🌸 Can't keep hockey down

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In today’s District Download:

Let’s get to it.

Three new books are diving deep into DC's punk history this month, documenting everything from the xeroxed zines that held the scene together to the chaotic shows at long-gone venues like the Safari Club. The collection includes "Keep Your Ear to the Ground," which chronicles obscure publications like Infiltrator and Metrozine (one with a print run of just 25 copies), "Descenes and Discords: An Anthology" that reproduces the original 1979-1980 layouts complete with time-capsule ads, and "Swiz," an insider account by the late '80s hardcore band featuring show fliers and photos from their rise and demise. Curator John R. Davis from the University of Maryland's DC punk collection tackles what might seem arcane but proves essential, documenting zines that had brief lives yet contributed to the sense of community back when discovering basic information was part of the fun. The books capture a time when punk idealism, sarcastic humor, and good-natured bile flowed through photocopied pages, and when Swiz shows were simultaneously chaotic and exciting, scary and inspiring. Anyone who spent time at the Safari Club or remembers hunting down copies of WDC Period will find themselves transported back to that too-fleeting era, though these histories prove the scene's impact lasted far longer than the venues.

Georgia Brown's served its final brunch on August 31st after three decades of dishing out Lowcountry cuisine to K Street power brokers and Marion Barry alike, joining a growing list of classic Black-owned soul food restaurants that have quietly disappeared from DC's dining scene in recent years. The casualties include Horace & Dickie's legendary fried fish spot in early 2020, District Soul Food in 2021, The Bussdown DC last December, and Torrie's near Howard after 30 years, all succumbing to rising costs and dwindling traffic that owner Ayanna Brown says left no way forward. Cultural historian Adrian Miller warns the closures mean more than lost recipes, noting "we are losing huge chunks of a community's narrative" as restaurants that once served as refuge and resistance during segregation fade from a city where Black residents fell below 50 percent in 2011. The shift comes as upscale spots like Kwame Onwuachi's Dōgon and Marcus Samuelsson's Marcus DC reinterpret the Black culinary experience through Afro-Caribbean and Ethiopian lenses, charging $25 for piri-piri oysters where Georgia Brown's offered fried oysters with pickle slaw for $15. Florida Avenue Grill, the world's oldest soul food restaurant since 1944, is adapting with vegan options and eventual cocktails while fielding daily calls from customers demanding chitlins, showing that some appetites refuse to change.

The Popal Group opened Maison Bar à Vins on September 13th inside the former Habana Village brownstone, solving the perpetual problem of actually getting a drink at their tiny Georgetown bistro Lutèce while giving Adams Morgan residents over 30 a fireball-free neighborhood hang. James Beard semifinalist chef Matt Conroy's menu leans French with smoked eel croquettes, brioche-stuffed chicken, and housemade pastas designed to pair with a 1,000-bottle wine cellar focused on natural wines, about 60 percent of them French. The three-story setup will eventually include a second-floor lounge with live music and DJs reminiscent of the old Napoleon basement parties, because sometimes the best solution to being too popular is just giving people more places to sit.

With approximately 300,000 federal workers in the DMV now facing furloughs or unpaid work during the government shutdown, local businesses are stepping up with discounts requiring valid federal employee IDs. The deals range from Paraíso's all-day happy hour and HomeGrown's free pulled pork sandwiches Monday through Friday to the Spy Museum's 50% off admission and Shaw's Tavern's $5 beers with $10 pizzas. It's the kind of neighborhood solidarity that emerges when Washington remembers it's a city of actual people, not just budget battles and press conferences.

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Here’s what’s going on around DC this week:

Politics and Prose | Cory Doctorow discusses "Enshittification" | The journalist who coined the term discusses his new book in conversation with former CFPB chair Rohit Chopra | 7 PM

Arena Stage | Fremont Ave. | World premiere inspired by playwright Reggie D. White's family uncovers love, legacy, and dreams between three generations of Black men during an intense card game | 7:30 PM

Nationals Park | Chris Brown: Breezy Bowl XX | The superstar performs hits like "Gimme That" and "It Depends" with three-hour-plus sets on his anniversary tour | 7 PM

Eaton DC | Celebration of Community: Young John Lewis Panel | Panel conversation with Congresswoman Cori Bush, Smithsonian historians, and the creative team ahead of Mosaic Theatre's upcoming premiere | 7 PM

Get your name in front of thousands of DMV area locals 3x/week.

Wednesday

72 🌡 52 | 🌧️ 80% | 💨 7 mph

Thursday

64 🌡 48 | 🌧️ 0% | 💨 9 mph

The Atlantis | 6arelyhuman with Dev | 6:30 PM

9:30 Club | Cuco | 7 PM

Echostage | Chance the Rapper | 7 PM

Nationals Park | Chris Brown with Jhene Aiko and Bryson Tiller | 7 PM

Birchmere Music Hall | Sierra Hull with John Craigie | 7:30 PM

Black Cat | Marietta | 7:30 PM

The Anthem | My Morning Jacket | 8 PM

The Howard Theatre | Sons of the East | 8 PM

The Fillmore - Silver Spring | Fireboy DML | 8 PM

Nationals Park | Chris Brown with Jhene Aiko and Bryson Tiller | 7 PM

9:30 Club | The Living Tombstone | 7 PM

Lisner Auditorium | TwoSet Violin | 7:30 PM

The Anthem | AFI | 8 PM

The Hamilton Live | Sam Grisman Project | 8 PM

Music Center at Strathmore | Joss Stone | 8 PM

Soundcheck | Cheat Codes | 10 PM

The Capitals open their season Wednesday night against Boston riding high off a stunning 111-point campaign that saw them finish first in the Eastern Conference and claim their sixth Metropolitan Division title since 2014, though experts project them to finish third in the Metro this year behind Carolina and New Jersey. Alex Ovechkin, now 40, needs just three goals to become the NHL's first 900-goal scorer after passing Wayne Gretzky last season, while the core remains largely intact with Dylan Strome (82 points) and Tom Wilson (career-high 33 goals) returning alongside new additions Justin Sourdif and Declan Chisholm. The team retained both goaltenders Logan Thompson and Charlie Lindgren after solid seasons, giving them stability in the crease under reigning Coach of the Year Spencer Carbery. With 18 games on national TV this season—the league's most—the Caps will have plenty of spotlight to prove they can replicate last year's magic, though repeating success fueled by career-best performances across the roster won't be easy.

Till next time,