Comments on: Stick a fork in it: The Birchmere’s done

By: The Silver Spring Penguin | News, Views, Stuff » » The Watercooler

Tue, 14 Aug 2007 13:29:46 +0000

[...] The usually dapper district 20 Dem was inside downtown’s Panera Bakery Monday night when he was caught in his laundry-day duds. Still, he stopped to chat about the Birchmere deal, or lack thereof. [...]

By: The Silver Spring Penguin | News, Views, Stuff » » Ike: Say bye-bye to Birchmere

Mon, 30 Jul 2007 18:05:13 +0000

[...] were put on hold so that the county could shop around. In response, the Birchmere’s owners called it quits, he [...]

By: b

Fri, 27 Jul 2007 18:43:53 +0000

Now I Wanna Sniff Some Glue!

By: Jennifer Deseo

Jennifer Deseo — Fri, 27 Jul 2007 14:40:39 +0000

Chaz writes:

“It’s another example of corporations coopting a countercultural symbol (the original Fillmore) and tweaking it to turn a profit.”

Ditto for CBGBs, the birthplace of punk. That joint closed its East Village digs earlier in the year. Its former owner now plans to open a CBGBs on the Vegas strip. (It may have already opened.)

Joey Ramone is spinning in his grave as we speak.

I agree with those who want an independent music scene. (I wouldn’t mind an independent theater scene, either.) It’s time Silver Spring stepped out of Washington DC’s shadow.

By: chaz

chaz — Fri, 27 Jul 2007 14:09:12 +0000

Courtyard said:

"I support the idea of creating an independent music scene in Silver Spring - though the Fillmore idea has a lot of potential. (Keep in mind that no Fillmore-branded clubs currently exist except for the original Fillmore in San Francisco.) We don’t know what they’re going to do.

Not exactly true. LiveNation has been buying existing venues (TLA in Philly, Irving Plaza in NY) and "branding" them branches of the Fillmore. I hate to sound like a damn hippie, but it's another example of a corporations coopting a countercultural symbol (the original Fillmore) and tweaking it to turn a profit. You're right in that we don't know what they're going to do, but what reason have they given that we should trust them?

The plans are all rumors and hearsay anyway, so I'll give them the benefit of the doubt for now. But I'm much less optimistic about the site than I was when the Birchmere was interested.

By: ThayerAvenue.com » So… Now What?

ThayerAvenue.com » So… Now What? — Fri, 27 Jul 2007 13:55:11 +0000

[...] reported by so many before me, The Birchmere is dead. I was among the many that wanted it to come, mainly because it [...]

By: b

Fri, 27 Jul 2007 00:41:18 +0000

Dan,
I publicly appoligize for attacking you last week. Your current comments are on point and warranted. The elected officials are most likely going to screw us (philips head, as they can get more torque). Call me old fasion, but do you know what would be cool in the old JC Pennys building? JC Pennys.

By: thecourtyard

thecourtyard — Thu, 26 Jul 2007 22:51:43 +0000

Let’s say U Street does, in fact, become full up with chain stores. That’s likely to push out the two big music clubs there (the 9:30 Club and the Black Cat). Where are the clubs going to go? Or, if they both fold, where does the music go? Silver Spring and whatever ends up in the former J.C. Penney building.

I’m just saying. I don’t want the U Street clubs to go away, but I like exploring the possibilities. (And I didn’t write about this on Just Up The Pike, just so you know.)

By: Pennster

Pennster — Thu, 26 Jul 2007 22:42:18 +0000

Don’t worry, Dan, U Street will be on its way to chains-ville soon enough–just as Dupont Circle has begun to turn that way over the last 5 years or so. It’s cyclical.

By: David

David — Thu, 26 Jul 2007 22:41:12 +0000

The Half Moon BBQ had a nice little music scene when it was in existance. Now it looks like we may get a national music hall franchise (LiveNation) to go with our cluster of franchise restaurants across the street. I’m holding out hope that DTSS is big enough to cultivate an independent music scene as well as a big concert venue, just as the independent restaurants are holding their own with the chains in the central business district. Maybe the Fire House brewery will host some events. I know the Quarry House and Mayorga already have an active performance schedule.

On another note, it would be great to have something a little more edgy on the Thursday/Saturday music schedule in DTSS, rather than week after week of bland blues or generic jazz.