“Getting down to South America for the first time, that was a lot of fun for the band,” McIlrath said. “We’ve been trying to get down there for years. Opening up for the Foo Fighters on the East Coast was a great time, actually a blast, and a lot of great European festivals where we hooked up with our old friends.”

Rise Against kicked off a headlining U.S. tour last month and winds their way to the Patriot Center at George Mason University on February 5. Having spent many years supporting bands on tour that influenced them, such as Sick of it All, Bad Religion, and Rancid, it feels good for McIlrath to return the favor for the upstarts in A Day to Remember, the opening band on this tour.

“I thought this one was kind of sentimental, taking a younger band out there. We wanted to sort of get up with them and put our fans in the same room and I guess we’ll see how it goes. I’m pretty excited about it. We’ve played a handful of shows with A Day to Remember and they’re a great fit. Our bands are different but bring a lot of people in[to] a room.”

The guys from Chicago have been holding their own in a tough music industry for more than a decade now, maintaining their punk ethics and passionate melodic musicianship. They have enjoyed a great deal of success, and last year’s Endgame was their highest charted record to date, debuting at No. 2 on the Billboard chart with 85,000 copies sold the first week. Rise Against just dropped their third single from the record, “Satellite,” and McIlrath says it’s a song that was an important component on Endgame.

“It was one of the first songs we wrote for this record and it was sort of a launching point, like a jumping off point for us,” he said. “It set the tone for the rest of the songs. When you’re a band and you’re doing records and touring, you take a little break and go away for a little while and when you kind of get back in the saddle, people are always wondering, ‘well, where are they now, where are their heads now, where are they musically?’ ‘Satellite’ is a kind of a rallying cry. We’re still the same band; we’re going to try and heat up on a lot of these issues that they’re talking about.”

More recently, Rise Against has participated in a huge project with Amnesty International. Chimes of Freedom: The Songs of Bob Dylan Honoring 50 Years of Amnesty International is a new 5 CD release that features 75 tributes to the legendary folk hero and songwriter. Included on the roster of great musical talents are Pete Townshend, Elvis Costello, Dave Matthews Band, Bad Religion and Flogging Molly, The ever-politically-charged McIlrath said Rise Against are strong supporters of the organization’s work.

“First and foremost, we’ve always been behind the mission of Amnesty International,” he said. “They protect human rights around the world. They speak up for political prisoners, people who are held in prison simply for their ideology. It’s hard to believe that this still happens in 2012, but it does and something like Amnesty International is a much-needed force to bring awareness.”

When Rise Against learned the tribute was to Bob Dylan, their decision to participate was automatic. “Bob Dylan is such an incredible songwriter, an incredible force that is satirical and political and always has something important to say. We wanted to jump on that immediately.”

Choosing the right song that fit the band was not as easy a decision; but the “Ballad of Hollis Brown” struck a chord with the group. “That was something that took us a while to figure out, what song to do, because there’s so many great Dylan songs,” McIlrath said. “But this one, we were backstage somewhere and we were playing a lot of Bob Dylan stuff on shuffle, just kind of hearing the whole catalog, and that one came on and I remember me and our bass player Joe (Principe) just came up to each other and were like ‘I like this one.’ I kind of peeled back the layers, as much as the lyrics a little bit. It’s the story of a farmer who has fallen on hard times. I thought there were a lot of parallels to today’s economic climate.”

Living a life as a professional musician and songwriter was not something McIlrath would have expected. “Never in a million years,” he laughed. “I was far more of a realist. I got into it because I couldn’t not get into it. I picked up a guitar and all of it snowballed from there. I just kept playing because I couldn’t stop playing. I kept writing songs because I couldn’t stop writing songs. When we started up this band, punk rock wasn’t really as popular as it is now.”

And the praise, notoriety, and commercial success was just as much of a surprise. “I underestimated the audience out there I guess. I thought we’d always kind of be on the fringes of music and I’ve been pleasantly proven wrong. To find such a hungry audience out there who’s looking for music that reflects the questions they have about the world; it’s something that’s really inspiring, to see that…a lot of the people give a shit about what we do, and more importantly, just that people feel lost and are looking for direction and want to help and want to be part of fighting the good fight.”

A Day to Remember and The Menzingers will be opening for Rise Against on February 5 at 7 p.m. $29.50-39.50. Tickets available at ticketmaster.com or www.patriot.center-tickets.com.

Patriot Center: 4500 Patriot Circle, Fairfax, VA; 703-993-3000; www.patriotcenter.com.

Photo by Stephanie Corwin-Potter

Ellen Cherry’s bio describes her as a “singer, songwriter, musician, designer, artist, producer, recording engineer, and human.” Based out of Baltimore for the past 15 years, she’s won awards, toured the country multiple times, and woven genres together to create some of the region’s most interesting tunes. She recently spoke with On Tap about her newest accomplishment: being named an Artist-in-Residence at Strathmore in Bethesda.

On Tap: What happens after you’re chosen to be an artist-in-residence?
Ellen Cherry: It’s a great honor to be chosen. There were plenty of incredibly talented people at the auditions and I was one of only six people chosen for the program. As an A-I-R, we each have one month where we perform two public concerts, one private show for Strathmore donors and conduct a workshop–all on Wednesdays at the Mansion. My month is February 2012. As a full time, touring musician, it’s a big commitment to know that I’d need to reserve a month where I would be able to be around the DC area for my performances at Strathmore, as well as attend the monthly workshops, and the other artists’ shows. As part of the program, each artist debuts a new original work at one of the public concerts. I will be debuting a new song, “Pickett’s Charge,” from my upcoming album Please Don’t Sell the Piano (produced by Baltimore songwriter Caleb Stine). In addition to performing the new song, I have commissioned a shadow puppet piece to accompany the music, created by papercut artist Kathy Fahey. She will be performing the piece alongside me at the February 22nd show.

