The D.C. Go-Go Museum has a ribbon-cutting date
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A go-go performance at U and 14th Street NW. Photo: Michael A. McCoy for The Washington Post via Getty Images
It's a go: The long-awaited Go-Go Museum and Cafe in Anacostia is planning to cut the ceremonial ribbon on Nov. 18.
Why it matters: The idea was sparked in 2019 during the #DontMuteDC movement, which tried to uplift the city's original soundtrack.
Pump me up: The 8,000-square-foot space will open in the heart of historic Anacostia, at 1920 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. SE, according to a news release.
- Exhibitions and interactive spaces will be spread out over three areas. A recording studio and outdoor portion will include a stage for live performances.
- There will be holograms of Ralph Anwan Glover, a pioneer of the Backyard Band (and a star in the "The Wire" series), and Gregory "Sugar Bear" Elliot, frontman for the Experience Unlimited.
- One of the interactives will be a graffiti exhibit allowing visitors to use digital spray cans on the walls.
What they're saying: "It's going to blow people's minds," Ron Moten, the brainchild of the museum, told Axios in a message. "This is very significant because … we have a chance to also showcase and preserve Black excellence at a time where so much of our culture has been erased."
Zoom in: Natalie Hopkinson, an academic and expert on go-go music, will be the museum's chief curator. Glover will serve as director of music and experienced chef Angela Bethea will oversee the cafe.
- Artifacts so far include a Rare Essence bomber jacket and a cutout Chuck Brown used during in-store promotions.
Flashback: Interest in preserving go-go music history took off after a controversy in 2019 over a Georgia Avenue NW storefront being asked to turn off its outdoor speakers that play go-go.
- Moten helped create the #DontMuteDC movement, spawning outdoor concerts on U Street and a conversation about how to honor the genre.
What's next: Mayor Muriel Bowser will attend the ribbon-cutting, which coincides with Go-Go Preservation Week in November.
- Special events will take place before its full opening in January.