Pump Me Up
It was the era of Chuck Brown, the ubiquitous tags of "Cool 'Disco' Dan" and influential hardcore bands like Minor Threat. Amid a rising tide of drugs and crime, D.C. in the '80s also saw the rise of local graffiti, go-go and hardcore punk scenes. This was the "other" D.C., and the influence of these subcultures lives on today. A new exhibition at the Corcoran Gallery explores the period through street art, photographs, posters, music and videos.
Guests
Related Links
Photos From The "Pump Me Up" Exhibit
"Pump Me Up: DC Subculture of the 1980s" is on view at the Corcoran Gallery of Art from February 23, 2013 - April 7, 2013.
Trailer For "The Legend Of 'Cool Disco Dan'"
Discover the "other" Washington of the 1980s through this documentary of legendary graffiti artist "Cool 'Disco' Dan," a mysterious, ubiquitous presence during the height of go-go music, record crime rates and city-wide dysfunction.
Read An Excerpt
A 320-page publication, entitled "Pump Me Up: D.C. Subculture of the 1980s," will be published alongside the exhibition. The book includes a foreword by Sarah Newman, curator of contemporary art at the Corcoran.
Comments
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Thanks to your guests for mentioning that white people listened to go-go too -- it was part of a shared DC culture. I went to Deal Junior High and Wilson High School in the 80s, where Rare Essence and Trouble Funk played for homecoming dances and proms. We also went to go-go's at nearby private schools like Sidwell, Maret and National Cathedral School. And a shout-out to the old 9:30 Club, where I saw Trouble Funk play a New Years Eve show that started at midnight. You can imagine how sweaty and loud it was given how small that place was! An intimate show, to say the least. It's nice to hear this history being told by people who actually lived here then, as opposed to Natalie Hopkinson (author of The Rise and Fall of Chocolate City), who misses the mark on some of this.
Hi,
I loved how you described the impact of the "COOL DISCO DAN" tags on you as a child riding the red line as being an simple but "undeniable" statement. I loved it so much because I too was a kid riding the red line in the late 80's and early 90's riding the red line downtown and counting the CDD tags like a game. Each tag spotted was like scoring a point in a video game from the seat of the train. What was really enthralling is just what you described; that someone has been getting away with this, entertaining the masses in a begin but undeniable way. That this anonymous person has audacity, and maybe just maybe, I or anyone could break free and have audacity like that.
I would love to get a couple of those standby tickets for this weekend, and Tomorrow is my 29th birthday! I'll have o channel the luck ;)
Hi,
I loved how you described the impact of the "COOL DISCO DAN" tags on you as a child riding the red line as being an simple but "undeniable" statement. I loved it so much because I too was a kid riding the red line in the late 80's and early 90's riding the red line downtown and counting the CDD tags like a game. Each tag spotted was like scoring a point in a video game from the seat of the train. What was really enthralling is just what you described; that someone has been getting away with this, entertaining the masses in a begin but undeniable way. That this anonymous person has audacity, and maybe just maybe, I or anyone could break free and have audacity like that.
I would love to get a couple of those standby tickets for this weekend, and Tomorrow is my 29th birthday! I'll have o channel the luck ;)
Hi,
I loved how you described the impact of the "COOL DISCO DAN" tags on you as a child riding the red line as being an simple but "undeniable" statement. I loved it so much because I too was a kid riding the red line in the late 80's and early 90's riding the red line downtown and counting the CDD tags like a game. Each tag spotted was like scoring a point in a video game from the seat of the train. What was really enthralling is just what you described; that someone has been getting away with this, entertaining the masses in a begin but undeniable way. That this anonymous person has audacity, and maybe just maybe, I or anyone could break free and have audacity like that.
I would love to get a couple of those standby tickets for this weekend, and Tomorrow is my 29th birthday! I'll have o channel the luck ;)