OT: What’s up with the puppets and theatre productions? Your tour schedule and bio highlights are not those of a typical acoustic rock career.
EC: What is the typical acoustic rock career? Please, please tell me. I want to follow that path–health insurance is expensive and surely I could be making more of a steady income.
I feel really strongly that collaboration with other artists is the way to keep myself inspired as well as keep the work I’m doing fresh and interesting to myself and to the audience. I lucked into this puppetry world, which is a fascinating and diverse world. Puppetry is not just a kids’ thing–it’s a complex form of expression and I’ve just been completely blown away by the professionalism and the artistry involved in creating these shows. It’s a unique way of storytelling that is whimsical and emotional .

OT: You play and tour full time. What are some secrets to staying healthy and sane on the road?
EC: Sleep. Sleep and more sleep. Water, lots of it. I also take a probiotic every day. I eat a lot of garlic, too. Oh–the best thing anyone can do is get their own microphone. This cut down on colds for me so much… Staying sane? I think that means taking plenty of time to yourself…..I feel like I’m around people a lot and so I swim and run, so I can have some time to myself–out of the noise of chatter and out of the noisy world itself. But the insanity of the road is what makes it fun, also. So sometimes, I just go with it and reassure myself that I’ll catch up on sleep and alone time whenever I land back at home.

OT: Anything else you’d like to mention?
EC: How awesome open water swimming is. It’s awesome. I love it. Oh, and how rad the updated Battlestar Galactica series was. I just finished it. It’s really rad.
I guess the best thing I could do here to answer this question is something in my own self-interest and say: I have a brand new collection of piano songs, my most intimate work yet, available to you on March 31 and April 1, at An Die Musik in Baltimore and that people should come to the Strathmore shows to hear the previews of these songs as well as my usual ridiculous, non-sequitor banter!

Ellen Cherry will perform Wednesday, Feb 22 at 7:30 p.m. at The Mansion at Strathmore: 10701 Rockville Pike, North Bethesda, MD; 301-581-5100; www.strathmore.org.

By Marcus Dowling and Michael Coleman

Since Antarctica
Web: www.sinceantarctica.com
ALBUM: Aurorae
Show: Saturday, February 18th at Jammin’ Java (CD Release)
In an era where power chords have been replaced with minor key-driven meanderings in the pop-rock atmosphere, DC-area quartet Since Antarctica’s debut EP, Aurorae, delivers a potent remembrance of things past. The band succeeds at presenting rock defined by the classic expectation of fuzzy melodies encased in a stentorian blare.  Drummer Chip Burden is skilled at both thunderous intonations and a more bluesy, finesse-driven style, while lead singer Shannon Woods is blessed with a powerhouse instrument. The songwriting on two tracks in particular, “Your Delilah,” and “Beautiful Agony,” are both intense and poignant, receiving the immense emotional release they desire when articulated by Woods. Guitarist Walt Rieker and singular-named bassist Franzie complement the outfit with perfection, analog power excelling in the digital age. – MD
Jammin’ Java: 227 Maple Ave. E. Vienna, VA; 703-255-1566; www.jamminjava.com.

Lethal Peanut
Web: www.lethalpeanut.com
ALBUM: Lethal Peanut
Show:  Friday, March 2 at RFD
Potent, bluesy grooves dominate on DC quintet Lethal Peanut’s debut album.  In nine diverse yet populist tracks, the band showcases a unique style.  Extreme sonic cohesion is the name of the game, solid songwriting is propelled to the level of inherently ear-worming or (in many cases) toe-tapping content. Jeff Sherman (guitar), Bruce Tsai (bass, violin), and Steve Meredith (drums) are a sonic tour de force, providing incredibly vibrant and engaging rhythms for lead singer Nick Fetzer’s vocals.  Dipping into everything, from alternative rock, to folksy soul and straightforward bluegrass to the deepest of blues grooves, Lethal Peanut provides a distinctive flair without straying too far into a sound unfamiliar to pop audiences. – MD
RFD: 810 7th St. NW, DC; 202-289-2030; www.lovethebeer.com.

Fort Lean
Web: www.fortlean.bandcamp.com
ALBUM: Fort Lean
Show:  Saturday, February 4 at the Gibson Guitars Showroom
Every once in a while a band comes along that is obviously destined for success – however you gauge success in today’s music business. Brooklyn-based Fort Lean is such a band. Already generating buzz in such disparate places as the New York Times and the Stereogum music blog, Fort Lean is a band to watch, and their new four-song EP is tight. Lead track “Beach Holiday” showcases Fort Lean’s upbeat, jangly guitars and frontman Keenan Mitchell’s urgent, powerful singing. It’s a hook-laden, perfectly titled slice of power pop. “Dreams” is an atmospheric take on a song that sounds like it was resurrected from a bin of 60’s soul records.  The third track “High Definition” slows things down a bit, but the fuzzed out guitars and irresistible melodies continue to captivate the listener as the song builds to a more frenzied pitch.  The EP closes with “Perfect,” a fuzzed-out burner that nevertheless keeps the hooks coming. This is a fun, accomplished effort from a band that’s going places. – MC
Gibson Guitars Showroom: 709 G St. NW, DC; 202-393-1006; www.facebook.com/gibson202

