The video is long (nearly an hour) and the audio is low, but the county’s television channel has posted a video of an fascinating panel discussion on this history of rock and roll in Northern Virginia.
Featured in the video are five men who promoted local concerts in the ’60s and 70s: Derwood Settles, Teddy Bodnar, Michael Oberman, Mike Schreibman, and Bud Becker. The discussion, organized by cultural historian Jeff Krulik, was held in the Artisphere in November.
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I’ll only watch the video if you promise that, at some point, the guy second from the right gets up and starts playing air guitar on his cane.
And people wonder why the Artisphere is a bust.
Maybe the discussion is interesting–can’t watch it at work–but would you pay good money to see a bunch of dudes sitting around talking?
For the record, the event was free and open to the public.
How many people attended, out of curiosity?
It was standing room only. In fact, people were turned away.
I knew about this event and would have gone, but I was not in the area. I hope it was well attended. The Artisphere is simply a poorly contrived and poorly located venue.
While it won’t happen in my lifetime, if ever, the county should resurrect its plans for a civic auditorium/civic center and plaza similar to what was built in downtown Silver Spring about a year ago. The county board has talked about its desire for better architecture and public space in the corridor, and they could hold a design competition for such a project.
As a former resident of Silver Spring, I find it hilarious that you say this. On the SS blogs and among the community, there exists such vitrol for the plaza, community center, and the downtown redevelopment. Instead there are always calls to be more like the R-B corridor and that layout. Perfect example of the grass is always greener on the other side.
I thought the community response to the new community center and plaza was generally positive, apart from the skaters and breakers that annoyed some people. The other development option for Silver Spring was the gargantuan Mall of America, which would have destroyed the community.
Silver Spring has done a much better job with historic preservation. Clarendon lost most of its historic deco and streamline buildings in the 70s and 80s. The former Penny’s in Silver Spring will soon become a performing arts center. And the restoration of the Silver Theater and the adjacent shopping center was beautifully executed.
There are positives and negatives to both areas I suppose. I just wish developers and planners in Arlington had more design vision.
It’s crazy but Kojo today interviewed guests who told stories of a Falls Church quarry that sent up a pink granite found (so far) only in 2 other places in the world. I, of course, assumed that was the rock this item was celebrating! Stone does not sing to all of us!
Marjie