2008 hasn't been kind to D.C.-based music festivals, as the Six Points Festival and DAM! Fest failed to return for their fifth and third go-rounds. Bucking the trend, though, is Phasefest, the multi-day music, dance and comedy gathering for gay and lesbian performers. In fact, Phasefest, held at the lesbian club Phase One on Barracks Row, has expanded to four days from 2007's three. There are a number of familiar names on the packed schedule, including anthemic Baltimore rock quartet Odd Girl Out (Friday), comedy troupe Dykes of Hazzard (Saturday) and earnest, melodic singer-songwriter (and festival founder) Mara Levi (Saturday), but there are several musical acts we think are especially worth catching.
Wednesday
New York quartet Each Other's Mothers (listen) headlines, and their inspired math-rock makes them sound like a D.C. band -- circa 2000. There are bits of Q and Not U and Fugazi in the way distorted guitars and crisp basslines snake around each other, with drums keeping everything in lockstep, including the jarring breakdowns. Doors are at 7, and admission is $10.
Friday
Phasefest continues tonight with a hip-hop-tinged lineup. Headlining is Shunda K, one half of the Florida hip-hop group Yo Majesty, which we've described in the past as what would happen if 2 Live Crew and J.J. Fad married and lived in the Dirty South. Closer to home, check out K. Love the Infinite, whose vibe is closer to Mary J. Blige, Outkast or Erykah Badu with some go-go beats thrown in.
Saturday
Phasefest winds up with a full day of music, drag king performances and even a how-to-lap-dance seminar. Doors open at 2:15, and the last bands don't hit the stage until after midnight. (See phasefest.com for a list of approximate set times.) Of all the performers, the two that should be highest on your radar are Partyline, the downright awesome punk band led by ex-Bratmobile/Cold Cold Hearts frontwoman Allison Wolfe, and awesome folk poet and author Alix Olson. Okay, so "folk poet" isn't something we usually recommend, but Olson, a member of the famed Nuyorican Poetry Cafe's slam team and a HBO "Def Poetry" headliner, is worthy of your attention. The cover for about 11 hours of entertainment is $15.
-- Fritz Hahn (Edited from the Nightlife Agenda, September 9, 2008)