Rosi Golan
Web: www.rosigolan.com
ALBUM: Lead Balloon
Show: Sunday, February 12 at Jammin’ Java
Rosi Golan didn’t pick up a guitar for the first time until shortly after 9/11, at the age of 19. But she’s made up for lost time. The Israeli-born singer-songwriter’s sophomore album, Lead Balloon, is an accomplished work that is likely to lead the already buzzed-about singer to even higher, loftier places. The album’s lead track, “Paper Tiger,” is a derisive yet pretty-to-listen-to look at a love interest who is all flash and no substance. “You’ve got the loudest bark but you’ve got no bite, it’s a funny sight to see,” Golan croons. “Like a paper tiger hanging on a string, darlin’ you don’t bother me.” Golan hits her stride on “Flicker,” a plaintive, beautiful ballad about living life too fast and paying the price. Interestingly, the title track was the least appealing. Wordy and slow, the tune drags compared to the rest of the record. But throughout this eminently listenable outing – and even on the title track—Golan’s voice shines. It’s warm and supple, and capable of conveying plenty of emotion. The organic instrumentation and clean production lend the songs an immediacy and intimacy that is rare for a musician of such limited experience. This is a strong second effort from a singer-songwriter with immense promise. – MC
Jammin’ Java: 227 Maple Ave. Vienna, VA; 703-255-1566; www.jamminjava.com.

Photo by Maria Izaurralde

Maria Izaurralde’s Valentine to the Eighteenth Street Lounge

When the world-renowned Eighteenth Street Lounge opened in 1995, “it felt like we were putting all of our chips on one number,” says Thievery Corporation’s Eric Hilton in his foreword to “ESL: The Photo Book.” Little did the young co-founders – Hilton, Farid Nouri and Yama Jewayni – know that their dream would become an institution with an international impact on electronic music.

In “ESL: The Photo Book,” DC photographer Maria Izaurralde immortalizes the building at 1212 18th Street and the global musical family that proliferated within it.

Izaurralde – born in Cordoba, Argentina, the second of four children – grew up in Argentina, Kansas and Alberta, Canada. She attended the University of Alberta and Hebrew University of Jerusalem before moving to Bethesda and earning an economics degree from George Washington University. But picking up a camera in 2008 led to a new life: from passionate amateur photographer to award-winning professional.

Izaurralde’s early work caught the eye of Alex Solmssen, a professional photographer based in New York. Says Solmssen, “I have enormous respect for the dedication and commitment with which Maria trained herself in photography. She forced herself to use her camera with all manual settings and shot constantly – it seemed an extension of her arm. She was never without it! She trained like a prize-fighter to make the camera work the way she wanted, to make it innate. She drank in information, but always made it her own. She made me remember that need, that insatiable urge to capture one’s vision of the world. She had from the beginning an amazing eye and trained herself to make the images conform to a higher standard.”

Izaurralde’s color and black and white photographs are grouped in five categories:  “The Surrender” captures the joy and abandon of dancing to the spells cast by ESL’s deejays and live musicians. “The Mansion” takes us up staircases, through intimate elegant rooms, to hidden spaces and out on the rooftop deck. “The Music” presents a cavalcade of distinguished deejays including co-founders Farid Nouri and Eric Hilton, Dubfire, Sam “The Man” Burns, and live musicians including Junior Marvin and Storm. “The Impulse” freeze-frames ESL staff, regulars and musicians chilling, and “The Revolution” re-creates “a night in the life” of the Lounge.

What emerges from this priceless record of a magical place in DC cultural history is a close community that thrives on shared love for and appreciation of great music, and a palpable sense of Home.

Farid, who curated the collection, says, “To narrow the photos to 350 was not a small feat. It took us about a year and a half to edit and plan enough photos to showcase ESL’s events, personalities and physical place. I feel this book is very representative of everything ESL. Maria manages to capture ESL’s charm and nuances, which are timeless.”

On Tap met with Maria at Kramerbooks to discuss her new book:

OT: How did you discover photography?
MI: When I was younger I used to draw portraits and make photo mosaics by hand that took a long time, but I didn’t really like it. I’m a spontaneous person and I’ll start something on a whim and by the time I finish I hate it. I was dating a guy who knew I had this artistic thing going on and he gave me a Nikon D40, a beginner’s DSLR, in the fall of 2007. I was intimidated at first. After we broke up in 2008 I put it on manual and figured out shutter speeds, aperture, how much light to let in. The learning process was fun and I started clicking whenever I saw something cool and posting pictures online.

OT: How did you hear of the Eighteenth Street Lounge?
MI: I started going out with friends in 1998. A lot of places come and go but ESL’s always been there. My relationship with ESL really started though when I started bringing my camera because people started tagging each other in my pictures and that’s how I met people. The world seems smaller when you have that kind of thing going on.

OT: What attracted you to electronic music, and did you have favorite ESL nights?
MI: There’s something very tribal about it and something that makes you feel connected to people. It’s positive, upbeat, infectious and makes you want to dance. People from other countries know about ESL and when they come to DC they want to go to ESL and bring it home.

OT: How did your book start?
MI: I approached Farid because people had been commenting on my photos and there was this momentum. I had pictures from different places, but the ones from ESL felt like a body of work. I had thousands and it was really hard because some that I was attached to didn’t go in which was almost sad. No matter what night, everybody’s united by the music: Sunday’s like church, Wednesdays is a Jah Worship thing. It’s spiritual for some to go when they feel they need to be recharged, so we made the first chapter “The Surrender.”

Photo courtesy of Maria Izaurralde

OT: Do you always stay ‘til the end?
MI: The end is always the funnest part. This was a hard book to finish because I still go to ESL and get new pictures, and my favorite pictures are ones I haven’t seen in a long time or recent ones, the ones that feel fresh.

