About a month ago, local artist/activist/promoter Justin “Yaddiya” Johnson began posting online about something called @thealumnispot with very little context — just a string of yearbook-esque photos of models, influencers, and well-known locals, like Ben’s Chili Bowl owner Virginia Ali. Dressed in impeccable streetwear, including Johnson’s own line of hoodies, the posts were all serving up more than fresh looks — they were promoting a new pop-up bar in Shaw where music, good food, and D.C. culture get a spotlight.

“I look at it as a D.C. culturally themed pop-up that’s reigniting an oldie-but-goodie,” Johnson tells DCist over the phone, describing the vibe he’s trying to create and the venue he’ll be operating out of: Baby Wale, Tom Power’s 9th Street bar that closed during the pandemic and has been open for events only since the summer of 2022, according to its website.

“It’s a place where people can congregate, and we’ll be able to introduce them to elevated foods,” Johnson continues. “But I don’t want the restaurant to come off like it’s only for go-go lovers. It’s for anyone who appreciates good food and culture. We just wanted to highlight the staples of our own culture.”

The pop-up stems from Johnson’s go-go “alumni” project, a photo series with Washingtonian that highlighted people with specific ties to Black culture in D.C. and for whom go-go was more than just a type of music. The Alumni pop-up is “piggybacking” off the popularity of the photo series, Johnson says. The photos from the series, taken by creative director Avante Davis and Washingtonian’s Evy Mages, will adorn the walls, along with other go-go related paraphernalia. Plus, by February, the venue won’t just be a nightlife hang — it will also host “Alumni Brunch” on Sundays, when the alumni can eat free of charge.

Johnson says he plans to keep The Alumni up and running for at least a year. He hosted The Alumni’s first event on New Year’s Eve, where guests got a sampling of the menu and bar options, the latter of which are curated by local bartending collective Aye Girl. The Alumni’s next event is Thursday, Jan. 11, with happy hour from 6 p.m.-8 p.m. and a rotating set of DJs until midnight.

Starting Jan. 23, the bar will be open Tuesday-Sunday from 5 p.m- midnight, with themes for each night (think “Nacho Average Tuesdays”), Johnson says.

Johnson specializes in remixing pieces of D.C.’s past with modern flair. He founded Long Live GoGo, a brand and cultural movement dedicated to preserving D.C.’s go-go music and culture, and was the mind behind “Moechella,” a series of pre-pandemic protests that brought go-go music and large crowds to 14th and U Streets (and earned him a lawsuit from the Coachella music festival). He once helped spread posters around D.C. promoting local protest slogans, taking inspiration from Peruvian folk culture. He’s recently put out a series of rap music videos and an EP.

The pop-up’s menu will offer D.C.-themed items like “It Don’t Mean a Thing: If You Ain’t Got the Go-Go Wings” — wings with a choice of difference sauces, including mumbo; and a crispy fried jumbo shrimp platter tossed in lemon pepper dust, served with sweet chili aioli sauce and fries, called “Back 2 the Shrimp Boat,” an ode to the historic Ward 7 hotspot for takeout, music, clothes, and everything in between. There will be an elevated twist on the “oodles of noodles” ramen cups and a “Meet me Down the Wharf” deep-fried whiting dish.

Johnson tapped local up-and-coming chef Trea’onne Allen — also known as ChefeChefe — to head up the kitchen. The D.C. native says he grew up in the Sursum Corda housing projects off North Capitol Street in Northwest D.C., ironically just a few blocks from the new pop-up.

“Growing up in the projects, it only could make you or break you,” Allen shares over text messages. “Well, it made me a well-rounded guy.”

Allen worked his way up the D.C. food industry, cooking on the line at various restaurants, and eventually training on the job at Chef Kwame Onwuachi’s now-closed Kith/Kin restaurant on the Wharf. He’s since been the executive chef at a number of D.C. clubs, restaurants, and pop-ups, including Ben’s Next Door. He says his cooking style is influenced by Southern, Asian, and Creole cuisines. Allen’s excited to “pay tribute to D.C. culture through my cooking,” he adds.

The Alumni at Baby Wale is located at 1124 9th St NW; Starting Jan. 23, the bar will be open Tuesday-Sunday from 5 p.m- midnight. For more info on upcoming events, check the pop-up’s Instagram page.