ONE: Sem Hastro
My favorite thing about this photo is that Kohei and Xavero are actually good friends. But when you’re caught up in the moment at a Damaged City after show, that’s subject to change. Both of these people came to DC from other countries, and they have contributed – and continue to contribute – to our weird little world from afar.
TWO: Homosuperior
How wild is it that Homosuperior is the only queercore band in DC right now? I started playing in this band a few months ago, and that’s kind of sad because it means I don’t get to take photos of Donna Slash tearing it up. If you come to our shows, please come correct with your outfit.
THREE: Kim Gordon
On this night, Kim Gordon played at the Hirshhorn Museum’s tribute to Yoko Ono. She performed Yoko’s works “Voice Piece for Soprano,” “Overtone Piece” and “Collecting Piece.” I’m sure people who were hoping for some Sonic Youth covers were disappointed by the lack thereof, but it was incredible to see Kim perform pieces that spoke to her.
FOUR: Dischord Archive
Everyone knows Ian MacKaye, but everyone should know Nichole Procopenko. She’s the archivist working to digitize the entire Dischord Archive. The good people of the world will be able to access flyers, notes, practice tapes, photos – all of it. I visited the Dischord house with Grace Ambrose to talk about archiving in punk for Maximum Rocknroll, and took as many photos as humanly possible (this one being my favorite).
FIVE: Screaming Females
This is the first color-edited music photo I put out into the world in many, many years. Screaming Females are one of my all-time favorite bands, and I joined them for a quick weekend tour back in July. We made in this photo in Rest in Pieces, a shop in Richmond that’s part museum and part oddities shop. If you need cougar tooth earrings, this is your spot.
SIX: Olivia Neutron-John
U+N Fest happens annually in Baltimore, and a couple years ago I got to shoot Olivia Neutron-John over that weekend. Anna Nasty describes the sound as post-bro, which is aggressively accurate. There’s a lot of deliberate posing in each ON-J set, and it creates this palpable tension that I think comes through in a still photo.
SEVEN: Girls Rock! DC
Lots of cities have Girls Rock! programs, but the GR!DC students learn an instrument, write a song, and perform that song a week later at the 9:30 Club. Nine-year old-girls who have been playing guitar for one week are playing their first show at the 9:30 Club. I can’t think of anything cooler. I also wish I had been part of a program like this when I was younger, because these girls find the confidence and support to take that week of instruction turn it into a lifetime of creativity and leadership. More of this, please.
