Update, 2 p.m.: Hear a discussion about D.C.’s allegedly subdued audiences on WAMU’s Kojo Nnamdi Show. Read the story that prompted the discussion on wamu.org.
“What’s With Washington?” is WAMU’s new listener-powered journalism project. We invite folks to send us their burning questions about life in the D.C. region — no subject is off-limits — then we ask the public to vote on which questions we investigate.
In one of our latest rounds, a question from Centreville resident Alisa Pappas touched a nerve, drawing thousands of votes.
“Why do Washington audiences seem so subdued?” Pappas asked. “Are we really cooler customers than in other cities?”
As editor of WAMU’s Bandwidth — and a longtime audience member at D.C. concerts — I had no qualms tackling this one.
So what did I discover? Are D.C. music audiences really the tamest in the land? Check out my story on WAMU’s website. I’ll also discuss my findings on today’s edition of The Kojo Nnamdi Show, joined by go-go artist Michelle Blackwell and Black Cat club owner Dante Ferrando. Stream or tune in at noon.
Top image: Ace Cosgrove performs at the 2015 Landmark Music Festival in D.C.