OT: What new projects are you working on?
MI: Last September I bought a DSLR that takes video and Googled tutorials and taught myself how to edit. What’s cool about video is that it’s dynamic. I’m currently working on a video for Thomas Blondet.

OT: What’s the most rewarding thing about your work?
MI: The difference between before and now is not having a purpose in life and photography being something I get lost in. When you don’t have a vocation it’s harder to find fulfillment and there’s a tendency to be defined by consumerism or relationships. I was never personally satisfied with goals of having stuff. I love taking pictures and video adds a lot to your creative process, but my goals are changing.  Like a lot of us, I’m becoming more socially conscious. This book is more than I dreamed of so I’ve decided to donate any profit from it to sustainability. I’m trying to learn how to harness my frustration and cynicism and make it into something positive.

ESL: THE PHOTO BOOK is available in hardcover and digital format at:  www.eslthebook.com. To view photography from the book, video and other subjects, visit:  www.mariajpeg.com.

Then, there are a few musicians like Aimee Mann who attain plenty of critical acclaim and modest commercial success, but still fly under the pop culture radar. The former ‘Til Tuesday singer and now longtime solo artist has steadily cultivated a career that now boasts deep, durable roots despite a lack of radio airplay or a lot of mainstream magazine covers. Mann, a native of Richmond, VA, brings her eclectic mix of folk and rock to the Birchmere on Jan. 25.
She said the old Alexandria roadhouse – a staple for nationally-known singer songwriters – is a favorite stop on her near annual tours.

“The Birchmere always treats me well,” Mann said in an interview with On Tap. “Some people don’t like playing at a dinner club, but I kind of like it. I like when people are sitting down and not running around. I feel like a lot of times it’s easier for people to enjoy what’s going on if they’re not worried about juggling a beer and trying to clap with one hand. I’m looking forward to being back at my home away from home.”

Fans are likely to hear cuts from her new record, “Charmer,” expected for release sometime this spring. But those accustomed to Mann’s sometimes beautifully depressing lyrics and arrangements could be in for a surprise.

“I was in the mood to make a really pop record,” she said. “Not in the sense of Justin Bieber, but I was listening to stuff like Abba and the Cars, sort of 70s and 80s pop. That’s where I was coming from while making it.”

In the late 1990s, creatively stifled by the marketing suits at her record label, Mann left Interscope and struck out on her own. She formed SuperEgo records and started selling her next record, “Bachelor No. 2” on the internet. Solid sales, rave reviews and sold-out shows followed. Mann, whose battles with record labels are something of a legend in the music industry, certainly seems satisfied with her decision.

“I think (record labels) are even more about marketing now,” she said. “Labels are practically non-existent and that system barely works. There are some labels, but they’ve all merged into each other.”

She said at major record companies and even publishing houses, business considerations are now driving the earliest decisions in the creative process.

“It’s always marketing before content,” she said. “A friend of mine who is a comedy writer was pitching a script to a studio and struggling with it and it’s over her title. They want you to come up with a title, and if they like the title then they will have you write a movie around that title. It’s just crazy. People attempt to try to control the outcome, and to think of creative stuff is just not that easy.”

She said she has no regrets about leaving Interscope a dozen years ago and would encourage other up-and-coming musicians to think twice before striking a deal with record labels, as well.

“It’s completely worth it (now),” she said. “If you were just starting out and nobody knew you, there wasn’t really another way to get your name out there before. But now the internet has so many different ways to get your name out. You don’t really need a label.”

Speaking of the internet, Mann has gained notice there, as well. Buzzfeed – an aggregator of all that’s cutting-edge on the internet – last month named her Twitter feed one of the best of 2011. Her simultaneously warm but cool demeanor shimmers on the feed, giving fans occasional insights into her life.

“I think twitter is valuable to keep in touch with people – to let people know what you’re doing and also it’s this fun goofy thing,” she said. “It’s fun to get into it and go back and forth with some people. But I’m not really sure what to do with it or what it is.”

Mann was very publicly reminded of Twitter’s precarious and sometimes volatile nature last year when she cracked wise about legendary rapper Ice-T’s acting chops on the hit television show “Law and Order.”

The rapper-actor got wind of Mann’s tweet and issued several scathing and profane retorts, much to Mann’s dismay. Mann apologized to “Mr. T” via Twitter but said she never met him or talked to him about the incident. Meanwhile, the snarky website Gawker had a field day with the random celebrity feud.

“Twitter feels so casual, but at the same time it’s on the internet and if you say something wrong or say it in an awkward way it gives the wrong impression,” Mann said. “It’s really easy to hit send before you’re ready to do it. If you say one thing wrong it could turn into a real disaster.”

And what about Mann’s delightfully strange little cameo in “The Big Lebowski” when she played a German nihilist who sacrificed her green polished little right toe? How’d that come about?

“It was a weird kind of accidental thing where a friend of mine was one of the casting directors and my name came up,” Mann explained. “I think acting is terrifying and I don’t know how people do it. I think it’s insane. And almost because it’s something that I don’t want to do, I was like yeah, I’ll do it – why not? Just for the experience. Also, it was in a different language and I was playing a nihilist and I thought well they don’t have any expressions so that’s good. It was really an accidental part, but it was interesting to be thrust into that environment.”

Mann’s insistence on taking chances whether with her music, on the internet or even in front of a movie camera should keep paying dividends for her fans.

Catch Aimee Mann on January 25, 2012 at The Birchmere: 3701 Mount Vernon Ave. Alexandria, VA; 703-549-7500; www.birchmere.com; tickets at www.ticketmaster.com.

