DC Babes Breaking Out

Babe City Basement

Call the music police, "DC Babes" are breaking out of the proverbial Fugazi waiting room.  In fact, many emerging District of Columbia artists are banding together and beginning to rebuild a local music scene after the wake of the Dischord Records post hardcore bliss bomb in the 90’s, an era so defining in rock history that it could only be followed by the defibrillator pulses of Go-go beats in the early 2000’s and then a modern rock flat line.  

Celebrating its one year anniversary in just a few nights, Babe City is one of our favorite new DC based record labels/ artist collectives/ yet to be defined creative spaces.  The head babes in charge include Jon Weiss (The Sea Life/ Witch Coast/ Den-Mate and label manager), Erik Cativo (Babe City productions/booking/venue manager), and Peter Lillis (Den-Mate and Babe City promotions).  We recently had a chill convo with promotions and publicity babe, Peter Lillis and he filled us in on Babe City life and the upcoming one year anniversary show at the 9:30 Club (Saturday, Aug. 22^nd). 

Located in heart of unassuming Dupont Circle, the space behind the row house front door at Babe City is an artist and local music fan nature preserve.  Our first experience was at the recent In It Together Fest where the space conjured a sick line up of Concord America (GA), Laughing Man (DC), and RDGLDGRN (VA).  We wanted the sticker, we wanted the home made button and the rad button top keychain bottle opener, and we totally bought the yellow tee shirt.  We pledged allegiance right then and there at the donation jar under macabre cartoon doodles and old show posters that live on the walls.  Babe City has a special magic that’s hard to pin point, but easily felt.  Maybe it’s just their radical openness to creativity that we vibe with so well?

Peter Lillis at Babe City

Peter says "we’re into all sorts of stuff, as many stuff’s as you can find."

 

It’s a rather obtuse statement, but also very defining in an OCD world hell bent on putting alike things in consumer ready big boxes for our super center lives.  It's a statement that applies to their collective talents and musical tastes that make up the DNA of Babe City.

The DC Scene

Babe City may not have been as feasible just a handful of years ago.  It’s definitely an exciting moment in the rebirth of a local DC indie rock scene.

Peter explains "DC doesn’t have a contemporary reputation in new independent music, so it’s great to build something from what feels like the ground."  He gives his peers a shout out also though, "We can’t take credit on the larger scale, but there’s just a great movement happening right now."  He expresses "I think it feels really natural and it feels good."

There are actually several DIY house show spaces around the Capital that behave a little like the whack-a-mole game at Chuck E. Cheese's.  Many of the more established spaces participated in In It Together Fest and Peter mentioned Bath Tub Republic (who may be changing its moniker after the recent move), Paperhaus (home to DC band Paperhaus), The Dug Out (a DZ Tapes haunt), and Hole in The Sky.  He says "There’s always like a running tally of like 5 places that are really active and another 15 that have shows periodically." 

Regardless of who is doing what and when, the ability of DC artists to network is going a long way to create a wave of momentum that everyone can hang ten on to overcome the physical and financial challenges of living in DC.  Peter describes the process of helping to build Babe City as "surprisingly easier than I expected it to be."  Speaking of the artists he works with, he says "You know, you find the right people and it’s not to say that we don’t do a lot of work, but it’s fun and goes smoothly most of the time."

Peter explains "there’s also a very DC networking ladder climbing feel to the scene here too, which I think is good because it translates in a really good way."  He continues "the smaller bit of DC with it’s kind of hungry attitude and big media market has seemingly come together or is coming together in our favor, I can’t say it’s done yet."

Babe City

Babe City has some personal challenges however, like the neighborhood noise ordinance.  Peter says "that’s why we have really short or early shows now, they start at 7 or 7:30 and we’re done by 10pm because that’s when the cops come." 

Apparently fans and bands don’t mind too much however, lots of house shows end early now and it was packed when we visited.  Peter says endearingly "it’s nice, I like it that way and then you get people out of your house early, so we usually order pizza and watch a [Peter specifies later horror movies] movie."

Another notable challenge for Babe City was making the shift from Chimes Records started by Jon and Erik to the larger entity.  Peter says "we rebranded the label as Babe City rather than chimes, so it took some time telling people about that."  He explains "it seemed to make more sense instead of having two different entities, just do it as one."  He adds "...and it’s a better name."

Babe City is also home to Peter and the guys besides being a creative space.  He says "it’s been very beneficial to all of us having the support of other people and whatever stuff [skills and talent] comes along with it."  Peter mentions house mate and illustrator Kevin Sottek (The Wax Haus) and photographers/videographers Michael Andrade and Jen Pape.  He says "a lot of the aesthetic and things are done by Kevin who does the art on the wall and stuff."  He says later "we all have our special talents right, and I think people in the house and the organization, Michael Andrade and Jen Pape are another example of that, who help out."

So for such an open consortium of artists, what is the common bond at Babe City?

Peter says "to be honest, Jon Weiss of The Sea Life and Witch Coast and he’s also in Den-Mate with me, he’s a huge part of it."  He describes Jon, "he has like a big heart and let’s a lot of people in and allows for a lot of this stuff to happen" and continues "he helped us all come together and then together we all worked on it."

There’s also somewhat of a common understanding among the artists.  Peter says "it’s part of the overarching ethos to just be supportive and happy to be a part of it."  He continues "I think that’s the common theme, I don’t know how sustainable that is but it seems to be working for now."

The Party

With all this kumbaya sentiment, don’t get the wrong idea though; Babe City is not your little sister’s teacup set play room.  It’s a dirty basement-good old fashion-no rules-rock and roll spirited-show space with the exception of just one rule, "no hanging out on the front steps."  Just don’t do it kids.   

But you don’t have to worry about that this Saturday (8/22) because Babe City is moving on up to the 9:30 Club for their one year anniversary show.  The all DC artist lineup, the later three being specifically Babe City artists, consisting of The Max Levine Ensemble, El Mansouris, Young Rapids, The Sea Life, and Den-Mate is in true eclectic Babe City fashion and is a primo sampling of modern independent music coming out of the Nation’s Capital.  We can’t tell you what exactly, but we can confirm that there will be special performances as well.

Peter gave "big thanks to 9:30 Club for being supportive."  He says "it’s really fantastic to have that opportunity to play on the same stage that so many fantastic people have played and it’s just cool that they are interested in what we are doing here."

From the band perspective, it is cool getting out of the Babe City basement for a change.  Luckily DC is pretty well endowed with larger venues that care about local music, but DIY and house spaces still exist out of the necessity to provide more opportunities.

Peter says "it’s an extreme gap from our basement to 9:30 club and so it’s very generous and supportive of them to work with us on this."  However, he counter points "we’ve got something to bring to them too you know, that they didn’t have, a lot of people that don’t usually go to 9:30 Club will be at 9:30 Club."

On that wit, I highly recommend going to Babe City 1 Year Anniversary Party, getting your pretty little heads rocked, and showing 9:30 Club that they are doing an awesome thing by supporting local bands.

More details on the Facebook Event.