Journopalooza: It Rocked with the Write Stuff

By day, like mild-mannered Clark Kents and Lois Lanes, they worked their journalistic jobs - editor, columnist, public policy writer. But as darkness descended on DC tonight, they exchanged their pens for guitars and their laptops for drum kits and  transformed into reporter-rockers, intent on helping their groups win best band at Journopalooza.

Proceeds from the charity event, which this year was being held on the new Hamilton concert stage, would benefit Writopia, an organization which helps young student writers, and REACH Incorporated, which trains low-level reading high school students to help younger struggling students become better readers.

For our $20 each, we would get to see 7 bands compete to become the reigning 2012 news band of Washington. The contribution entitled you to cast 1 vote for the band of your choice. You could cast additional votes by placing money in tip jars which lined the stage.

After a welcome by Grammy-nominated progressive hip-hop artist and host Christylez Bacon, Paddy Goes West kicked off the contest. Dennis Dunleavy, senior Washington editor of ABC News, joked as he tuned his acoustic guitar that the purpose of their opening was "to make the other bands look younger" and, in actuality, "sound better." However, with their instrumental lineup of Irish fiddle, penny whistle, and hammered dulcimer, the band managed to pull off a rousing rendition of the Steve Earle-penned "Galway Girl" before leaving the stage.

Next up was Lethal Bark led by Tom Toles, Pulitzer Prize-winning editorial cartoonist for The Washington Post. From his drum kit, chief song-writer Toles directed the guitar-less band with its 3 boa-ed female vocalists and lead violinist in progressive originals about such subjects as Tom's bother by the same mother, George, and narcissism.

The 3rd act was the band we had really come to see - the cover band Stepping Stones, anchored on drums by John Kelly who writes the 5-day-a-week "John Kelly's Washington" column in The Post. As the group's name implies, the band plays a heavy rotation of Monkees tunes, song choices particularly appropriate considering the death of Monkee lead singer Davey Jones earlier this month.  The band, whose main vocalist wore a black  arm band over his white jacket in Jones' memory, played several Monkee hits including "Last Train to Clarksville,  "I'm a Believer" and "I'm Not Your Stepping Stone," as well as lesser known tunes such as the Jones' song "Cuddly Toy." But, for me, the band sealed the performance with the Kinks' garage classic "Till the End of the Day," one of my favorite 60s album cuts of all time.

After The Stepping Stones finished, we cast our votes and headed home. Of course, leaving early meant we missed the last 4 performers - The Charm Offensive, Dirty Bomb, Nobody's Business, and last year's Journopalooza winner Suspicious Package. However, with a room full of reporters, I was certain I would hear the news of this year's winner soon enough.

Tales, Tidbits, and Tips
To say that Washington's music scene is vibrant and growing is an understatement. Since we moved to the area last summer, 3 new venues have opened and 1 more is scheduled to debut next month. First up was the Filmore in Silver Springs. Next came the jazz and blues Melody Tavern , located less than a mile from our Crystal City apartment. Earlier this year, The Hamilton began in a reconverted Borders on 14th Street. And next month, concerts will resume at the renovated Howard Theater, which lunched the careers of DC legends Duke Ellington and Marvin Gaye.