Why Gentrify?!

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5/23

The Sketches, a local pop-rock band, will perform at the 9:30 Club with Honey Chuck and the Dreamscape Project. Cost is $12. Recognize our city in the above video?

5/24

The Urban Verbs, a new wave band from DC will perform at the 9:30 Club on Saturday with Martin Royle at 6 pm. Cost is $20.

[youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tebluTKKTAQ]

KRS-One, the revered hip-hop legend, will perform at the Black Cat at 9 pm on Saturday with Kokayi.

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5/25

Kuku, a Nigerian acoustic guitarist and singer with a U Street open-mic following, will perform at Bohemian Caverns on Sunday at 7 pm. Cost is $10.

[youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ow-Xz-fOhH4&feature=related]

Thanks to all who left a post to qualify to win David Ford’s “Songs for the Road”!  The lucky winner of the CD is “Spence.”  Spence currently lives in Columbia Heights.  He’s hails from New Jersey, but has lived in DC for four years, attended George Washington University, and now works as an IT contractor in Rosslyn, VA.  Spence discovered Ford after a college friend, a fellow guitarist, told him about Ford last year, and says he was a fan instantly after the first listen.  Why Gentrify?! is happy to reward good taste, so congrats to Spence!

For the rest of you who didn’t win, you can still attend the concert tomorrow at the 9:30 Club at 7:30 and get the full David Ford effect.   Here’s one last video.

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I’ve been talking about musician/singer David Ford for several days now.  He’ll be performing with headliner Augustana, seen in the video above (not bad huh?), at the 9:30 Club at 7:30 pm.  They will be joined by Wild Sweet Orange.  Cost is $15.

This is the final installment of the Why Gentrify?! interview with musician David Ford, who will appear at the 9:30 Club tomorrow, 5/22, with Augustana and the Wild Sweet Orange.  This is the last opportunity to post a comment on David Ford to be entered to win his album, “Songs for the Road,” for free!

MM:  How many times have you been to DC and how did you enjoy playing at the 9:30 Club?

DF:  [April's show at the 9:30 Club] was only my second show in DC.  I played at the Rock and Roll Hotel. [In 2006], I did a brief tour of the Capitol area.  I have a keen interest in politics and would like to see more of DC.

[The 9:30 Club] is a very nice, very good sounding club.  When things sound good, you get more confidence.  I like it to be cranked and a bit loud.

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MightyMe:  Tell me more about the single “Go to Hell.”  What’s behind that song? 

David Ford:  “Go to Hell” is an old song, actually.  I wanted to use it as a bridge between my first and second albums.  Thematically, it is more with the first album.  It’s a slip take on wanting a second chance, kind of a lack of forgiveness song.  I’m kind of a forgiveness guy, but I think some things can’t be forgiven. 

MM: Does this song come from experience?

DF:  No, I would never be unfair or impolite [to women].  This is my version of a girl power anthem.  You know, against some philandering bastard. 

MM: Do you ever draw from your personal life and experiences in your songs?

DF:  I don’t write songs about myself.  I like to write from experience but not necessarily my own experience or what I’m going through in the here and now.  My life outside of music doesn’t get mixed with my life inside of music.

MM:  Is there anything else you’d like to tell potential fans and existing fans about your music?

DF:  I just encourage them to listen to my music and decide for themselves.

[youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S-PcsfPPUsE]

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WhyGentrify?! would like to thank David Ford, Amy Funke, and Original Signal Recordings (Independiente) for facilitating the interview.

X, a punk band from Los Angeles that formed in 1977 and whose first LP was produced by Doors’ keyboard player Ray Manzarek, will perform at the 9:30 Club tonight at 7:30 pm with fellow rockers, the Detroit Cobras (see video below). Cost is $25.

[youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v8ZhLBO9NZY]

Why Gentrify?! continues with the David Ford interview. Remember, Ford will be appearing at the 9:30 Club on Thursday, May 22 with Augustana and Wild Sweet Orange. Remember to post a comment on any David Ford post to qualify to win his album “Songs for the Road.”

