FREE
NOON – 3AM
1ST FLOOR (ALL AGES)
JUSTIN JONES
9PM
Justin Jones is “rock and roll…No Auto-Tune,nogimmicks—just a songwriter with a guitar and a crack band,” says The Vinyl District’s Jennifer Carney. Weaned on the sounds of southern soul, blues, and rock, Jones started playing open mic nights in Charlottesville near his hometown in hisearly teens. With five albums and a large number of tours under his belt, it’s no wonder that Bob Boilen of NPR’s All Songs Considered lists Justin Jones as “one of the top performers of theyear.”
THE WALKING STICKS
8PM
Powerful female lead vocals and sibling harmony are the core of the Walking Sticks’ sound. Twin brothers Max and Spencer Ernst anchor the grooves with symbiotic synth and guitar lines, while ChelseaLee’s entrancing melodies weave through the mix. Fans of Sylvan Esso, Beach House, Poliça, The xx, and Zero 7 will enjoy.
COLOR PALETTE
7PM
Blending the atmospheric consistency of Cocteau Twins with the qualities from modern day pop outfits like Wild Nothing and Washed Out, Color Palette paints a vivid and luminous auditory portrait. After vocalist Jay Nemeyer’s former group The Silver Liners disbanded, Color Palette was born. The DC outfit has toured extensively throughout their hometown with stops at The Velvet Lounge and multiple appearances at the Rock & Roll Hotel.
THE EFFECTS
6PM
It’s no secret that Washington, DC is a highly transient city. Devin Ocampo (Medications, Faraquet) and Matt Dowling (Deleted Scenes), however, have hung around for a long time, and have seen many bands live and die, while struggling to keep their own long-term projects together against the same outward moving force the city generates. In 2014, a few years after touring together in separate groups, they teamed up with drummer David Rich (Buildings) to start The Effects, with a surprisingly optimistic view towards being a DC band. The Effects is starting with a few notches already under their belt. It portrays the band as both anxiously and shamelessly excited to share their collective DC-indebted spirit with the rest of the world.
SHARKWEEK
5PM
Staggering crowds with their surf-pop garage sound since 2013, Washington, D.C.’s Shark Week keeps one foot planted in the past, drawing inspiration from sources as diverse as David Bowie, The New York Dolls, the Velvet Underground and Ennio Morricone. Beach Fuzz, the band’s debut full-length record out May 19 on PaperCup Music, offers a palette of jaded love songs topaint your summerwith textured gem-toned vibes. The album seamlessly blends tight punk numbers, beach ditties, brooding western lullabies and sprawling, freaked out, psychedelic jams with wry wit, reverb-drenched chorus backgrounds and percussive rhythms.
LIGHTING FIRES
4PM
Featuring their own brand of ‘Woof Rock’, an “amalgam of grunge, shoegaze, indie rock, and dance.” – WAMU Bandwidth, Lighting Fires released their debut 4-track EP, Friend Fiction, in July of 2015. The 5-piece is already gaining a reputation for their high energy live performances and constantly growing catalog of original material.
WITCH COAST
3PM
Witch Coast is the project of DC-based musician, Jon Weiss, and friends. The name might not be familiar, but Weiss is pretty well known around the East Coast—particularly for his band, The Sea Life. Earlier this year, the group released Witch Coast for President, a debut EP of four catchy, distorted tracks leaving DC eager to see what the guys do next.
COLLIDER
2PM
Collider is a DC-based band, featuring ex-members of Tideland and LTW, as well as current members of Supreme Commander and Accidents. The group’s sound combines elements of early 90’s shoegaze, grunge and punk, paying homage to bands such as Swervedriver, Ride, New Order and The Smashing Pumpkins. Their first set of recordings, engineered and produced by Ben Green of Fairweather in July, will be released in early 2016.
THE DUSKWHALES
1PM
The Duskwhales are a three-piece indie rock bandformed in Manassas, Virginia in 2010. With influences ranging from TheBeatles and The Doors to Vampire Weekend and Of Montreal, the young trio melds a retro 60’s feel with a modern twist of intricate rhythms and upbeat melodies that permeates onstage and in recordings.