Photo by Doug Van Sant

Born in Arlington to Salvadorean parents who met in the US, Gonzalez grew up listening to his dad’s rock (Eagles, Aerosmith) and his mom’s Spanish music (merengue, cumbia). While attending Centreville High, his younger brother Javier started deejaying hip-hop. When Roberto got hooked on electronic dance music at the legendary Zei Club in DC, he taught himself to deejay on Javier’s turntables and the rest is, as they say, history.

Roberto’s  “gigography” includes Chroma, Dream, Spank at MCCXXIII, Ultrabar, Lima, Josephine, Glow at Fur and Identity Festival at Jiffy Lube Live. “Mainly Glow events,” Gonzalez smiles. “I’ve always been loyal because that’s my home turf.”  He now holds one of DC’s most distinguished deejay residencies.

Pete Moutso, whom Gonzalez regards as his mentor, says with obvious pride, “I am an old school deejay at heart. I believe that you have to pay your dues as a deejay to succeed, and Roberto Gonzalez has done that…I always get compliments from deejays and agents on Roberto! And his productions have gotten attention from the likes of Tiësto and Kaskade – ‘nuff said!”

At a Caribou Coffee in Fairfax, On Tap chatted with Gonzalez about his career:

ON TAP: How did you get into electronic dance music?
ROBERTO GONZALEZ: I had lots of older friends so they’d take me out. I got introduced to edm at Zei Club in 1998. Pete Moutso was the resident deejay. It was a great experience because it was a legendary club and a great time for music. When I was 19, I started to get into mixing. I practiced on my brother’s turntables with vinyls, then slowly moved into CD’s. I pride myself even now on being able to mix two songs seamlessly. A lot of guys now have forgotten that, especially with the new software programs. I’m not knocking it, it’s great, but it’s different.

OT: When did you realize you wanted to deejay?
RG: The night Pete booked Tiësto for the first time at Super Glow at Zei. I was at King’s Dominion and dragged my friends all the way to DC. I remember the vibe, how everybody was going crazy for certain tracks and having a lot of fun. Seeing people enjoying music as much as I do, I thought: I really want to do this, I really want to try.

OT: What was the first record you fell in love with?
RG: It’s cliché, but the first song that made me feel like, wow, I love this music was Tiësto’s remix of Delerium’s “Silence” featuring Sara McLachlan. Once I heard it, I was hooked, this was the gem I was looking for.

OT: How did your Glow residency come about?
RG: I like saying I am one of the last who started from the ground up, meaning when I first came to Pete and Antonis (Karagounis) I started as a regular promoter, hosting parties and getting friends out. I got hired by Jimmy Marmaras in 2004. The guys knew I worked my butt off to help the parties succeed, and I got my opportunity one night at Spank (at MCCXXIII) in 2005.  I got tapped to be an official resident when my friend Dan Sampson who was the Glow resident was getting ready to move to New York in 2010.

OT: Who was the first big name you opened for?
RG: Cosmic Gate, January 2010. I’d seen them at Zei when trance was really huge. I had all their records, so I was ecstatic. Since I grew up listening to them, I had an idea of their style so I tried to play to complement them, set them up, and they loved what I did. Ever since they’ve requested that I be their opener when they’re here which is an amazing feeling.

OT: How did you become such a well-liked opener?
RG: When I’m supporting, I’m there from the beginning for the people to enjoy themselves and get into it, but…to not overkill so when the main attraction arrives they’re not worn out.  I’m always aware of that and try to get the crowd ready for the headliner to come on and blow the roof off. That’s why I feel I’ve gotten the respect and trust from Pete with a lot of these big name guys.

OT: What’s your approach to headlining?
RG: In my own style I like to play everything. I actually find myself bored if I constantly have similar songs with similar breaks and similar sounds. I always want to switch it up. It’s always nice to see the crowd make a U-turn, like what the hell? Going mental. (laughs)

OT: How did you learn to produce?
RG: A good friend of mine, DJ Enferno (Eric Jao), a classically trained musician, showed me the basics. I’m always grateful to him for taking the time. I met him when he was the resident at MCCXXIII.

OT: What was the first time you heard someone play a track of yours?
RG: In 2008 I met Breakfast (Casey Keyworth). Javier said we should try to make his song “Air Guitar” on Ferry Corsten’s Flashover label into a dance track. Casey said here are the parts if you want to mess with them. We did a remix in a day or two and sent it to him. Next thing I know I’m getting a call: ‘Bro, what the hell, I love it – I’m going to clean it up and submit it for the remix package.’ It got signed to Flashover and when Ferry was here he actually played it. I was standing in the booth seeing the crowd going nuts…I was on Cloud 9!  Pete was like, ‘that’s my boy!’

OT: What’s the most gratifying thing about what you do?
RG: Seeing the crowd enjoy what I’m doing and feeling like they got their money’s worth, hearing how they enjoyed the music, seeing them smile. Another good thing is to see my colleagues enjoy what I’m doing and being happy that things are fine. Music can make you interact with [and meet] so many different people and have so many good conversations.

OT: Any memorable moments from Identity Festival?
RG: The whole thing. When I first started, people made fun of dance music. To go to a venue where I’ve seen bands and see how massive it was – three stages, all busy, was like, Wow. Dance music is having its time right now. Everybody’s jumping on the wagon. To see how it has grown…how crazy and huge these events are now…well, it’s just great.

Roberto Gonzalez opens for Cosmic Gate in January at Fur: 33 Patterson St. NE, DC. For details go to www.clubglow.com. For information on Roberto, “Like” his Facebook page at: www.facebook.com/RobertoFB; check out his tunes at www.soundcloud.com/robertogonzalez; and download Roberto’s Image Sessions podcast mix series at www.imagesessions.podomatic.com.

Photo by PJ Sykes.

