This June, Washingtonians can celebrate Black Music Month with “Go-Go on the Rooftop”, hosted by the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library. The Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library is excited to honor the official music genre of the city:
Go-Go is a style of funk that originated in D.C. in the 1970s. Known for heavy bass, driving percussion and call-and-response, the genre has become one of the most popular music forms in the city. In memory of Chuck Brown, the DC Public Library established a Go-Go Archive in 2012 to honor, preserve, teach and enjoy D.C.’s original music.
Alongside the new summer concert series are some edgy Punk concerts! The D.C. Punk Archive kicked off its summer concert series on Wednesday, June 7, on the rooftop of the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library.
Created in 2014, the D.C. Punk Archive has amassed an array of old records, zines, published set lists, and other relics from the District’s punk scene. This collection, which dates back to 1976, was established to commemorate the beginnings of punk in D.C., as well as harbor it’s current rendering.
Now, its summer concert series is aiding this effort! Free for all ages, on the second Wednesday of each summer month, three punk bands will be performing on the library rooftop from 6:30 to 8 p.m., offering a glimpse into the past and present of the D.C. punk scene.
What’s more jammin’ than a free concert on the roof of a public library?! Check out the full summer lineup below for the summer rooftop concert series.
Go-Go on the Rooftop, Sundays from 2-4 PM:
- June 4: Sirius Comany
- June 11: Rare Essence
- June 18: Black Alley
Punk Rooftop Summer concert Series, Wednesdays from 6:30-8 PM:
- June 7: Teen Mortage, Grady, Fantazma
- July 5: Bad Moves, Glitterer, Outerloop
- August 2: Hammered Hulls, Jenny Hates Techno, Emotional World
Location: Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library Rooftop; 901 G St NW, Washington, D.C., 20001