Is it already that time again? As if my weekend couldn’t get any better, Subcontinental Drift, DC’s singular South Asian music/dance/open mic night, is back this Sunday.
If Subcontinental Drift sounds familiar, it’s because I wrote about this rapture on SM before, here. If you live in DC, you are fortunate that your comrades in browndom have come together to create such a fantastic event; support their considerable efforts, come out and play, you’ll be thrilled you did.
This Sunday night a recently-hatched event is descending again on the district. If you’ve been before, you know it is not to be missed; if you haven’t, don’t miss it. It was born early in 2007 when a handful of the District’s desis (Mona, Munish, Nabeel, Nina, Sophie, Surabhi & Vishal) graciously took it upon themselves to fill an artistic void in our community. Thus was born Subcontinental Drift: a creative experiment in open space(s) where artists, poets, songwriters, lyricists & others can share and showcase their talents with the local South Asian/South Asian American diaspora.
Join us this weekend. Observe, absorb, listen, learn, encounter, experience, perform (really, you can – email subdriftdc@gmail.com)! Indulge. [quoted from an awesome email]
Every edition of SD is precious, but this one is more so– Seema Patel, a.k.a. SM commenter “SP”, a.k.a. one of the forces behind Team Vinay (and the heart of their DC operations) is leaving the right coast to go home. Join me, Sunday, as I gnash my teeth at our misfortune. Baltimore/D.C.’s loss is California’s gain. Sigh.
Subcontinental Drift
Sunday, September 9, 2007
6 PM – 11 PM – (Cost: Free)
Bohemian Caverns
2001 11th St. NW
Washington, D.C.
Metro: Green + Yellow- U Street station
It wasn’t just standing room only, last time– we took over the street. This event, let’s do the same. Finish your Art…there are kids starving in cities with less Desis.
SP moving back to Cali…all Cali people eventually make it back to the best state.. Enjoy SD!
I keep hearing that. 🙂
I dont mean to hijack this thread but can anyone(cricket enthusiasts) recommend a link to watch tomorrow’s India- england final ODI at lords online ??? Please ?
I know of soapcast and TVU player but any other FREE ones ?
Thanks much !~
wish I could come, but as with most things in DC that happen on a sunday…the drive…the DRIVE, i tell you! It sucks.
Damn, would like to go, unfortunately got plans this Sunday.
Been wanting to check out Bohemian Caverns as a venue too for a while.
Can someone take some photographs of the place as well?
And if anyone has been to that Rock and Roll Hotel place on H street, hit me with some details!
And how on earth should they do that? 😉
There is so much going on tomorrow– some film festival, the Adams Morgan street fair AND Subcontinental Drift. Ah, I love living in D.C.
iphone:
I guess I OD’ed on awesomeness. That must be why I moved back to DC.
Well, won’t be able to make SD, as usual. Stupid travel schedule. But I expect to hear all about it soon. And also I hope they’ll settle on one day of the month, and one particular venue soon, too.
SJM! It only applies to native Californians, like me, Seema et al. 😉
As for SD– not that our input matters, but if it did, I would vote for always having it on either Friday or Saturday evenings. I know three people who couldn’t come because it’s on a Sunday. 🙁
Alright, alright.
I’m feeling snarky. Sorry, iPhone, you got caught the brunt of the tail end of a week that involved a potentially $1100 speeding ticket (and if convicted, possibly 3 days in jail) (thank you, VA, for your awesome new draconian state traffic laws. Don’t worry, Cali still kicks MacacaLand’s ass in most ways hands down), a sporting injury (great tie in to the latest thread about how not-physically-inclined we browns are), and an honest-to-jeebus 18-hour workday, followed by grueling travel.
I’ll just sit here in my hotel room and sulk and whine myself to sleep tonight. 😀
I can’t believe I missed a cool desi event back home (DC) because I’m actually in the Desh. Being American in India is much harder that being Indian in America!
Yes, last week was too busy and too many things going on. Missed the Indian Film Festival. However luckily I got a free ticket to Cirque Dreams for tomorrow night.
Sorry, I’m always scouting for new venues in the city, dropped the hotel line in case anyone had info on the place. Wish there was a club or venue location website that listed all the places in the DC area. It would make life easier.
