Life as a music loving, broke college student isn’t easy. I’d know because I fit within that description. Many concerts and shows around Washington, DC are ticketed, and most of these tickets aren’t cheap, which makes it difficult for students to explore the local music scene, without costing themselves an arm and a leg. DC’s Local and Free Guide will be your new go-to for finding local concerts to go to that are free! Whether you’re just bored on a Friday night, or need somewhere cool to take a friend that’s visiting, you can rely on DC’s Local and Free Guide to keep you up to date on DC’s free music scene.
After doing some research I recently ended up at Rue Café, just north of Adams Morgan. Rue Café does include, as the name suggests, a cafe, but the magic happens on their patio. For the large majority of the summer, the band Room48 has been playing jazz on the patio of Rue Café 6-11 p.m. on Fridays, and don’t be discouraged by a bit of bad weather either, because the patio is completely covered overhead.
Room48 themselves was a great addition to the space. Their music consisted of, from what I could tell, mainly covers of more modern songs that are known and loved by many, such as “Hold On, We’re Going Home” by Drake and Majid Jordan and “Everybody Wants To Rule The World” by Tears for Fears.
The jazz adaptations of these songs fit the space perfectly as it played into the comfy-vibe of the patio covered greenery. The space had various tables for seating, as well as seating at the bar, and audience members were welcome to order food and beverages while enjoying the music.
I unfortunately did not get the opportunity to try any food or drinks during my visit, however I did get to speak to one of Rue Café’s owners, Beth Nebiyou, and of course there is no one better to get recommendations from than the owner herself. Nebiyou suggested trying wings, for those who can appreciate some spice, and anything off of their seasonal menu.
While I believe there were many variables adding to the atmosphere of the space, I can’t imagine the patio of Rue Café would have felt the same without their community.
From the moment I walked in I could tell that this was a safe space for many. After talking to Nebiyou I was informed that many of the people who frequent the cafe and its patio are locals from the nearby neighborhood who get together week after week for each other’s company and good music. Despite this, I felt very welcome as a stranger in the community, and was met with warmth from both fellow patrons and staff members.
Although jazz with Room48 has been the theme for this year, Nebiyou shared that much of the summer last year featured local DJs during the days, suggesting that there is room for a large variety of musicians to play at Rue Café. For those interested in playing a gig at Rue Café Nebiyou encourages you to reach out with an introduction and demo of your work emailed to rue.cafe.dc@gmail.com.
You can find more information on Rue Café via their website and their Instagram, and make sure to check out Room48’s Instagram as well to find out the next time they’re playing on the patio.