a time when Bobby Bare Jr could actually pull a crowd and the floor was full. But anyway, she kept dancing into us and others with no regard for those around her. Finally, I had enough. I dumped my cup of water on her head. Her drunk male friend, about half my size (meaning he was a midget, I'm not that big), stepped up and started threatening to kick my ass. At which point the friendly bouncer stepped in and politely asked us all to leave.

Later, I heard from our friend who had joined us at the show. Our friend, who is the perfect gentleman slightly anal type who gets upset when his wife farts in front of him. Surely, he would call me out for being a douche and dumping water on someone's head (I did feel a bit guilty about this after I did it.). But instead, he said that he witnessed the whole thing, and applauded my every move.

Then he told me that after we left, during the encore, that Bobby had played the Bare JR song we has asked him to play, announcing that it was "by request."

It still breaks my heart that I missed that song. But I got a kid out of the night.

Long-gone DC band Canyon used to play shows there and by god they were great.

Space wrote: Finally, I had enough. I dumped my cup of water on her head.

Was the beer too pricey?

ggw wrote:
Detroit Cobras

I knew there was someone I forgot!
that was a fun show

Space wrote:
Here is my best Iota story. I confess it makes me look less than a perfect gentleman, but for the sake of the tale, I tell it here.

One time my wife and I went to see Bobby Bare Jr. at Iota. He had a sticker with his cell phone number on his guitar case. We wrote it down. The next time he played Iota, we called his cell phone number and left a message asking if he wanted to get an ice cream with us before the show. He did not respond.

The next time he played Iota, we left the ice cream message again. We also put in a request for an old Bare JR song that he never does live, but hey a couple can dream. I can also sort of pinpoint this as the night my child may have been conceived, but that's another story.

Anyway, midway through the set, a group of rowdy drunk 20somethings entered the room. It seems like you got these people at every show at Iota. They were looking for another drinking spot and didn't give a shit about the music. The group proceeded to dance wildly to the music and make a bunch of noise. The dancing totally didn't match the music, they didn't give a shit about the music, it was all about being drunk and rowdy.

One girl in particular repeatedly danced into us. Yes, there was actually a time when Bobby Bare Jr could actually pull a crowd and the floor was full. But anyway, she kept dancing into us and others with no regard for those around her. Finally, I had enough. I dumped my cup of water on her head. Her drunk male friend, about half my size (meaning he was a midget, I'm not that big), stepped up and started threatening to kick my ass. At which point the friendly bouncer stepped in and politely asked us all to leave.

Later, I heard from our friend who had joined us at the show. Our friend, who is the perfect gentleman slightly anal type who gets upset when his wife farts in front of him. Surely, he would call me out for being a douche and dumping water on someone's head (I did feel a bit guilty about this after I did it.). But instead, he said that he witnessed the whole thing, and applauded my every move.

Then he told me that after we left, during the encore, that Bobby had played the Bare JR song we has asked him to play, announcing that it was "by request."

It still breaks my heart that I missed that song. But I got a kid out of the night.

That is a great story. I rarely went to iota. didnt like the no advance tickets thing. I could get to arlington for show time, but not so much line up time.

saw tommy keene there a bunch, and saw a New Mendicants show there. RIPiota

At that Cobras show there were some drunk dudes repeatedly yelling "take it off!!" at the lead singer (she was a stripper in her younger days). She ignored them for a bit, but eventually said "you first" to the most vocal of the bunch. I imagine she thought that would shut down the heckler. But instead, the dude took off all his clothes. Not something you see at a lot of shows (thankfully). 

ggw wrote:
At that Cobras show there were some drunk dudes repeatedly yelling "take it off!!" at the lead singer (she was a stripper in her younger days). She ignored them for a bit, but eventually said "you first" to the most vocal of the bunch. I imagine she thought that would shut down the heckler. But instead, the dude took off all his clothes. Not something you see at a lot of shows (thankfully).

I gotts say, I did look pretty good naked back then. Not so much anymore.

My list of memorable shows:

Neko Case (afternoon show in 2001)
Neil Halstead (2002 and 2012)
Devendra Banhart with Joanna Newsom opening (2004)
Vic Chesnutt (2004)
Qui featuring David Yow (2007)
Crooked Fingers (2010)

Just missed on the Ryan Adams show-  staph shut the doors with two people ahead of us in line.  Listened from the adjoining bar.

Freakwater

Stew and the Negro Problem

Space wrote:
Here is my best Iota story. I confess it makes me look less than a perfect gentleman, but for the sake of the tale, I tell it here.

One time my wife and I went to see Bobby Bare Jr. at Iota. He had a sticker with his cell phone number on his guitar case. We wrote it down. The next time he played Iota, we called his cell phone number and left a message asking if he wanted to get an ice cream with us before the show. He did not respond.

The next time he played Iota, we left the ice cream message again. We also put in a request for an old Bare JR song that he never does live, but hey a couple can dream. I can also sort of pinpoint this as the night my child may have been conceived, but that's another story.

Anyway, midway through the set, a group of rowdy drunk 20somethings entered the room. It seems like you got these people at every show at Iota. They were looking for another drinking spot and didn't give a shit about the music. The group proceeded to dance wildly to the music and make a bunch of noise. The dancing totally didn't match the music, they didn't give a shit about the music, it was all about being drunk and rowdy.

One girl in particular repeatedly danced into us. Yes, there was actually a time when Bobby Bare Jr could actually pull a crowd and the floor was full. But anyway, she kept dancing into us and others with no regard for those around her. Finally, I had enough. I dumped my cup of water on her head. Her drunk male friend, about half my size (meaning he was a midget, I'm not that big), stepped up and started threatening to kick my ass. At which point the friendly bouncer stepped in and politely asked us all to leave.

Later, I heard from our friend who had joined us at the show. Our friend, who is the perfect gentleman slightly anal type who gets upset when his wife farts in front of him. Surely, he would call me out for being a douche and dumping water on someone's head (I did feel a bit guilty about this after I did it.). But instead, he said that he witnessed the whole thing, and applauded my every move.

Then he told me that after we left, during the encore, that Bobby had played the Bare JR song we has asked him to play, announcing that it was "by request."

It still breaks my heart that I missed that song. But I got a kid out of the night.

A+, would read again.

Forgot about…

Crooked Fingers/Eric Bachmann (at least twice)
Pernice Brothers/Joe Pernice
Neil Halstead
Freedy Johnston
Dan Bern (at least twice)

Missed out on…

Evan Dando
Vic Chesnutt w M Ward opening
Robyn Hitchcock

So what led to the decline of Iota bookings from destination to maybe one national show a month? New small venues (Jammin Java, DC9), loss of a key booking staff member?

Hyper-hatch wrote:

ggw wrote:
Detroit Cobras

I knew there was someone I forgot!
that was a fun show

Earlier that day I had taken my then 3 year old daughter to see The Wiggles, and the red-shirted Wiggle was at the Detroit Cobras show.  I said hello, he was very gracious.  One of the stranger 'celeb' sightings I've seen at a show.

That was a great show.  I think that was the tour that Greg Cartwright played guitar on.

bellenseb wrote:
So what led to the decline of Iota bookings from destination to maybe one national show a month? New small venues (Jammin Java, DC9), loss of a key booking staff member?

JJ opened in 2001; DC9 opened in 2004. IOTA booked solid national acts well after those two venues first opened.