Fort Reno Concert Series
DC Style Magazine
Fort Reno Concert Series
See DC's Up and Coming Bands, Before They Make it Big
By: Elizabeth Barth

In the summer heat, every Monday and Thursday, a variety of people gather around a wooden stage set in the middle of a large grassy field. Families with children, young professionals hanging out after work, pre-teen punks, teen punks, and neighbors are all there for the Fort Reno summer concert series.

The diversity of the audience might or might not be related to the diversity of the bands, but certainly musical styles and influences spanned the music spectrum. On a recent Monday, Five Four, who describe themselves as an indie-rock band, Lemonface, comprised of three 15 year-olds, who play progressive punk, and Partyline, a girl-rock, feminist-inspired group in the vein of Le Tigre, took the stage.

The National Park Service started The Fort Reno Summer Concert Series 38 years ago. Amanda MacKaye, who organized the event this year, used to come to the concerts when she was younger. When it first started, "[it was] a little bit more like bands that [the Park Service] thought people should see", she said. Since then, it's evolved from a family event to an alternative music hot bed. The yearly event, spanning the months from June to August, has gained a reputation for booking local music talent in their early stages. Bands like the now popular Ted Leo and the Pharmacists, Fugazi and Q and not U (now defunct) have all played there. Amanda said that this year her aim was to try and break down the barrier that now exists in the music business between making music and enjoying music. "[Younger generations] don't know the connection that they can pick up an instrument, write a song, and play it", she said.

Fort Reno has long been known among music fiends as a good place for exposure. It is one of the few, but growing, alternative music venuesin the city. Events like Fort Reno are also fueling a new influx of bands in the DC area. The band Five Four felt that DC was "better than a lot of scenes in general but the fans aren't as supportive of the scene as in other areas". That, they agree, is why it is so great to have Fort Reno. It is free, it reaches a diverse audience, and you aren't obliged to sit down and be quiet. Picnics, frisbee and conversation are all socially acceptable. Drummer Crystal Bradley notes the part that Fort Reno plays, saying, "I'm glad that our kind of music is not only confined to clubs, houses and bars. I like that we are respected enough to be given an outdoor, free to the public venue that is willing to showcase other kinds of music that cannot be heard on any of the corporate radio stations that people can listen to for free everyday".

This summer will be a good time to catch up on more obscure local bands and catch this trend in its early stages. The concerts take place every Monday and Thursday at 7:15p.m. promptly and are always over by 9:30p.m. due to the restrictions on the outdoor venue. Generally, three bands are lined up to play per day and future shows include,The Chance July 11th, Q and Not U July 18th, Paul Michel August 1st, and The Plums August 18th. For more information on the schedule and location visit the Fort Reno website at www.fortreno.com.