My second venture into U Street was extremely different than the first. I had never heard of Bohemian Caverns before and I had no idea what it was. It figures though as I’ve never been a big jazz fan and Bohemian Caverns is very much a jazz club. The name got me really intrigued as I looked at it from outside and I wondered with anticipation what the inside would look like.
When one of my friends told me where we were going, I was quick to make a Google search and found out that world-famous jazz musicians had played in this club such as Duke Ellington, Cab Calloway, Miles Davis and John Coltrane (and many more!). My excitement increased.
That night, the event was Donald Harrison playing live with his band. Admittance to the event cost $25, which I wasn’t too happy about considering the fact that I have no income whatsoever, being a (lazy) college student. Regardless, I was excited for a night that would be a vast change from my regular Friday nights at Foggy Bottom.
Walking down the stairs, the walls were designed like caverns. Colors were very blue and orange. Faces could be seen in the carved walls, and gleefully I thought it was reminiscent of gothic horror films (which I am completely obsessed with at this period of my life). The room is small with a bar, with tables and chairs surrounding the stage that encourages communication between the audience and the artist that is an important aspect of the jazz performance.
The room was full of people who were receptive to the jazz band’s music. I especially enjoyed the fact that Donald Harrison conversed with the crowd, making jokes and entertaining, not just playing music. Five women were sitting at the table next to ours who continuously interacted with the musician, making up some of the funniest moments of the night. The atmosphere, the architecture and these interactions transformed the concert into an experience (and it is a pity that jazz’s popularity has been waning).
This was a much different and more diverse crowd than the one at the Black Cat. As I looked around me, I saw that the majority of them were African American and much older, expectedly. They seemed to be people with more eclectic tastes, their love of jazz evident in their response to the music.
I thought to myself at the end of the night that Bohemian Caverns was very much unlike the Black Cat in that it is a venue that is in touch with U Street’s jazz roots and through this it keeps the bohemia of U Street alive.
When the performance ended, I felt thoroughly satisfied and entertained. The event was well worth the cost, yet I thought that I would probably not see a jazz performance again, due to my lack of interest in the genre (I’m more of an indie rock and electronica fan myself).
For now, I leave you with some videos from the performance at Bohemian Caverns (please excuse the shaky cam and poor lighting!).
No comments:
Post a Comment