Hot Town--Summer in the City

I think music is the Wednesday topic at chez Barrelhouse so let's get down to it.

It's summer in DC and currier bag nation can hardly contain itself. Ted Leo at the 9:30 tomorrow, The Medications' CD release party at the Black Cat on Sunday, Wilco and The Roots at Merriweather Post on Monday. The list goes on and on. However, nothing combines the words summer, music, and DC like the Fort Reno concert series. It's one of my three favorite things about living here (the other two being this and this).

Now a lot of people are probably asking "What exactly is Fort Reno?" Well, at it's most base, Fort Reno is a little stage in a field in NW DC where a bunch of different bands, generally of the independent persuasion, play for about three hours every Monday and Thursday night from mid-June to mid-August. It's free, as in no admission, so if you live in the area and are so inclined, you can see nearly twenty free shows every summer. Granted, I've never heard of half the bands playing -- do I lose my indie rock club membership card for admitting that? -- but that's part of the fun. I can't think of another city where taking a chance on a rock band doesn't cost five or ten bucks. In addition, Fort Reno allows community conscientious organizations to hand out information and recruit new volunteers during performances. The only draw back is the no booze rule -- this is after all the city most identified with the term straight edge -- but the shows usually wrap around 9:30 and there's a couple of bars in the area you can hit-up afterwards.

Fort Reno really is wonderful thing. If you're near DC check it out. These bands work really hard and as far as I know they don't get paid anything except the love they get from the audience so get out there and pour it all over them.