Beauty Pill, under the leadership of local songwriter/recording engineer Chad Clark, has run through the minds of DC music fans for ten years now like a hidden vein of magnetic ore. Outcroppings of new music are rare and sporadic, but the field of influence is always felt. It’s a measure of the group’s innovation and craftsmanship that one six-minute single, released only on MySpace in 2006, served to maintain their reputation in the interim since 2004’s full-length The Unsustainable Lifestyle. That single, “Ann the Word,” became a viral hit and was seen as a departure from the group’s post-punk, Dischord roots.

“Viral” is a loaded term for Clark these days. “A couple of years ago,” he says, speaking quite literally, “a random virus entered my heart and tried to kill me. It did not succeed… Recovery seemed like an opportunity for reinvention.”  The experience helps explain both changes in the band’s sound and a number of recent experiments.

Always looking for fresh venues of expression, Clark toured the new Artisphere multi-media facility in Arlington. “When we saw their Black Box Theater, I was struck by its physical similarity to Abbey Road Studio 2 where the Beatles recorded,” he recalls.”In particular, there’s a window that looks down into the space at almost an identical angle to the one in Abbey Road.That’s when the idea hit me.What if we made music and allowed people to watch us? Not as a performance, but if we really allowed them to see the creative process of making an album?” So the band moved into the Black Box and spent two weeks mixing and recording the tracks for their much-anticipated next release, with Artisphere visitors invited to observe every detail, exciting or otherwise, through the big glass window. They called the project the Immersive Ideal.

In academic theory, the “immersive ideal” means a perfect, undetectable simulation of reality. Think the Matrix, or the emperor who dreamed he was a butterfly. Beauty Pill’s experiment actually achieved the opposite: an imperfect, unprogrammed, but very real and direct experience, showing the true bones of creation instead of striving for a false seamlessness. Tellingly, Clark often allowed visitors to enter the studio, breaking the boundary between those who watch and those on display. “That was not part of the idea of the project,” he says, “It’s essentially like inviting someone in a natural history museum to pet the mastodons in the exhibit. But I’m social and I can’t help it. So I did.”

The six talented musicians in Beauty Pill fought and supported each other and compromised and tried crazy things and put together 20 new tracks, all under the public gaze. “A lot of musicians, some pretty well-known, stopped by and hung out with us,” says Clark. “This was nice and very cozy and reassuring. Felt like a normal studio where your friends come by to hang out and hear what you’re up to.”

Starting January 7, the Immersive Ideal presents the results in the very space where the music was made. A surround-sound mix accompanies images from the recording sessions. Visitors can explore the mysterious effects of an interactive Monome: a box of unlabeled, glowing buttons often used by electronic musicians.

The Immersive Ideal runs through January 22 as part of the “Notasphere” exhibit of nontraditional art. After that, Beauty Pill hopes to find a sympatico label to provide a home for their new work: another fresh start for a band that’s never content to replicate the past. Indeed, for fans who want to know how the new album compares to the previous work, Clark has no simple answer.” In the end, all I care about is the spell. Did we cast a spell or not? I don’t really care how we arrived at that result.”

For more information visit www.beautypill.com. Artisphere: 1101 Wilson Blvd. Arlington, VA; 703-875-110; www.artisphere.com.

8 Ohms Band
Web: www.8ohmsband.com
Album: Superheavy
Show: Jan 5 at DC9
After receiving this hand-delivered CD, I have had it on replay trying to choose my favorite songs. Each song is a head-bobbing, foot-tapping and body-grooving manipulator. 8 Ohms, from Annapolis, is on tour in support of their debut album, “Superheavy,” which was released July 2011 on Pineapple Koi Records. After seeing the band live at Das Best Oktoberfest 2011, I can assure you their live show will blow you away. This 14 track masterpiece satisfies with Horn Heavy Funk with the perfect touch of Reggae, Go-Go, Hip-Hop and a generous helping of Soul. This nonet is comprised of Billy Martin on guitar/vox, Kevin Basiliko on alto/baritone sax, Curtis Lester on guitar, Nick Reider on trumpet, Morgan Russell on tenor sax, Ben Gilbert on bass, Matt Costello on percussion, Marty Weiss on drums and newest member Brad Gunson on trombone. Like their album, listeners can expect an abundant stage with an earful of blissful, solid compositions. –Lea Holland
DC9: 1940 9th St. NW, DC; 202-483-5000; www.dcnine.com.

Soundtrack for Silent Films
Web: www.facebook.com/soundtrackforsilentfilms
ALBUM: Carbon Copy
Show: Jan 2 at Jammin’ Java
You might have a tough time deciding if this is a love story, a broken heart or just complicated outpouring of emotions like we all wish we could release. No matter your conclusion after numerous listens, you have been warned you may become hooked on the sincere, straight-forward lyrics that flow from Arlington’s Paul B’s mouth. What started out as a solo journey has transformed into a full band with their debut album, “Carbon Copy,” produced at Inner Ear Recording Studios in Arlington, VA with Aloha’s TJ Lipple. After recruiting seasoned DC musicians Matt Waller, Clay Lord, Andrew Goski and Bill Ledbetter, Soundtrack for Silent Films was solidified.   The album is on the softer side with beautiful backup keys and guest violin on some songs like “Venice,” but just enough precise drums, bass and guitar to keep you invigorated on tracks like “Midnight Anthem” and “Forever.”  Hoping more live scripts are written that need to find their musical match with Soundtrack for Silent Films.  – Lea Holland
Jammin’ Java: 227 Maple Ave E, Vienna, VA; 703-255-1566; www.jamminjava.com.