They have shared the stage with nationalacts Jesse McCartney, DMA’s, Marie Miller, and The Ready Set as well as performed to packed audiences across the Mid-Atlantic region at venues such as Black Cat, Rock & Roll Hotel, Jammin’ Java, and Arlene’s Grocery. In August 2014, the band released a self-titled LP to praise from music blogs and listeners alike. With a unique sound and fast-growing fan base, The Duskwhales are prepared to make a splash in the independent music scene.
2nd FLOOR (21 AND OVER):
Mathias
Mathias is a DJ based out of Washington, D.C., who has established himself in the industry through hard work and dedication to the craft. A fan of almost every genre of music, including Hip-Hop, Indie, R&B, UK Garage, Future Bass, Rock, Electro, Moombahton, & more, you can catch Mathias creating vibes at venues throughout the D.C. area and more. He has shared the stage with well-known artists such as D.C.’s Eric Hilton of The Thievery Corporation, & Billy The Gent of Gent & Jawns, Baltimore’s own The Death Set & Scottie B, to National Artists French Montana, Ghostface Killah, Raekwon, Flosstradamus, Rusko, Kaytranada, Dr. Fresch, Brodinski, & LOUISAHHH!.
The Lothario
When The Lothario isn’t performing top 40 at her monthly residency at Rock and Roll Hotel, she’s spinning electronic dance music, with predispositions to techno and light bass music. When she isn’t DJing, she’s an artist manager and co-owner of artist management company Mishi Katsu, music writer, and radio co-host for DC based radio show GTFO Radio.
James Nasty
James Nasty is the quintessential Baltimore Club DJ and producer, named by the Baltimore City Paper “Best DJ In a Club’ in 2011. The Baltimore Sun listed him in “Baltimore Bands, A – Z, the 26 of the most well-known artists around” His original tracks and remixes have been in heavy rotation during club mixes on Baltimore radio station 92Q and other stations in the region as well as receiving support from Dj’s all over the world including Roxy Cottontail, Dave Nada, and Baltimore Club creator and legend Scottie B. Time Out Singapore says “Stop being so serious and get loose to James Nasty. This is the kind of stuff coming out of Baltimore that’s really popular but still manages to break all the rules.”
Gudo
Raised in Northern Virginia and a DC transplant, Gudo is a musician, emcee, producer and DJ. He was introduced to music as a child by his father – a jazz guitarist / multi-instrumentalist, who honed his own skills – starting with piano and transitioning to violin, guitar, bass and drums. Later he branched into writing rhymes and rapping. Gudo’s initial introduction to all forms of music spawned the gateway to his passion for production. A crate digger for years, he made a natural segue into DJing. He is currently the resident DJ at The Brixton on U Street. He is also the bassist for his band, Champion Sound, who performs monthly at Flash.
DJ Bo
DJ BO is a DJ & Producer hailing from the DC Metropolitan area currently in rotation at the premier venues in the DC circuit. He incorporates his vast musical background with his technical abilities when rocking dance-floors which has led him to DJ parties/ events in New York, Los Angeles, and Atlanta as well. On the production side, Bo has had the privilege of working with various DMV rappers including 368’s Phil Ade.
Skim
SKIM emerged onto the heart of Washington DC’s social scene as a DJ during the summer of 2010. His background in classical and live music has equipped him with a strong musical foundation. That, coupled with an affinity for various genres has allowed him to become one of DC’s most versatile DJs. SKIM’s well-rounded style mirrors DC’s diversity, reaching people of all cultures with a dynamic mix of Hip-Hop, Dancehall, Pop, Rock, EDM, Disco to House in a seamless yet unpredictable fashion to keep club-goers on their toes.
Farrah Flosscett
Farrah Flosscett made her dj debut in Washington DC in January 2015, at a well known U Street staple for music – Velvet Lounge. She then continued on that path and spun for places like Heist, Lost Society, and Vida Rooftop. She currently has a residency at Tap and Parlour on Fridays, as well as being one of the regular Dj residents for the W hotel. Still early in her career, she has already been recruited to play fashion shows and boutique store openings. She also was chosen by a young music artist, Townsend James, as his official Dj, and had the opportunity to perform with him for a massive festival in Trinidad and Tobago. Her musical history, which sparked from her Dj father, jumps around to inhabit a blend of Funk, Soulful House, Indie, Nu Disco, Hip Hop and Pop Classics.
