Specific areas of the country are known for their genre of music. You’ve got grunge music in the northwest, blues in the south, surf rock in California, and if you didn’t know, DC has its own brand: go-go music.
If you’re not familiar with go-go, it’s a sub-genre usually associated with funk music, that came out of the mid-’60s to the late ’70s. One of the most recognizable parts about go-go music is the crowd response, including the audience in songs, almost making them a member of the band. You may recognize this in some of Chuck Brown‘s songs back in the day. Listen to Hey Go Go Mickey for a good example of what we’re talking about.
And while the “godfather of go-go” Chuck Brown may have passed a few years ago, the spirit of go-go is alive and well in the DC area. On May 12th, the 2nd Annual DC Go-Go New Music Day in DC happened, which celebrated not only Chuck Brown, but new recordings from DcVybe, DJ Flexx, Go-Go Mickey, Sylver Logan Sharp, and more. Give them a listen on Spotify.
If you’re in DC and want to take a walk through go-go music history, check out Detour, a GPS audio app that gives you a virtual tour of DC’s go-go history from St. Augustine’s Chapel to the Howard Theatre.
If you want some of the best go-go from DC, check out Your Game, Live at the 9:30 Club from 2001.
Who are your current favorite go-go musicians right now? Tell us on Twitter!
Go out tonight, and any night. Jukely is a concert subscription that gives members guestlist access to hundreds of music events – for one price. Whenever you want to go out, you’ll always have something to do. Learn more and sign up at jukely.com.
