In Washington DC, there is no shortage of venues to enjoy bass music. Whether you prefer a lights-out club experience at Flash, the massive crowds at Echostage, or even the more exotic venues such as a movie theatre or an Italian deli, we truly have it all in our nation’s capital.
As the scene continues to grow, so too will the players inside it and the ideas they have to bring quality music to inventive spaces. Next week, the district sees the next phase of its evolution unfold with a brave new collective taking a shot on an untapped and unheard-of venue in Washington DC.
The collective we speak of is none other than Charity Sound System and the novelty location they are looking to plant their flag is The Harlot DC, a lounge, bar, and speakeasy located just a block away from the now-shuddered U-Street Music Hall.
While the lineup itself is enough cause for celebration, the occasion for the night is a Road to Fire Lights show as Charity prepares for their main stage deployment at the NY festival this September.
The cast for the night includes an eclectic group of bass music provocateurs such as Smigonaut, Bread Winner, Audio Goblin, Kazi, and Crude Sound on the top floor and Togeki, Basse, Gordo, and Moejay James downstairs in the speakeasy.
Accompanying the more neuro and halftime-focused upstairs will be live visuals operated by Creepshow and Hyyperspacial in addition to a portion of Charity Sound System’s apocalyptic HSD rig.
As for the more dubstep and 140-focused stage in the speakeasy, Selecta Productions will be rolling out a laser light show with Dreamweaver providing their Paraflex rig for sound. Considering production for the night, attendees should expect The Harlot to be rattling with shapes and sizes of every color come August 11th.
Read on to learn a little more about the artists on the lineup and our hosts for the night.
Pick Your Poison
As they’ve done in the past, Charity Sound System did well to cater to multiple genres in their lineup. Headlining upstairs we have Smigonaut of The Rust music collective who is hot off an all-original mix that dips and dives into robust DNB and gnarled glitch-hop patterns. While the 17-minute mix packs a punch, it is just a spoonful of what attendees can expect next Friday night.
Playing direct support for Smigonaut is Bread Winner, a Denver artist who has been flexing his deep bag of tricks inside and outside the midwest since 2017. With a beats-oriented background, a wiley sampling style, and outlandish sound design skills, it is difficult to predict what Bread Winner may bring to the table next week.
Prior to Bread Winner, we have Audio Goblin who arrives in DC in the midst of a run of shows spanning from New Mexico to New York. In recent appearances, we have seen the Asheville artist double down on his hard-hitting, uptempo style that takes the form of gooey, eldritch soundscapes and distorted sonic narratives.
Opening up the top floor are DMV local Kazi and Charity Sound System’s engineer and resident selekta, Crude Sound. Expect both artists to use the evening’s allure to make a statement for themselves.
As for the downstairs speakeasy, we have Headnod Entertainment’s Togeki who is still buzzing from recent performances at Big Dub and Sound Haven. In regards to the nature of his set, fans can expect it to be heavily influenced by sounds of the UK underground and the 140 wave beginning to surge in the states.
Opening things up on the Speakeasy stage are Basse, Gordo, and Moejay James, all local artists who are likely to get the energy going early on in the night.
Our Illustrious Hosts
Charity Sound System, made up of Nick Lawrence, Alex Fattouche, Doug Cyr, and Nathan Joyner, started deploying their rig at local events at the beginning of 2023 and since then, have had massive names such as Alix Perez, Glitch Mob, and Kursa rinse plates on their speakers. In their effort to “attack the opioid epidemic through sound and art,” the group began as a non-profit sound system collective but in recent times has grown into a promoter, event curator, and label.
What’s particularly special about their upcoming Road to Fire Lights show and accompanying collaboration is that the idea for Charity Sound System was inspired by the very same festival. While Fire Lights donates proceeds to a local fire department, Charity Sound System donates proceeds to efforts that will help end the opioid epidemic. For the August 11th show, all proceeds will be donated to Food Not Bombs, a Washington DC non-profit that offers free meals to those in need.
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This charitable pledge, in addition to a food/item drive for the homeless, a heavyweight lineup, immaculate production, and a beautiful location for the evening are all reasons why Charity Sound System’s Road to Fire Lights show is a can’t-miss event.
Grab your tickets to the event here and keep up with everything Charity Sound System has going on in the links below.