Initial Impressions of U Street Music Hall…

I had waited to have any official judgment on DC’s newest and most eagerly anticipated performance venue, the U Street Music Hall before seeing it live and in person. I had this opportunity at Monday night’s soft opening, catching Jesse Tittsworth drop a set of pretty much every style of music known to mankind in the space, in effect to test out the limitations or lack thereof of both the sound and venue. Brian Billion really went in here, as after having seen the space initially on a walk through with Will Eastman, and seeing what Billion did with the former pool hall, he met, exceeded and re-set my expectation of what a 300 person music venue could honestly be.

Foremost the clarity and intensity of the venue’s 40,000 watt soundsystem. It’s the one thing you’re going to keep hearing about over and over and over again from DC’s EDM community. The shift in electronic dance music to explorations of much more bass and noise oriented styles is something that has passed most venues in the city by. No disrespect, but most venues were equipped to foremost handle bands instead of handling DJs, which are in many ways entirely different concepts. The U-Hall merely inverts the ideology and is built and equipped in an inverse way, able to handle Tittsworth’s tribal drum and bass assault, which portents well for dealing with something a bit more sonorous and much less intense, the balearic simplicity of Aeroplane and the Beautiful Swimmers DJ duo on St. Patrick’s Day.

 

(photo by Ben Tankersley)

Let it also be noted that you couldn’t have this venue without a stellar roster of DJs to fill it. Long gone are the days where DC played second fiddle to other larger locales insofar as local talent passing muster internationally. If you’re not aware of venue regulars the Nouveau Riche crew of Gavin Holland and Starks and Nacey after this year’s SXSW and WMC, you’re doing it wrong. Dave Nada, Tittsworth, Will Eastman, Dmerit, the Beautiful Swimmers, Chris Burns, venue co-owners Thievery Corporation, the Fort Knox Five, and I have yet to even touch anyone representing the Yoshitoshi crew, or anyone that plays a big room or minimal house anywhere in the city. The venue, and the fact that they get to play there, is a victory of epic proportions for the hard grind and eventual struggle to the top of DC’s top DJs.

Before I forget to mention it, if you in ANY way like bass, ummm, above all else check that Trouble and Bass monthly that starts on April 15th. It’s going to melt your face and blow your mind away. There’s no better system anywhere else on the East coast for it.

A few weeks ago, I had a bit of a meltdown on the site regarding the sheer number of underground DJs in the city. Well, that’s really not a problem anymore. If you take a listen to the disc jockey wet dream that this soundsystem is, the city’s giants have completely changed the game. It used to be that having your marketing and promotion game on lock to sell out DC9 or to book and play with well respected and critically acclaimed DJs was all you needed. The new question? Are you technically on point enough to deserve to play at U-Hall? Will Eastman hosting Bliss with a soundsystem at Black Cat’s Backstage that, let’s be honest, isn’t equipped for what he plays, often having subwoofers magically decide that a track just doesn’t need a bassline? Well, that’s done, and I expect his game and his party to be kicked up a few notches.

Insofar as other fun bells and whistles? The dance floor is finely lacquered wood, so, it’s immediately the best surface for dancing anywhere in the DC area save the Trinidad and Tobago Association’s main venue or Silver Spring’s Gallery. The bar is more than well stocked and has an ample selection that is mid-range in price and falls right in line with the rest of the city. As well, PARTY PHOTOGRAPHY IS NOT ALLOWED. This venue really isn’t out to make stars out of people having fun. The venue is all about removing all of the pretentiousness out of DC’s scene, and no documented proof of you, your friends friend, and your friends friends friend daggering each other between rounds of screwdrivers of whiskey shots with PBR chasers is a great look. I’m excited for the food menu as well. Jesse Tittsworth isn’t just one of the hardest and heaviest DJs in the world. He’s also a gourmand extraordinaire, and between him, Will Eastman, Thievery Corporation and architect Brian Billion, know more than a little bit about good food and where to find it. Can confirm that more than likely a number of their favorite delicacies will be on the menu.

U Street Music Hall will be an experience. It resets the order for the non-big room underground dance scene in DC. As much as it’s obviously a great venue to see bands, it’s more THE BEST place to appreciate electronic dance music in the city. Sad to say but true, if you’re really going to see anything EDM related on an underground level anywhere else in the city, it had better be a quality event with incredible promotion and a killer lineup, or, you just need somewhere small and local to hang out with friends. Otherwise, you could be at the U-Hall, having an out of body sonic experience.

Follow the U Street Music Hall on Twitter at @UHALLDC.