Back in the late '80s, Little Benny and the Masters and E.U. were among the most popular bands on the D.C. go-go circuit, packing now-shuttered clubs such as Deno's and the Ibex. E.U., fronted by the charismatic Sugar Bear, had the genre's big national hit, "Da' Butt." That seems like a long time ago, but in Washington, old go-go stars don't just disappear -- they're still working the clubs, albeit with different bands. Every Friday at a second-story walk-up called Rose's Dream Bar and Lounge, Little Benny takes to the mike, running through old-school go-go hits, hip-hop covers and funky originals while crowds pack the makeshift dance floor or huddle around the large bar. (There's no stage, so the band sets up against the front wall.) On Thursdays, Sugar Bear and his group the Band are starting a new weekly residency. The music is more laid-back than at some go-go clubs, so the atmosphere feels closer to a party than many events do.

Club owner Danny Roberts promotes go-go concerts in the Washington area, including an upcoming Chuck Brown show at Mirrors, and he worked with Sugar Bear and Little Benny before opening this cheerful little lounge, which features some of the friendliest bartenders on the block. Stools and drink rails line the lime-green walls near the DJ booth, and flat-screen TVs (tuned to videos or sports most of the time) face every angle for maximum football viewing. In the back is a tiny little room -- more of a nook -- that can hold maybe six people comfortably.

Besides live music, entertainment includes karaoke Wednesdays and DJs spinning dance music Saturdays. So one question remains: Who is Rose? "Rose was my sister," Roberts explains. "Our family owns the Caribbean restaurant downstairs, and it was her idea to open a bar [up here]. It was to be called Rose's, but she died right before the bar opened, so it's Rose's Dream."

-- Fritz Hahn (Sept. 7, 2006)