Drew Gibson
Web: www.drew-gibson.com
Album: The Southern Draw
Show: Jan 10 at IOTA Club & Café
Drew Gibson’s new release is a deft blend of folk, blues and indie sounds that should sit in any alt-country fan’s music collection, rightly taking its place alongside bands like Wilco and Ryan Adams. But Gibson’s appeal won’t be limited to fans of twang. His Facebook page noted that his favorite album of 2011 was Paul Simon’s latest release, and Gibson sometimes brings to mind the frailty and beauty of Simon’s most delicate tunes. Longing and heartbreak are conjured in sweeping, cinematic sketches that Gibson recorded over the last four years in Charlottesville with his childhood friend and fellow musician, Paul Curreri. Curreri’s wife, who just happens to be well-regarded Charlottesville singer-songwriter Devon Sproule, also contributed, making possible the beautiful duet (and album centerpiece) “We Move by Wagon Train.” This is heartfelt music that Gibson has crafted on “The Southern Draw.” It’s not the soundtrack for a party, but rather it’s the music playing on a long highway drive, where you mull over your life’s great loves and great regrets. – Jon Kaplan
IOTA Club & Café: 2832 Wilson Blvd. Arlington, VA; 703-522-8340; www.iotaclubandcafe.com.

Dub City Renegades
Web: www.dubcityrenegades.com
Album: Self-Titled EP
Show: Jan 7 at Jammin’ Java
If you don’t yet know the Dub City Renegades, or don’t know dub reggae, this DC-based band and their new, 5-song EP are great places to start. The nine piece crew has been rocking the DC area since 2008 and combining roots and dub sounds into an authentic, irresistible mix. 2009 saw them travel to Costa Rica to perform at Rainforest Aid, and in 2010 they won Best New Artist at the Virginia Reggae Awards. Now they’ve released their new EP, the band’s first, containing addictive tracks like “Fyah” and “Sittin’ on Top of the World.” There are songs here to move to, and laid-back grooves for chilling as well. This is an impressive debut recording from a talented band that has perfected their sound through relentless touring and hard work. Check it out. – Jon Kaplan
Jammin’ Java: 227 Maple Ave E, Vienna, VA; 703-255-1566; www.jamminjava.com.

As the band prepares to give DC a show to remember on December 31st at the Washington Hilton, it’s also looking forward to eating some cookies in the White House (read on to see what I am talking about). On Tap Magazine had the pleasure of speaking with lead guitarist Kryz Reid, who shares his view on where the band has been, and most importantly, where it’s going.

On Tap: You have what most bands would kill for…longevity. What do you think are some of the key factors that have led to Third Eye Blind’s ability to still be around after all these years?
Kryz Reid: I think lyrically Third Eye Blind has always addressed issues that speak to the disaffected, the misfits, if you will. The band has never really been part of a clique or a trendy movement, and I think that’s recognized and resonates with both the people who discovered the band when the first couple of albums were released, as well as with the people who have discovered our music more recently. When the lyrics are combined with strong musical ideals, and accessible songs that are honest and relevant to situations we all have to go through, it becomes a sort of “rite of passage” anthem.
Third Eye Blind’s songs speak to universal themes. Over the last couple of years, we’ve played to some of the largest audiences the band has ever performed in front of, and we’ve noticed the cross section of people in attendance. The fans are ranging from old school die-hards to kids who heard a song and discovered the band anew. That’s a real treat, and I think this confirms Stephan’s [lead singer Stephan Jenkins] ability to communicate with, quite literally, millions of people.

OT: What are the most challenging and rewarding aspects of being in a band?
KR: The most rewarding aspect is getting to play my guitar every day and calling it a job! Travelling all over the world, meeting new people and sharing something you truly believe in is special; an indescribable feeling. The challenge comes with trying to balance a normal life around it, and being away from family and your special lady can be very tough…I haven’t seen Ireland in over a year, and I haven’t seen my apartment in Los Angeles in seven months! But when you wake up every morning doing the thing you love most in the world, you really can’t complain.

OT: How different is 3EB now than  in the early 90s?
KR: I think the band has always taken chances with material that is readily accessible to a mass audience, yet lyrically adheres to a more subversive nature. The evolution can be seen in a seemingly radio-friendly pop hit like “Semi-Charmed Life” to a song like “Why Can’t You Be,” which is still honest, but conveyed much differently. I think every band owes it to themselves and their audience to always take chances, and I do believe people would agree that 3EB has consistently done this. The evolution of 3EB can be summarized as this: We continue to grow musically, while we stay relevant to universal themes.

OT: What are the 3EB fans like? Any funny or odd stories you’d like to share?
KR: Our fans are lovely! Funny or odd stories? Yes, I have a few, but nothing I’m prepared to be quoted on! These people are gems.

OT: Is there anything on the radio that really excites you?
KR: I currently love the new Friendly Fires album. Stephan and I recently went to the Treasure Island Festival in San Francisco, and we loved The Naked and Famous and Explosions in the Sky. While I don’t get to listen to the radio a lot, new music always finds its way to my ears somehow.

OT: You played at the Downtown Countdown on New Year’s Eve 2009. Why did you decide to come back to our nation’s capital to ring in 2012?
KR: Well…Obama kind of owes us. He was at a show earlier this year and kept shouting out “Jumper! Jumper!” After the show he promised cookies at the White House if we came for New Year’s. So…

OT: Speaking of the New Year, do you have any resolutions both as individuals and as a band?
KR: I haven’t asked the guys individually, but if I had to make a guess…
Stephan: To be 22% more awesome
Brad: To be 2% more awesome than Stephan
Abe: To be 3% more awesome than most (he’s very modest)
Kryz (me): To be just awesome enough to beat Brad up.
Collectively, we really want to put out this new album and for it to be 26% more awesome than everyone else’s new release.