ROOFTOP (21 AND OVER)
Baronhawk
Baronhawk has opened for artists such as Disclosure, Oscar G, Chromeo, and Galantis in addition to having held residencies throughout Washington, D.C. at U Street Music Hall and Tropicalia. He’s also the artistic director for Urban Artistry, a non-profit dedicated to the preservation of urban culture in the arts, as well as a founding member of The NeedlExchange which is one of Washington, D.C.’s long-standing LGBT+ dance parties.
Blinkhorn
Blinkhorn is a DJ/producer based in Washington, D.C. His signature is his ability to dig deep and produce eclectic sets which showcase a wealth and range of musical knowledge. He’s also an active contributor to Blisspop having interviewed artists like Erol Alkan and Sarah Myers.
Chris Kennedy
Beginning while he was too young to go to the club, Chris Kennedy is a young up-and-coming DJ who has shared bills with Skream, Waze & Odyssey, Tiga, and Shadow Child just to name a few. Kennedy is also an active participant and crew member at Blisspop.
Eau Claire
Eau Claire has taken her penchant for the keyboard to the next level, making her way into the dance music community with her feel-good sound and positive energy. Not afraid to test the boundaries of her creativity, she effortlessly integrates her signature keyboard work into her productions, resulting in a unique blend of house, nu-disco, and indie dance. Her remixes have routinely charted on the Hype Machine Top 10 and, in 2015, she made her festival debut at Firefly Music Festival as well as Splash House in Palm Springs, CA.
Jacq Jill
Lauren Wright, better known to D.C.’s dance community as Jacq Jill, is a force to be reckoned with. In addition to holding a sought after residency at Science Club in Washington’s DuPont district, she made headlines in 2015 after her high-energy set to a sold out crowd at the Howard Theater. With D.C. in her crosshairs, she is set to become one of the hottest DJs in our nation’s capital.
Ozker
While the District of Columbia has seen a fluctuation of creative types, few artists have influenced the scene as much as OZKER. Organic and locally grown, OZKER has established himself in the past few years as one of DC’s hardest working DJs, producers, and graphic designers having shared bills with Basement Jaxx, Robert Delong, Gorgon City, James Murphy, andmore. He is also known for his presence as a Blisspop and Sleep Cell crew member.
Philco
As a member of both One Love Massive and Blisspop, PHILCO is one of D.C.’s most sought after DJs having made his mark at Flash Nightclub, U Street Music Hall, and 18th Street Lounge among other venues. Having honed a trademark style stemming from grooves and classic house music, he’s shared line-ups with techno and deep house juggernauts like Guti, Mind Against, and Daniel Bortz as well as parties with many of his Blisspop and One Love Massive mates.
Will Eastman
Will Eastman’s sets of house, techno, disco and left-field gems have earned him the title “one of D.C.’s titan DJs” from the Washington Post. A member of numerous bands since age 15, Eastman brings a fiercely independent spirit to his DJ and music production approach, pushing boundaries with new sounds and unexpected juxtapositions. His releases on Main Course Records and remixes have received broad support from a diverse range of DJs from Daniel Avery and Aeroplane to Tiesto and Fatboy Slim, and have been featured by NPR, BBC Radio 1, FACT Magazine, and Urb among many others. He’s also known for being one of the principal minds behind D.C.’s much celebrated dance music venue, U Street Music Hall, which was listed as one of the top clubs in the country by Rolling Stone. He founded D.C.’s premier dance music blog and community, Blisspop, in 2000.
zacheser
zacheser is a DJ based in Washington, D.C. Known for his eccentric and energetic mixing style that blends disco, deephouse, and techno, he has shared bills with artists like Moullinex, Hannah Wants, Hotel Garuda, Nic Fanciulli, and he held a residency at Rock & Roll Hotel in 2015, #HouseArrest, where he curated a slate of local DJs. He’s also known in Washington’s dance scene for his efforts as a crew member and writer at Blisspop. zacheser is also a vocal supporter of the body positive movement often using his status as a DJ to discuss body positivity and acceptance on the web.