Welcome to another edition of our monthly music newsletter feature, where we highlight a local artist and upcoming shows from DMV acts. To truly embody “brat summer,” you have to get off TikTok and get out and dance. Lucky for you, this guide will give you the best local concerts in August to start your 3-6-5 party. Your brat summer is about to get a little more local.
🎙️ Spotlight: Whiteboy of Rare Essence
Self-Described Sound:
Go-go
Background:
Andre “Whiteboy” Johnson is D.C. royalty. As an original member of the legendary go-go band Rare Essence, the singer and guitarist has been creating and performing music in the DMV for close to five decades. What started as hanging out and playing with friends from elementary school became a lifelong career that shaped the D.C. music scene we have today.
At the center of Rare Essence’s success is their multi-generational audience. In the early days, the band was part of Marion Berry’s summer youth jobs program, where they were assigned to different parks around the city to perform. Through hyper-local touring, Rare Essence gained a loyal fan base.
Johnson credits their longevity to listening to their audience.“When creating new music, we start a groove right there, live on stage,” Johnson says. “As we're playing it, we’re creating it, if the audience is vibing to it, then we keep going. If they're not liking it, we switch it up. Our creativity in part comes from the audience.”
Get To Know the Artist:
Which artists influenced you the most when starting out in 1976?
Experience Unlimited were playing before us. For me to see Sugar Bear who was about 15 years old playing the bass and doing such a great job, that was inspiration for us to want to start a band. There were a bunch of funk, cabaret, and a few Black rock bands that were in the area. Those groups were also the ones that inspired me. And then of course I was listening to Earth, Wind & Fire, James Brown, and Al Green.
Rare Essence is synonymous with D.C. music and culture. What originally kept you in D.C.?
We've always had a connection with the audience, and partly because it was a lot of our friends that came to see us. No matter how many times we played, they were at all the shows. So, to have that connection with the neighborhood and then to be the city favorites at the time, they would tell us, “Y'all can't go nowhere.”
Were you ever enticed to leave?
Every time we connected with a major record label, they said they wanted a go-go band, but then tried to turn us into a hip-hop or R&B band, and that wasn't what we did. We had the audacity to tell them, “No.”
What are some of the major changes you’ve witness in D.C.’s music scene?
There were a lot more venues for us to perform in 30 to 40 years ago. We were once playing four to six times a week at six different venues in different parts of town. Most of those venues are now gone.
Favorite local venues?
Right now it’s Fast Eddies, Aqua, Ivy City Smokehouse, and The Hamilton. Back in the day it was Coliseum, The Maverick Room, Breeze’s Metro Club, Black Hole, and Triples.
How do you feel about how go-go as a genre evolved over the years?
A lot of the old-school bands are pretty much the same. The younger bands that are coming up, TCB, TOB, and Reaction are all bounce beat go-go groups. They've taken part of the go-go beat, but they've done it their way. They have their own version of go-go. They are bouncing off the walls, but they are having a great time.
What’s your go-to place to dine in the District?
Silver Diner, they make a mean ham and cheese omelet.
Next Local Show:
August 11 | 6 p.m. | $45+ | Ivy City Smokehouse
Be on the lookout for Rare Essence’s ongoing monthly concerts at Ivy City Smokehouse and upcoming dates at Howard Theatre.
Follow:
Song to Check Out:
🎟️ Other Upcoming Local Shows To See
- Bacchae (Punk) | August 9 | 7 p.m. | $15+ | Songbyrd
- Cinema Hearts (opening for The Courettes) (Indie Rock) | August 14 | 8 p.m. | $12+ | Pie Shop
- Sensor Ghost (Art-Punk) | August 17 | 7 p.m. | $10+ | Rhizome
- Oh He Dead, ViRG (Funk, Soul, Indie Pop) | August 23 | 7:30 p.m. | $25 | The Atlantis
- Daphne Eckman, Taisha Estrada, Fetcher (opening for Stephen Babcock) (Folk, Latin Jazz, Indie Rock) | August 23 | 8 p.m. | $17+ | The Pocket
🎵 New Local Music Mentions
From Chappell to Sabrina to Charli, this summer is all about the femme pop star resurgence, and you can add Shelby Morgan to your list. The local pop singer’s deep vocals are reminiscent of Dua Lipa but her lyrics carry more edge.
🎧 Your Monthly Local Music Playlist
Check out this Spotify playlist we made, featuring Rare Essence’s songs and inspirations, plus music by the other local bands above.
