Jukebox Heroes
Area Spots Where Choice Music Still Matters

By Fritz Hahn
Special to The Washington Post
Sunday, May 28, 2006

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.

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.

The Fox & Hounds

My friends love the Fox & Hounds' dirt-cheap happy hour ($3 mixed drinks), and they love this jukebox, which skews toward the indie side of indie rock -- Guided by Voices, Pavement, the Silver Jews, Neutral Milk Hotel -- with nods to founding fathers like the Heartbreakers, the Modern Lovers and the Velvet Underground. There's plenty of funky party music (Curtis Mayfield, Parliament) and '70s classics (Led Zeppelin, Kiss, Queen). Don't miss the staff's homemade compilations featuring the "greatest hits" of Guns N' Roses, AC/DC, Johnny Cash and, for those in a metal frame of mind, "Cheese Rock."

1533 17th St. NW; 202-232-6307.

Laughing Lizard Lounge

By the time you've climbed the carpeted steps and inhaled the fresh aroma of stale beer, you know you're in a dive. Drinks are cheap, the bartenders are cheery, and the college-friendly jukebox blasts Led Zeppelin, the Rolling Stones and the Dave Matthews Band. The Who, Pearl Jam and Kid Rock are other obvious favorites, though you'll get some Modest Mouse and Weezer in there, too. Skip to the rear of the Lizard's jukebox, though, and you'll find an interesting collection of reggae, including Jimmy Cliff, Eek-A-Mouse and Peter Tosh, alongside the standard Bob Marley.

1324 King St., Alexandria, 703-548-2582.

Pharmacy Bar

Hipster favorites Iron & Wine, Wilco and the Arcade Fire might be expected at this low-lit Adams Morgan bar, but other choices range from Dexter Gordon's "Our Man in Paris" to My Bloody Valentine's "Loveless" by way of Blackalicious, Theolonious Monk and Ted Leo. Pharmacy's eclectic jukebox also devotes space to local artists: Meredith Bragg and the Terminals, (The Sounds of) Kaleidoscope, Brandon Butler, the Apes, Phaser, Hoover -- even Chuck Brown's double-disc hits set. Owner Kristaps Kreslins's heritage is represented by several discs of Latvian punk and rock.

2337 18th St. NW, 202-483-1200.

Quarry House Tavern

A rock-solid jukebox that provides the perfect soundtrack for settling in around a table with friends, Quarry House's old-school model is strong on classic country, classic rock and early rock-and-roll -- a natural fit for a neighborhood tavern that's been around since Prohibition. You'll find greatest-hits sets from Willie Nelson, Merle Haggard, Johnny Cash and Hank Williams Jr., plus albums by the Eagles, the Doobie Brothers, the Band, the Beatles, the Stones, the Doors. Little Richard, Jerry Lee Lewis, Big Joe Turner and Big Mama Thornton shake, rattle and roll. Locals Eva Cassidy and the Seldom Scene put in an appearance, as do Emmylou Harris, Stevie Ray Vaughan and John Lee Hooker. The gem here is Ray Charles's "Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music." I usually find myself spinning at least one track every time I stop in.

8401 Georgia Ave., Silver Spring, 301-587-9406.

Temperance Hall

Forget about the prominent Internet jukebox in Temperance Hall's classy-looking main room. Instead, go downstairs to the smaller basement bar, where another juke features 100 CDs "curated" by manager Dan Searing. Having toured in indie-rock bands Glo-Worm and the Saturday People as well as deejayed at the Eighteenth Street Lounge, Searing makes well-informed choices ranging from early ska and reggae to '70s soul and English post-punk. He's even added a few discs of gospel recordings from the 1920s and '30s -- "period music," he says, for the Jazz Age-themed Petworth tavern.

3634 Georgia Ave. NW, 202-722-7669.

Townhouse Tavern

A seriously underrated jukebox at a seriously underrated neighborhood saloon, Townhouse Tavern has a selection that isn't the most eclectic or all-encompassing in town, but there's gotta be something on here for even the most discerning fan to like: the Beastie Boys, Fugazi, the Streets, Ted Leo, the Replacements, TV on the Radio, Dead Boys, Weezer. Fans of British new wave can pick from the Damned, Elvis Costello, the Jam or the Buzzcocks. Don't miss the homemade mix CDs and the, uh, "live" Radiohead album.

1637 R St. NW, 202-234-5747.

The Wonderland Ballroom

Like the record collection of your favorite music-obsessed friend, this is a jukebox that has a little something of everything, touching on country, alternative, hip-hop, Latin, indie rock, funk, oldies and jazz. If you want a place where you can hear P-Funk, Belle and Sebastian, and Buena Vista Social Club back-to-back before trading another of your hard-earned dollars for the White Stripes, the Smiths and Dr. Dre, Wonderland is the place.

1101 Kenyon St. NW, 202-232-5263.