By DCist contributor Erica Bruce
Camp Freddy came to the D.C. on Saturday, its first appearance since 2011, to the 2nd Annual All Hallows Eve party, to benefit the Boulder Crest Retreat in Bluemont, Va., an outdoor wilderness retreat for military veterans and their families.
If one didn’t pack ear plugs, it’s assured the ears may be still ringing today, as this is a band whose collective level of sound runs way past 11. Comprised of five core members-Dave Navarro and Chris Chaney (Jane’s Addiction), Billy Morrison (Billy Idol), Donovan Leitch, Jr., and Josh Freese (The Replacements, NIN), the band brought along special guests like Sebastian Bach, Mark McGrath (Sugar Ray), Zack Wylde (Ozzy Osbourne), Scott Weiland (Stone Temple Pilots), and Franky Perez. Started as a residency at the Roxy in Los Angeles about ten years ago, the band began as a group of guys who just liked playing together and bringing in special guests. They also didn’t tour together or put out records. But word started to get around about how incredible the shows were, and they began playing private parties here and there.
They found their way to the Boulder Retreat organization and D.C. this year via Washington lobbyist-by-day Doug Davenport and his partner, John Murray. Big music fans, the two decided to put on their second Halloween party, and book the band for a good cause. “I’m probably one of the only lobbyist I know who doesn’t play golf, I go to rocks shows,” laughs Davenport. So they partnered with Warehouse Productions, who has put on big events at all of the GOP conventions over the past 20 years, and with Ken Falke, founder of Boulder Crest Retreat. Coming from a family of vets, Davenport said, “I always wanted to have a veterans component to these events.”
Saturday’s event raised $60,000 for the Boulder Crest Retreat. As the band said, the show was one of the top three they’ve done over their ten years together. You can be sure this isn’t the last time Camp Freddy will come to D.C.
Kicking the night off was The Surreal McCoys. Any band that covers The Replacements’ “Little Mascara,” as well as “Folsom Prison Blues” by Johnny Cash (set to the music of Led Zeppelin’s “Whole Lotta Love“), is one you should pay attention to for the sheer uniqueness of their approach (and their originals were pretty good too). Keeping in the Halloween spirit of the event, the band came out dressed as Pussy Riot, complete with pink fishnets and combat boots. There were lots of folks in costume Saturday night, but none as simple yet cool as that.