I’ve been there a few times, nice venue, different from most everywhere in the Dupont/Adams Morgan/Georgetown corridor. There is a downstairs room for live bands which I have not been to, and an upstairs bar with couches, a pool table, and several “private” rooms with couches that can be reserved for birthday parties and so on (if not, they are just open to all). The upstairs has a DJ booth. Decent beer selection, albeit nothing too out of the ordinary. The crowd is usually pretty different from what one might find in the above-mentioned corridor — pretty white overall, but more on the hipster side of things vs. more of a white hat, frat boy crowd one might come across elsewhere. The big downside, of course, is getting out there — you pretty much have to drive, since getting a cab back is pretty difficult and the neighborhood itself is somewhat sketchy. I’ve heard that there is some sort of shuttle from Union Station on the weekends, but I haven’t really looked into that option.
White hat?
.
The only reason I haven’t gone to the RRH is b/c of its location, in east bumblefuck. None of my friends have cars and when you start contemplating getting a zipcar to venture out there…well, that’s kind of ridiculous. Yes, yes…it’s very cool and edgy, but that’s meaningless, thanks to the logistical nightmare it presents.
I’m a girl and my safety comes first. I like to be able to catch a cab without being skeeved out. I’ll be less of a hipster in the morg, dupont or fratland if it means I can party without fretting about how I’m going to get home.
what does that mean? it sounds unpleasant.
Urban Dictionary defines skeeved thusly:
hanging out with creepy people might be part of the hipster package.
That’s really depressing.
I’m 32. When I was 25, I gave far more of a shit what others thought about me, and I would go clubbing accordingly. Now, I’m disgustingly pragmatic.
“How can I get home?”
“Oh, it’s going to be a cluster?”
“Feh. Who wants to hit the 12:30am showing of Superbad in Gtown?”
whats even more depressing is that ive been that pragmatic since my teen years. never gave a $hit about what other people thought of my activities.
White hat. In hindsight, I suppose I was being redundant.
I hear ya … it is a royal pain in the ass to get out there. I’ve only been there because a friend was DJing; otherwise, I wouldn’t bother getting out to H street at night when there are so many other options elsehwhere in DC that are easier to get to, safer, and don’t require a designated driver.
And this may not have been clear, but my use of terms like hipster and so on was meant to be descriptive rather than normative or pejorative. FWIW, I often find the hipster crowd annoying because (1) it is often accompanied with a slacker mentality, which I don’t like, and (2) people are often trying too hard to be cool/edgy instead of just being themselves. As someone whose favorite spots include pretentious ESL-type lounges, I am in no position to cast stones.
Puli, skeevy is like sketchy but grosser/dirtier/ickier.
ANNA, it’s probably less bad with a posse. Not that I’m discounting anything, just saying, things are often easier safety-wise when in a posse 🙂
Totally agreed, and I’m sure the left coast will be richer for having SP back in high gear 🙂
Wow! Thanks for ruining my fun with wearing my white yale cap around–now I am too embarrassed–and it’s sitting right on my desk, b/c I wore it in to work today! There I thought I was cool, and it turns out I’m a toolbox!
Thanks for the info. I had a friend who mentioned it to me as a possible location for some events I host before it opened up, but back then thought the neighborhood wasn’t quite safe for everyone. They seem to be doing some interesting events there though. It’s unfortunate DC doesn’t have more places and neighborhoods which can support the arts. Still, I do think H street will change over the next 5 years and go the same way as U and 14th Streets.
So this Subcontinental Drift is all fine and dandy for a talent to start out with but just lingering there and not branching out to non-ethnic showcases doesn’t help the not-so-talented image of South Asian artists. If you guys are so good why not show it to America? And what is with South Asian artists lately aiming to show their goods in Bombay and Delhi rather than in New York and LA? Couldn’t quite make it here or just too nostalgic for your parents’ homeland?
i think artists show their art to wherever there is the best market to show their art to. perhaps narrowing the market is the best way to get a better reception. it doesnt mean its “worse” or inferior”. if there is a good market for their art in india, or europe, or china, or anywhere else, why is it a bad thing?