OT: What do you enjoy most about playing in DC?
KR: Last time we played DC was in Georgetown and there were people climbing the rafters. ‘Nuf said…

OT: If the Mayan’s are right, and the world will really end in 2012, will 3EB have any regrets?
KR: …naaaahhhhh.

Get your tickets for Lindy Promotion’s Downtown Countdown New Year’s Eve at www.downtowncountdown.net.

Dave Matthews was just one of many stadium bands that played the Bayou in their early days. Photo courtesy of RCA Records

Thirteen years ago this month, on New Year’s Eve, legendary Georgetown club the Bayou held its last show. Hundreds of 1998’s scenesters packed into the tiny brick-faced building to see a double fistful of bands celebrate the club they had all called home at one time or another. By a stroke of good luck for our city’s musical heritage, Dave Lilling and Bill Scanlan were there too, with camera rolling. In addition to being fans, both were experienced broadcasters, Lilling in news radio and Scanlan for DC101.  When the two heard that the beloved nightspot was set to close, they joined forces with Washington Post writer Vinnie Perrone and local filmmaker Dave Nuttycombe to document the Bayou’s last week of life and the wild human fauna that frequented the place. “We just started taping,” says Lilling. “We had no idea what a rich history the club had. We were just kind of winging it.”

They learned more with every person they talked to. From that week’s worth of video, the project grew in every direction: back to the club’s shady beginnings, broadening to include fond contributions from dozens of fans and interview subjects, and forward in time to right now. “The more we got to peeling back the layers,” says Perrone, “the more we all liked the story. It’s been quite an odyssey, actually.” The result is a full-length documentary titled The Bayou: DC’s Killer Joint. Currently in a complete rough cut, the film will first appear on Maryland Public Television early next year.

“We started before digital editing,” recalls Nuttycombe. “Dave Lilling went out and got about a hundred hours of interviews on videotape. Cutting that down for a 90-minute documentary was a monumental task. Now it’s gotten much easier, and with Facebook and so on, people have been coming out of the woodwork to contribute material.”

Iggy Pop. Photo Courtesy of RCA Records

The roster of acts who passed through the Bayou’s tiny hall may surprise today’s music fans: U2’s first show in the U.S., the Dave Matthews Band, Kiss, Bruce Springsteen, Joan Jett, Iggy Pop, the B-52s, Dire Straits, the Police and countless more.

Bruce Springsteen. Photo Courtesy of RCA Records

Foreigner played their first show ever at the Bayou. Even when just starting out, groups often skip over such small spaces now. “It’s not an accident that we’ve seen clubs of this size shuttered in recent years,” says Perrone. “Once the arena rock paradigm took over, it became increasingly difficult to fill a room of 500 people.”

Bands who played the Bayou once often came back again and again to hone their chops in front of a friendly crowd. “The Bayou was of a particular time and place,” says Scanlan. “I don’t know of clubs today that will allow an act to grow and develop a following.”

The building’s origin as a barrel factory in 1888 explains its odd sloped floor, handy for rolling barrels down from storage to waiting boats. Later, this allowed even shorter people to see the stage clearly from the back of the hall. Starting in 1939, a series of sketchy nightclubs occupied the space, with names like the Bucket of Blood and the Pirate’s Den. “From the Pirate’s Den era,” says Nuttycombe, “the place had a ship’s wheel over the stage until the end, which made no sense.”

In 1951, when the place was called the Hideaway, mob-associated gunman Joe Nesline shot and killed a man named George Harding on the premises, and the club was shut down. Despite persistent rumors of “George the ghost” haunting the building, a trio of Washington businessmen bought it in 1953 and opened the Bayou, hosting Dixieland, burlesque, and national touring jazz acts.

“Then came the British Invasion,” says Perrone. In 1965, the owners hired a house band called the Telstars and rededicated the venue to rock and roll. The long parade of youthful revelers, local acts, and soon-to-be-famous rockers began. The Bayou soon developed a reputation as a wild place to see a show and an even wilder place to work. Former staffers report frequent sex acts in the fire exits and regularly having to eject drunken patrons. When Mr. T worked there, he was considered one of the less intimidating bouncers. “It had a kind of almost-anything-goes atmosphere,” Perrone remembers. When the decision came to sell the building and make way for a row of shiny new Georgetown shops, musicgoers from all around the area flocked to have one last good time at their favorite club.

Acts caught on film in that final week include Eddie From Ohio, 2 Skinnee J’s, the Nighthawks, and many more. The last band on stage was Everything, then famous for their hit “She’s Got the Hooch.” Project leader and Emmy Award winner Lilling, who freely grants credit to many collaborators, feels particularly lucky to be in touch with onetime Bayou regular Tim Pace, who made a habit of taping shows at the club, sometimes bringing a video camera as well as his sound recording gear. “Tim very generously opened his archives to us,” says Lilling. “From about 1978 until the closing, he was the unofficial club archivist.” The film also features Scanlan’s live broadcasts from stage in the ‘80s, a Dixieland radio show with comments from 1950s audience members, and interviews with musicians, celebrities, and DC rock legends.

As the final touches go into “DC’s Killer Joint,” Lilling reminds us that anyone can still be part of this six-decade, uniquely Washington piece of musical history. The team welcomes photos, stories, and memorabilia: anything Bayou. Fans can make tax-free contributions and a Kickstarter campaign starts next month. “In the end,” says Perrone, “this is about a club that lived: a jaunty, surprisingly full, somewhat tortured, but generally rewarding and uplifting existence. The story compelled us to see it through.”

Pictures, preview clips, and all the latest appear on the web at mtitv.com/BayouBlog.