1/12/07, 5:45 pm EST

Assignment One Finalist: Nancy Chow on Washington, D.C.

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Note: This is not an official Rolling Stone article. What follows is a submission to the “I’m From Rolling Stone” writing competition.

WHY THE NATION’S CAPITAL ISN’T ON THE MAP

by Nancy Chow
age: 19

The District has been capitalizing on its own loss for decades, condemning its inhabitants to continually mourn and adjust to the ever-changing landscape of the city. The transient nature of D.C. is reflected by its bands, which disband within a few years of their inceptions, the fickle fans that once loved them and the die-hard fans that adore them when they disband.

Different genres like hardcore and go-go once had their respective hey-days, but with their myth-like status it’s difficult to see anything beyond the hipsters lining up at the Black Cat for the concert of the latest blog-worthy band.

Albums, books, Wikipedia, music veterans and text messages sent to cell phones via Yellow Arrow document the history with dates, names, photos and songs, but lack a physical and emotional connection to the current generation.

Many groundbreaking venues have closed, forcing a new history onto the settled ghosts of the past. Some maintain a fragment of the original space’s integrity, while others completely disregard the charging spirit of the building’s former life: The infamous dc space has been tragically converted to a Starbucks.

But the threat of loss remains: Last year, the District suffered several record store causalities including Smash and Revolution Records and was exacerbated by the bankruptcy of music chain retailer Tower Records, which stocked some of the largest record stores.

The City Paper was moved to write a cover story about the closing of Tower Records’ stores in the area and how music fans will never collide in one space again. Maybe loss is what will unite us in the streets, the new venue that will host fans screaming along to Minor Threat’s “Betray,” bludgeoning the need for separate niche venues, whose histories have been erased by the present.