SD is a safe space for everyone, South Asian or not (I think the belly dancer was White, correct me if I’m wrong)…I sure as hell wouldn’t have felt as comfortable at any other open mic as I did yesterday, when I debuted my first spoken word piece. Where are people supposed to get their start, except for events like this–I know you sort of approve of commencing at SD and you disapprove of so-called “lingering”, but I don’t think you’re being fair…nothing happens overnight. Even if nurturing newborn artists was ALL SD did, it would deserve a lot of praise, just for that. I’ve lived in DC for nine years. There has never been anything like this.
Events like SD aren’t JUST for beret-wearing artistes; it’s a space where regular old policy wonks, lawyers, med students and others who perhaps aren’t alternadesi 24/7, are welcome, if not encouraged to perform. And if there are more experienced types participating (like Shanti Salaam, The Cassettes or Micropixie), how do you know that they AREN’T performing in “non-ethnic showcases”? Instead of spewing negativity, why not come out and see what actually goes on…especially since it’s as much about the energy and interaction between who is on stage and the audience, as it is performing. You remind me of the Uncle who was pissed when he found out a certain desi who had been elected to the state legislature was going to run for his district’s seat in Congress. “Why is he not going for the SENATE?”, Uncle sputtered. Uh, because he needs to pay his dues, working slowly but surely towards his goal. Nothing comes easily, the impatient need to learn that.
wish i could make it down to dc for on eof these. id love to play a few pieces on the piano sometime.
Why leave that comment on a brown blog? Shouldn’t you branch out and comment elsewhere? Couldn’t quite make it there, so you’re here?
No I am just nostalgic and I like to check up on the state of my people from time to time. Besides you wouldn’t know of people who make it there;)
And I’m sure they’d love to have you. One of the highlights (for me) was the guy who played U2’s “One” on acoustic guitar. Anyone can perform, just walk over to the “sign-up” sheet and write your name down. It’s that easy.
I’m thinking of holding SM meetups the same weekend as SD open mic nights, because I have so many friends from out-of-state who want to go to SD, who are willing to fly in for it. I might as well make it extra worth their while…
does nyc have something like this? going down to dc for a weekend might be a bit much…
oooh. i just realized one of my boys is moving down to DC. i can use that as an excuse…
Hey Puli go to Mo Pitkins on a Sunday night. There are dozens of other open mics in NY but I know for sure that Mo Pitkins has a piano. It’s not a desi open mic though.
I second everything A N N A wrote–you couldn’t have said it better, girl. Every movement, every effective, productive gathering of people towards a common cause or a common interest (like showcasing the incredible hidden talents of folks in our community) requires laying a small seedbed somewhere. Subcontinental Drift has taken it upon themselves to create that space. Why waste time knockin’ it when you could spend that time appreciating and/or attending the event to indulge in what has been proving, time and time again, to be an eclectic, inspiring mix of art, community and artistic movement?
The artist that performed U2’s “One” was Nabeel Ahmed. His voice is so endearing, his guitar-playing dreamy, his whole aura and energy just so nice to be around. He also does a heart-wrenching rendition of Amos Lee and plays Capoeira. Its fora like this that draw people like Nabeel and A N N A–whose passionate debut had every soul in the cavern goose-bumping, trembling, tearing and thirsting for more. Later, A N N A & Nabeel even took the stage for an impromptu “Whose Line is it Anyway?” bit involving a first date, the Lincoln Memorial and … shingles. Tell me there’s another place in the district [or elsewhere] where you can get comfy on a couch and just bask in live theater performed by none other than the peeps you’d otherwise see out at a bar or club downtown.
Mad props also to Nishant, whose spoken word piece caused my jaw to drop and, never come all the way back up (it was that powerful).
So, Puli, I second others’ comments. Come and perform. Add to the rapture. Perform, sing, play and, while you’re there, listen. You might be pleasantly surprised at what [more] you hear.
Props again to the organizers for a great night. Munish, great work emceeing, dawg (raincheck please, on the post-bac bit). 🙂
Wazzup! Bored in class here, decided to introduce myself. Umm so like does anyone know how to unblock bebo from school?