We’re thrilled that Staff Writer and local DJ extraordinaire Ed Metaphysical will be writing a monthly column at The Vinyl District, “Spinning the Truth.” In today’s first edition, he gives a guide to the places on H Street where you can throw back some drinks and get down. Beckys and Chads beware; I think that some of these places are hidden on purpose.
Before doing his successful Comedy Central show, DC native Dave Chapelle released a live stand-up recording talking about how crack affected DC. He reflected on how white people sat on the borders of DC looking in throughout the ’80s, saying to each other “not yet.” He was talking about gentrification in our nation’s capitol.
All Photos: Lauren Jaslow, Snarky Studios
Since Mayor Anthony Williams was elected, many neighborhoods throughout DC have been highly gentrified. This is one of the remarks people make about the Atlas District, or the H Street Corridor, as it’s been called more recently. Many people don’t remember the time when the U Street Corridor was sketchy or when Adams Morgan was a lower-middle-class black neighborhood.
The Atlas District is still feeling the effects of that recent gentrification, yet compared to when The Argonaut opened its doors in 2005, a lot has changed. As a result of this gentrification, the Atlas District has become home to a vibrant music scene that looks to shape the new face of the District’s nightlife. Here are the venues at the forefront of this community, where you can expect to hear live music or DJs.
[Ed. note — I (Olivia) insisted on throwing in this pic of The Metaphysical himself instead of one of the ones submitted. Just-lookit-that-pretty-face.]
The Rock and Roll Hotel (1353 H St. NE)
RnR Hotel, or just The Hotel, is a two-level club. The first level hosts a live venue that holds up to 400 people. This is the largest live venue of the owners and booking agent of DC9 and The Red Palace. From indie rock to hip hop to experimental electronic groups, this venue holds large national, international, and local events. From someone who plays local shows with a number of hip hop groups, this is the venue with the best sound guys and the system to back them up. On the weekends, upstairs The Hotel flaunts local DJ talent playing a mix of ’80s, ’90s, top 40, house, hip hop, electro, Bmore club, anything to get the people going. One of the unique things about this venue is that they have three rooms for rent (until the bar closes). Because this is the largest venue on H Street, on the weekends it can be overrun with Beckys and Chads.
SOVA (1359 H St. NE)
An espresso bar by day, a wine bar at night, SOVA is located two doors down from Rock & Roll. During the week, upstairs you will hear a myriad of different sounds from bluegrass to acoustic to Brazilian jazz. On the weekends, it hosts DJs playing sophisticated lounge/dance music from nu disco to progressive house to neo soul. This place is a great place to hang on the weekends if you don’t want the loud hustle and bustle of H Street, or if you are too fashionable to dance. It’s also one of the only places on H Street that prizes itself on its wine selection. It tends to pop around 10pm and close by 1:30am on the weekends.
Little Miss Whiskey’s Golden Dollar (1104 H St. NE)
Whiskey’s or LMW, as it’s called by its patrons, is one of the first bars you will see coming into the Atlas District from Chinatown. The only distinguishing mark is a bright purple light that shines on the side of the building. The decor is a fabulous (and I mean this in the gayest way possible) purple, gold, and black. On the weekends, Whiskey’s hosts a DJ booth upstairs shared by local and touring DJs playing anything from funk and soul on 45s to party jams to straight up disco. This place, like most bars in DC, is a converted townhouse, so it can get packed on a Friday or Saturday night. There is also a patio with a grill (awesome soul food) and a back section upstairs for rent.
The Red Palace (1210 H St. NE)
The Red Palace, recently converted, combines The Red & The Black and Palace of Wonders. Half average bar, half freak show bar, this hosts a music venue on the top floor similar to DC9, but on H Street. Like the Palace of Wonders, this venue still hosts burlesque shows. Unlike DC9, this bar does not have a dance party on the weekends. The entrance into The Red Palace is through The Red & The Black’s old entrance. The layout is somewhat like a maze, going through twists and turns to go upstairs. The sound can pump though, as it was recently redone by Randy the DC9 sound man.
Sticky Rice DC (1224 H St. NE)
In the movie Orgasmo, the characters often go to a hip hop sushi bar after shooting porno. Unlike that sushi bar, Tuesday karaoke night at Sticky Rice is absent of sad Japanese men and totally the place to go if you are young and hip to it. Sticky Rice is a pseudo chain, having other locations in Richmond and Baltimore. On the weekends, there is a hip hop dance party with the videos projected near the entrance. This can get live and rowdy, and a lot of fun. The other thing to note, besides the sushi, is the tater tots, which come with a special sauce that will knock your socks off.
Jimmy Valentine’s Lonely Hearts Club (1103 Bladensburg Rd.)
Though off of H Street, Jimmy Valentine’s is still under the wing of the Atlas District. This is a place you have to know about to go there. Here’s how to find it: it’s across from the Capitol City Diner with a giant pink sign and blacked-out windows; open a metal door with a mailbox, then there’s a door you open with a rope. Sounds confusing—well, try doing it in the middle of the ghetto at one in the morning. On the weekends, it can be low key or in your face. The DJs play a range of disco, house, funk, soul, techno, moombahton, hip hop; you name it, they play it. They also sport a frozen root beer drink that’s 100 proof, one of my favorites, and a quality Belgium and American Belgium beer selection. The back staircase, or patio, is cut off from everything surrounding it.
You can see Ed Metaphysical DJ at some of these venues and others in the DC-metro area.
The Metaphysical has two monthlys at The Rock and Roll Hotel: GKYK with DJ Keenan (Second Saturdays, next show 4/9), and STANK! (Last Saturdays, next show 4/30). He also has a nu disco party Church, with DJ Dean every Sunday at Asylum. On Tuesday, April 26th, he’ll be playing at Discovery, Harrisonburg, Virginia’s biggest alt dance party. The Metaphysical is also in international hip hop group mathpanda and travels the globe as a DJ.
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