D.C.’s local art scene has changed quite a bit since Chris Pyrate was a kid.
“When I grew up here we didn’t have any festivals,” says Pyrate. “A lot of big acts didn’t really come through here.”
A visual artist from Southeast who just returned to the District after eight years away, Pyrate says he’s more determined than ever to “activate” the District’s music and art scene. “I moved back with a lot of ideas,” he tells DCist.
On August 31, Pyrate is teaming up with the Pabst Blue Ribbon Sound Society to launch the Flower Bomb Fest, an event that he hopes will “provide a window into the DMV, and a platform for artists in a city whose music scene is often overlooked,” according to a press release. The Pabst Blue Ribbon Sound Society is a series of music events sponsored by the beer company that is “dedicated to amplifying new creative voices making a positive difference today.”
The all-day festival will have a special focus on go-go, a genre that was born in D.C. in the 1970s, and that recently became the subject of a wider debate on gentrification in the District. But Pyrate says he wants the festival to be about more than just one genre.
“Sometimes the music scene here can be a little bit segregated,” he says. “We’ve had a big push for local music but it’s just been for go-go. I just felt like there wasn’t really a unifying card for musicians in the city.”
The Flower Bomb Fest will bring local artists, DJs, rappers, producers, music collectives, and visual artists to Southwest’s Culture House DC (housed in Blind Whino) for an all-day celebration of the District’s music and art scene.
Some of the musicians lined up for this year’s inaugural event include local go-go collective Uncalled 4 Band, hip-hop artist Wifi Gawd, and rapper Sir EU, who made waves last year with a marathon 25-hour performance at the Uptown Art House. Other acts include Nappy Nappa, DJ Domo, ManeSqueeze, Girlaaa, Malcolm Xavier, and Aunz.
Pyrate is also curating an art exhibit inside and outside Culture House DC, which will mark the venue’s sixth anniversary since it was converted from a church into a community art space. The installation will feature some of his own work, along with pieces by Trapbob, a local artist, illustrator, animator, and recent winner of PBR’s Art Can contest.
Pyrate says the festival’s name was inspired by D.C. rapper Wale’s 2011 hit “Lotus Flower Bomb” and more broadly by the District’s cherry blossoms, which are prominent in his artwork. Pyrate, raised in Southeast D.C., has brought his colorful visual aesthetic to many public spots in the District. He’s painted murals at The Museum DC, Copycat Co. on H Street, and Black Whiskey on 14th Street NW.
As an artist who grew up on both sides of Southern Avenue in Southeast D.C. and Prince George’s County, he says it was tough to find creative outlets in area.
“D.C. had a tougher edge to it, and let’s just say it wasn’t the most conducive thing to being a black artist,” Pyrate says. “I’m just excited to be back home and to be able to affect the art scene here.”
The Flower Bomb Fest takes place August 31. Full schedule forthcoming. FREE with RSVP.
This story has been updated with a new list of performing artists.
