Whinedown the Street

Uncle Q's Living Room has been consistently well received, so the folks behind it recently tried to extend that bonhomie to a similar venture on U Street. Hence the birth of the hump night reggae happy hour at Duke's City. The ingredients were there -- a great space, location, brand equity and DJs -- but it has struggled to take hold.

Tomorrow's grand opening (or rather, re-opening) of Whinedown Wednesdays at Eighteenth Street Lounge could portend even more interesting shifts on the scene.

ESL has been gradually easing up on exclusivity for a while, but that hasn't coincided with a broader demographic mix. Patrons that enjoy the dubby selections of Desmond Williams might never set foot in a place where East Coast Sound Patrol plays their roots, culture and dancehall reggae sounds. And it's rare that denizens of the U Street arts scene kick it at ESL.

But we've long said that ESL is better during the week anyway. Tomorrow, Whinedown Wednesdays gets another chance to prove it.

-- Rhome