MightyMe: How have you grown since your band Easyworld broke up and what’s it like being a solo artist, compared to being a member of a band?

David Ford: I learned a lot about mistakes I’ve made. The [music business] can take the purity out of what you’re doing and bastardize it. I didn’t necessarily see eye to eye with the group at times. When you find yourself compromising, it’s detrimental to the creative process.

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MM: I’ve seen you playing a guitar, piano, drums, bass, accordion, and banjo…when did you learn to play all of these instruments? Are you more of a jack-of-all-trades?

DF: I dabble a lot. I’m more of an enthusiast than an expert. Playing instruments is a hobby.

MM: What is the idea behind these live one-take videos with you playing multiple instruments?

DF: It’s something I do in my live shows. It kind of makes the show more interesting. It’s difficult to be more entertaining when your playing for an hour on your own. I like to put on a show. It keeps a level of excitement.

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We’ll wrap things up tomorrow. It will be the last day to qualify for the CD giveaway. The winner will be announced on Thursday.

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The Helio Sequence, an indie rock band from the Portland, Oregon area, will perform at the Black Cat at 9 pm with Pattern is Movement.  Cost is $10.

I was able to do a brief telephone interview with British artist David Ford while he was traveling through Idaho on his way to Salt Lake City. Ford will be performing on Thursday, May 22, at the 9:30 Club with Augustana at 7:30 pm. Please post a comment on any David Ford post appearing on Why Gentrify?! by Wednesday so that you may be entered to win a free copy of Ford’s “Songs for the Road” album. The winner will be announced on Thursday.

Interview (Pt. 1: A Song Person, No Holds Barred)

MightyMe: Who is David Ford the artist, for those who aren’t familiar with you?

David Ford: Just some fellow who makes songs really. The song part is the most important. I resent the phrase “singer-songwriter” because it presents an image of someone sitting in a chair with a guitar moaning about life’s failures. I’m a “song person,” no hold barred.

MM: Many of your songs, such as “State of the Union” have really deep, powerful, perhaps political, lyrics…what’s behind these lyrics? Why not just write sugary sweet lyrics?

DF: What the hell is the point in that? I’d get so bored. I want to write songs that are important to me as a human being, a citizen of the world. I watch TV news channels and find myself tearing my hair out.

["State of the Union"] is a fairly non-specific song. The music business itself can be considered barren wasteland. The song is more about the desperate will of the powerful to maintain their power, a critique of the fundamentals.

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Please enjoy Ford’s live video for “State of the Union” below and come back tomorrow for another interview installment. Remember to enter for the free CD by posting a comment on anything about David Ford (opinions, critiques, praise, crush…whatever)!

[youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qv4QBRS-U50]

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Wye Oak, an indie rock duo from Baltimore, consisting of Andy Stack and Jenn Wasner, both in their early 20s, will perform at the Black Cat tonight at 9 pm. They’ll be joined by Dead Science and Yukon. Cost is $8.

Check out Stack drumming below. One handed drumming is pretty impressive, at least to a non-drummer such as myself. Seems like a good workout. What is the keyboard/synthesizer for? I don’t hear it.

[youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQTt4JtLn9c&feature=related]

Dear appreciated readers, Why Gentrify?! will give one lucky random reader David Ford’s “Songs for the Road” album.  Between now and next Wednesday (5/21), all readers who post a comment about David Ford on Why Gentrify?! will be entered into the pool; one person will be selected randomly and announced on 5/22.  I will be talking more about David Ford, as he is extremely talented and will be performing at the U Street Corridor’s very own 9:30 Club next Thursday, May 22 with Augustana.  Ford was recently at the 9:30 Club with Sara Bareilles in April.  This guy is deep and very gifted.  I had the opportunity to interview Ford, so look forward to what he had to say about his music next week.  Check out his video for “Go to Hell” which was filmed live and in which he plays all the instruments (no easy feat, and I hear he does it even better live):

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