Listen: WAMU’s Metro Connection Covers D.C. Music

By Ally Schweitzer

An episode of 'Metro Connection' dedicated to D.C. music? That's worth at least a couple of headbangs.
An episode of 'Metro Connection' dedicated to D.C. music? That's worth at least a couple of headbangs. Michael Andrade

WAMU’s Friday/Saturday newsmagazine Metro Connection recently dedicated an hour to D.C. music culture.

On last Friday’s show, host Rebecca Sheir — with me in the passenger seat — took listeners on a tour of D.C.’s astonishingly diverse music communities: the thriving local jazz and hip-hop scenes, rarely seen corners of area music venues, a record label bringing Ethiopian electronic music to the District, metal in a dozen flavors and the small universe of music fans thrusting cassette tapes back into the musical ecosystem.

We also talked with attorney Chris Naoum of Listen Local First to find out what his group is doing to push music-friendly policies in D.C. and strolled down memory lane with Positive Force co-founder Mark Andersen — who shared a moving memory from a Rites of Spring show he’ll probably never forget — as well as WAMU Bluegrass Country’s Katy Daley.

Did you miss the show over Memorial Day weekend? No problem. It’s streamable via Metro Connection‘s website and iTunes. Click “play” and get deep.

Photo: Give at Fort Reno, 2014