in it together fest 2

There's some pretty cool news in the pipeline that I'm very excited to share, but today kicks off In It Together Fest 2 and with over 70 bands and 40 artists exhibiting at over 20 events around Washington DC, there's some things I've got to get to first...

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◆ THURSDAY, JULY 30 ◆

[07:00p] Print Show #1 ft. Baby Bry Bry @ 69:30 Club

[07:00p] Blizzard Babies / Bless / Valencia @ 453 Florida

[07:30p] BRNDA Album Release Show ft. Wildhoney / Den-Mate @ Black Cat

[07:30p] Atoka Chase / Near Northeast / Laurel Rose / Pat Jones @ GlowHouse

[08:00p] Paint Branch / Norwegian Arms / Chief Scout / Wanted Man @ Paperhaus

◆ FRIDAY, JULY 31 ◆

[05:00p] ARTSHOW_13: Going Out Of Business @ Hole In The Sky

[07:00p] RDGLDGRN / Laughing Man / Concord America @ Babe City

[08:00p] Kal Marks / Lady Bones / How To Be Topp / Sealab @ The (Sea) Lab

[08:00p] Youth Crush / The Public / Möbius Strip / Heart Attack Man / Misled Youth @ The Dougout

◆ SATURDAY, AUGUST 1 ◆

[12:00p] Empower DC Benefit Show ft. Eshovo / Motherknuckle @ Lamont Street Collective

[12:00p] Vundabar / June Gloom / Ezra Mae And The Gypsy Moon / Reed Appleseed / Lunchbox @ Ezra Mae's

[01:00p] Leapling / More Humans / Really Big Pinecone / Mattress Financial / Teen Mom @ The Beehive

[01:00p] Wing Dam / Witch Coast / Shark Week / Dark Tunnels / Laurel Rose / Grey Gardens @ Crack Rock Creek Church

[03:00p] In It Together Short Film Screening @ The Lookout

[04:30p] ★ Official InFestDC Showcase ★ ft. Cayetana / Thou / Rozwell Kid / Pygmy Lush / Two Inch Astronaut / Soda Bomb / ORCA / Jail Solidarity / The Black Sparks / Meridian @ St. Stephen's

[11:00p] Hurry / Late Bloomer / Alright @ Black Cat

◆ SUNDAY, AUGUST 2 ◆

[11:00a] Drone Brunch ft. The Plums / Chester Hawkins / Obetrol / Jack On Fire @ Spacelab-A

[12:00p] Free Play Pinball Party @ Lyman's Tavern

[12:00p] ShowPony / Breakup Season / Default Handshake @ AlleyCatHouse

[02:30p] Lilac Daze / Big Moth / Glueboy / Rachel Kline @ Above The Bayou

[06:00p] Positive Force 30th Anniversary Celebration ft. Big Hush / Swings / Didi / Collider / Broken Grids @ St. Stephen's

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If you're like me and just can't wait for IITF2, dive into the latest episode of In Yr Basement Radio to get a preview of the fun to come plus some unique insight behind the scenes with some of the people who helped put it together.

And don't sleep on picking up a copy of the InFestDC mixtape before they're all gone...

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In It Together Fest (IITF, InFestDC, etc.) is a four-day celebration of underground art, music, and activism at all venues propagating independent culture throughout the District of Columbia. Empowered by the hope to build a community amongst disparate DIY spaces, we've come together to foster participation, encourage new ideas, and highlight the under-appreciated. IITF aims to challenge, embolden the marginalized among us, and help transform our creative community into one free of traditional boundaries and productive in its endeavors. All events associated with IITF are all ages, always.

The two main showcases will be hosted at St. Stephen's, a church that has hosted DIY benefit shows for three decades thanks to Positive Force DC, an activist collective seeking radical social change, personal growth, and youth empowerment. This year we'll be helping to celebrate the 30th anniversary of Positive Force and Revolution Summer with an awesome benefit show with a special endowment from the DC City Council.

Thanks to these progressive community stapes, we'll be able to raise funds for three amazing local non-profit organizations doing great work throughout the District:

• We Are Family DC ...bringing advocacy, services, organizing, and companionship into the homes of the elderly, while helping to build friendships across boundaries like race, class, religion, age, culture, and sexual orientation.

