Meet DC’s Next Legendary Music Venue: Transmission

D.C.’s newest music venue, Transmission, rises from the ashes of the Rock and Roll Hotel this weekend, hoping to fan the flames of the city’s electronic and punk scenes. The pandemic killed some of D.C.’s most influential music venues: U Street Music Hall, 18th Street Lounge, Twins Jazz, and, importantly, Rock and Roll Hotel. Every D.C. music lover— from raver to hardcore kid — lost a home.

Enter 618, Transmission’s predecessor, where scene frontliners oro, Katii, Ellie, Kelli, and Kabir concocted some of D.C’s freakiest parties, raves, and mosh pits above the Chinatown Garden on H Street. When the opportunity to reanimate the corpse of the fabled Rock and Roll Hotel arose, the team jumped.

Transmission comes to life on Oct. 3 as a space curated by and for D.C.'s underground — from hardcore to techno. They open with a two-day, two-floor festival showcasing local legends like Spinrillo, Cherub Tree, and Les the DJ, and even international acts like Ecuadorian spinner Entrañas. Support is flying in and tickets are flying out for what promises to be the birth of a new era of music in D.C.

Reviving the Rock and Roll Hotel is huge — what are y'all hoping to bring to D.C. with this new space?

KABIR: We’re focused on underground music across the board: hardcore, club, techno — all of us come from DIY backgrounds. We want to take the ethos of what we built at 618 and scale it up at Transmission. It puts the organizer and the artist first.

We want to pay homage to what the Rock and Roll Hotel was, but also expand and add components that have evolved since they closed. D.C.’s dance music scene has really grown since then and there are many burgeoning artists coming up who deserve a platform.

We used 618 to teach free DJ lessons. We want to keep doing that. We want the space to be open for our community to hone their craft.

KATII: There's really three key pillars: excellence in the underground — platforming local artists and international artists who value creative integrity, community building — creating safe third spaces for marginalized communities, and service — being able to give back through fundraising events and nonprofit hosting.

The venue is on H Street NE, an area with so much history — How do you see yourself fitting into the neighborhood?

ORO: Locals are excited. We can't walk out the door without someone being like, “Oh man! The Rock and Roll Hotel is coming back, I used to go there all the time!” H Street is such an overlooked corridor. They start projects here and then let them go. This is not a project where we want to let go.

KABIR: Without the hardcore scene and the dance scene organizers there is no Transmission. Some of those people are local to H Street. We are committed to making sure this is a space for the people who are already here.

What about D.C.'s music scene is exciting to you right now?

KATII: Shawn Reynaldo said it best, “No one’s moving to D.C. to get famous. Maybe that’s why the music is so good.” People here know they're not gonna make it big here. They're here because they love it. And that means that they're gonna make time to give back.

KABIR: D.C. is at this really interesting intersection. We get a lot of influence from New York sound, but also from Baltimore. So we have this crazy amalgamation of music that's somewhere between Baltimore club, Jersey club, and a lot of hard dance variants. It’s tough to even describe it as a genre.

Transmission’s opening weekend has a huge lineup with artists from Flotussin to Hotel Sewing Kit. What are you most excited for?

KABIR: I'm excited for Entrañas on Oct. 3, they’re one of the strongest underground Latin dance music DJ’s I’ve seen. 242, a rap group of D.C. natives, who bring an unmatched energy to their sets. Flotussin is launching a series with us on Oct. 4 called “Sugar Rush” focusing largely on Black femme DJs at the top of their game.

ORO: The sound programming in terms of the physical speakers has been curated with such audio-nerd audacity and care. Shout out to Beltway Audio Group.

KATII: I’m excited for the unveiling of the murals. Some incredibly talented artists have come in and have taken the space from something a little dinky to something beautiful and community built. We’re also excited to find a place with such a large, outdoor patio where you'll be able to sit, make friends, and have fun.

What should people keep an eye out for? Anything that you want to tease?

KABIR: Lookout for a multi-day festival in mid-November, a couple of very legendary label showcases in December, a wild New Year's Eve party, and one of the biggest shows I've just ever been a part of mid-October which we'll be announcing soon.

KATII: And a huge Halloween party!

🎟️ Upcoming Local Shows To See:

🎵 New Local Music Mentions

Colo - “Jump Piece” — VA power band dropped three EPs, Colo, Nothing, and You May Be An Angel, in September. They all rip. This is my pick of the riffs.

🎧 Your October Local Music Playlist

Check out this Soundcloud playlist we made, featuring Transmission’s picks and inspirations.