Jukebox Heroes
Area Spots Where Choice Music Still Matters
Sunday, May 28, 2006; Page M01
If I could rid the bars of the world of one thing, it would be the Internet jukebox. Sure, choice is a good thing. After all, why should you be able to select from only 100 records when you can download any one of 400,000 songs? Here's why: Those fancy online jukeboxes suck the personality out of any watering hole they enter. After all, the CDs that a proprietor chooses for the jukebox say as much about that establishment as the lineup of draft beers. Is it a classic dive? A trendy hangout? Just look at the jukebox, and you'll know.
From their earliest days, jukeboxes have provided a distinctive soundtrack for all sorts of establishments. They first began to proliferate after the Great Depression (the name supposedly comes from "jook joint," the rowdy roadhouses where southerners gathered to drink and dance) and then quickly became entrenched in bars, clubs and diners, surviving as 78 records gave way to 45s and eventually to CDs.
  Angela Reimer gets ready to set the mood at the Quarry House Tavern. (J. Carrier For The Washington Post) |
While swing and classical songs were popular selections around World War II, jukeboxes are most firmly identified with the '50s -- remember Fonzie whacking the juke on "Happy Days" to get music to play? -- and in the early days of rock-and-roll, jukeboxes were the one place young people could hear music that wasn't played on the radio.
So, when I see the new jukeboxes, I feel an era is disappearing -- like so much else, the uniqueness of the individually programmed machines is being swallowed by the omnivo rous Internet. I'm disappointed that dives like JV's -- a roadhouse if there ever was one -- and the ramshackle Vienna Inn have chosen to ditch their wonderful jukeboxes in favor of the new online models. I could probably play Morrissey or the White Stripes at JV's now instead of Hank Williams or Lefty Frizzell, but that seems wrong on so many levels.
Thankfully, there are many places that have resisted the urge to change, and continue to hand-select the compact discs in their jukes. For 10 great destinations, turn to Page M4.
Fritz Hahn, the bars and clubs editor for washingtonpost.com and frequent writer of Weekend's Nightwatch column , gives these jukebox selections, which offer two or three plays for $1. (Keep in mind, jukebox playlists are often revised, so the bands and songs mentioned could come and go.)
Bedrock Billiards
Interesting jukeboxes are a staple of the Bedrock Billiards chain -- Atomic Billiards and Continental among them -- but I have a particular soft spot for Bedrock's, which gives me a chance to play BDP's "My Philosophy," Squeeze's "Up the Junction" and Metallica's "For Whom the Bell Tolls," though probably not back-to-back. Particularly strong on English ska (the Specials, the English Beat, Selecter) and new wave, Bedrock's juke also features some local bands and employee-created mix CDs.
1841 Columbia Rd. NW, 202-667-7665.
Ben's Chili Bowl
Ben's is a no-brainer when you need a late-night half-smoke, though most of us are so busy tucking into chili cheese fries that we overlook the music. This is a jukebox that could serve as a course in Soul 101. In addition to the legendary Motown artists, you've got the Delfonics, Donny Hathaway and Al Green; Rick James, the Isley Brothers and Earth, Wind & Fire; Prince, Michael Jackson and R. Kelly; Ashanti, Alicia Keys and Jill Scott. Neo-soul fanatics will welcome the chance to play Amel Larrieux or Fertile Ground, but don't overlook locals including Deborah Bond and Raheem DeVaughn.
1213 U St. NW, 202-667-0909.
Black Cat
Any bar whose Web site boasts about its "seriously good jukebox" should be taken with a grain of salt, but the Black Cat delivers. As you might expect, there are large doses of punk and indie rock, and more than a nod to D.C.'s legendary alternative scene -- including Black Cat's owner Dante Ferrando's old band Ignition. ("Anger Means" is a good song to spin, if you're curious about Ferrando's former life.) Those looking for standards like Marvin Gaye and Patsy Cline will find them, but it's a shame that the folks who frequent the Red Room often choose Johnny Cash or the Clash multiple times in the same evening instead of Motorhead or the Creation. If you want to hear your tunes without an hour-long wait, it's best to arrive early and bring a stack of ones.
1811 14th St. NW, 202-667-7960.