• DC Abortion Fund ...an all-volunteer nonprofit that makes grants to pregnant people in the D.C. area who cannot afford the full cost of an abortion.

• Collective Action for Safe Spaces ...empowering people in the DC metro area to end public sexual harassment and assault.

In It Together Fest is proud to uphold a safer spaces policy, vowing to make all venues involved welcoming, engaging, and supportive environments free of oppressive actions, behaviors, and language. Participants and attendees are asked to consider how their language and behavior impacts others in attendance. Racism, sexism, classism, ableism, homophobia, transphobia, and other forms of discrimination will not be tolerated, in tabling material or at the Fest itself at any and all affiliated spaces and/or in materials promoting such events at said spaces.

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For more information on In It Together Fest, please visit the website: 

www.infestdc.org

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...but that's not all! The following weekend on Sunday August 9, don't miss the fifth installment of Escape From DC Brunch at Hole In The Sky, featuring Turnip King, Bless, and Teen Liver - click flyer for details.

smooth ride

DZ11 cassettes are dubbed, packaged, and will be shipped out by the end of the week, and Cactus Mouth called the Greatest Hits "a joy to listen to ... if you dig on lo-fi bedroom pop then scoop this goofy little release up." So to thank everybody for their support, a contest has been posted on the facebook page giving you the chance to win a free digital download of every DZ release to date. Here's a preview of the booty you could be looting, this one's "Coupe Deville" by The Sweets:



In live music news, the Dougout received some kind words from Myspace last week, putting it on their list of "The 16 Best DIY Venues in the US" as their top choice for Washington, DC. Admittedly this took us by surprise, as there are a handful of other solid spots for house shows in the district, but we are honored nonetheless and certainly appreciate the recognition.

The next event is lined up for February 25 and will feature Iron Chic, Collapser and The Rememberables. Because the demand for spots to this show is so high, we're taking reservations for spots starting today at noon on a first come first serve basis. Visit this link to reserve your spot, and take a look at the event page for more details.

This past Sunday we hosted a handful of talented local acts at a show commemorating our two-year anniversary. I'd like to thank all the friends and fans who came out to help us mark the occasion, the bands Teen Liver, Wildhoney, Expert Alterations, Cool People and Circus Bear for playing great sets, and Red Table Press for adding some style to the bar with the custom sign you'll see below, along with some pictures snapped and lent out by a few lovely gents.

Teen Liver (courtesy of Jason)

Teen Liver (courtesy of Ahmad)

Cool People (courtesy of Jason)

the greatest hits

The Sweets are two brothers from Winston Salem, NC who've been playing garage pop together for the past year, baking up a sticky mess of music despite going to different schools a few hundred miles apart. The duo wrote and recorded almost 50 original tracks in 2013, varying in styles from loud and fast garage punk to hushed and supple bedroom pop, so we took the best of both to release as the Greatest Hits. Limited to 50 twizzler-red cassettes, DZ11 is sure to be snacked up soon, so find yours in the candy store before they're gone.

The Dougout will be celebrating its two year anniversary soon, and to commemorate the occasion we're putting on a show featuring performances from a few old friends and some new local talent. Check the event page here for details, and check out the bands below:


☯ Teen Liver
☯ ☯ Wildhoney
☯ ☯ ☯ Expert Alterations
☯ ☯ ☯ ☯ Cool People
☯ ☯ ☯ ☯ ☯ Circus Bear

Before signing off, I'd like to thank everyone who came out last Friday to see Speedy Ortiz, Grass Is Green, Two Inch Astronaut, and Collapser. The bands were all phenomenal, the house was overflowing with people, and we got some stellar shots of the show from Chris Suspect and a few of our friends right here for your viewing pleasure.

 Speedy Ortiz (courtesy of Suspect)

Speedy Ortiz (courtesy of Ahmad)

Grass Is Green (courtesy of Suspect)

Two Inch Astronaut (courtesy of Suspect)

Collapser (courtesy of Geoff)