MY WASHINGTON Eric Hilton, co-founder,Thievery Corporation BY KEVIN CHAFFEE
DESCRIBE THE IDEAL NIGHT SPOT. The ideal night spot is original and one-of-a-kind, honest, tastefully decorated, has great music, excellent sound, dim lighting and is not merely good by local standards; it would impress people from any cosmopolitan city.
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HOW HAS THE WASHINGTON MUSIC SCENE CHANGED SINCE YOU OPENED EIGHTEENTH STREET LOUNGE 20 YEARS AGO? The music scene in D.C. is all over the place and diffuse — but still quite vibrant. Some people reminisce over the vibrant punk scene that put our town on the map in the ’80s and ’90s. Others miss Tracks, an epic club in Southeast that was always great fun. These days I’m thankful to U Hall, Eighteenth Street Lounge and Flash for bringing great out-of-town DJs here. The 930 Club is consistently my go-to live venue. Anytime Ian Svenonius, Kid Congo and Baby Alcatraz are dee-jaying together I’m in sonic heaven. WHAT’S THE NEXT BIG TREND IN ELECTRONIC MUSIC? Probably un-electronic (or analogue) music. The EDM fad is pretty unexciting and the technology has spawned a lot of vapid and formulaic music. I’m more excited about people who can play instruments and sing songs. Strangely, the best band I’ve seen recently was New Order. But perhaps I’m just a curmudgeon WHAT’S NEXT FOR YOU? I just spent time in Jamaica with Rob Garza and our live
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band mates recording our eighth Thievery Corporation LP. We have concerts coming up in Europe, Red Rocks and all over the West Coast. On the restaurant side, we are building a wine bar/private party room for Chez Billy Sud in Georgetown.
MY TOP SPOTS 1. Montserrat House (9th & U streets NW). This former Rasta colony, head shop and underground weed dispensary was abandoned for nearly a decade. My friends and I turned it into an art gallery and hosted famous visual artists like Gaia and musicians Moby, Grace Potter and the cast of the Broadway musical “Fela.” It’s now the recording studios for Thievery Corporation. There are plans to once again open to the public on a low-key basis. 2. Som Records (1843 14th St. NW). Neil Becton’s shop is the best record store in D.C. Vinyl has always been a passion of mine and any good musical artist needs obscure sources to garner inspiration. Som’s eclectic mix of hand-selected titles reflects Neil’s good taste and broad knowledge of all great musical styles. 3. Dumbarton Oaks Park (31st and R streets NW). It’s rare not to see deer grazing in the mornings and evenings in this oasis park in Georgetown. A walk through this wild green space can make you forget the noise and traffic for just a little while. 4. The Gibson (2005 14th St. NW) is my favorite bar by a long shot and is named after Ellsworth Gibson, one of the coolest D.C. jazz musicians I’ve ever known. He would have been right at home here. The atmosphere is always civilized, yet lively. The drinks are considered to be the best in the city. 5. Good Wood (1428 U St. NW) Dan and Anna Kahoe have an incredible eye for home decor and art and I am always stopping by to see what gems Dan’s buying excursions have unearthed. Decorating is a passion and necessity for me, and without Good Wood, the process would be far less gratifying.
WA S H I N G T O N L I F E
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E R I C H I LTO N P H OTO BY A N D R Z E J L I G UZ ; SO M R ECO R DS P H OTO BY M OS H E Z U S M A N ; D U M BA RTO N OA KS PA R K P H OTO C O U R T E S Y; G I B S O N P H OTO B Y D O M I N I Q U E F I E R R O ; G O O D W O O D P H OTO C O U R T E S Y.
YOU’VE BEEN A DISC JOCKEY, A MUSIC INDUSTRY DYNAMO AND A HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY ENTREPRENEUR. WHAT’S THE MOST FUN? I could never decide which endeavor I like more, so I always had a dual career — making Thievery Corporation music and hospitality. The nice thing is that if I get burned out with one half of my career, I can focus on the other.