Anyone familiar with Dischord Records and DC music in general should know the name Q And Not U.åÊ They’re a band that existed during the late 90s and early 2000s, mixing punk rock with synthesizers and dance grooves.åÊ Recently, Chris Richards from Q And Not U spoke to a class at AU concerning his current position as music critic at The Washington Post.
With just a bit of a structure to the talk, primarily concerning Richards’ background, how he got into music, and how he eventually came to work full-time in media, those in attendance played a large role in where the conversation went.åÊ The journalist answered numerous questions and touched on a number of subjects ranging from DC punk and hardcore, to the state of the music industry and the effects of digital media, even to Kanye West and Katy Perry.
Being that Richards is a veteran from the DC scene, I was totally excited to hear firsthand how it felt to be part of an integral, though sometimes forgotten, city in American punk and alternative music.åÊ Growing up in Annapolis, MD, Richards spoke of DC “feeling so close yet so far away during high school,” living for shows on the weekend.åÊ When it came time to go to college, he even stayed in the area, attending George Washington University in order to remain in the scene.åÊ Around this time in the late 90s, Q And Not U was formed and got off the ground.
Someone inquired as to what his favorite club or hangout in the city was.åÊ Richards claimed that either the Black Cat or the old, downtown 9:30 Club was his and his friends’ stomping ground.åÊ When Q And Not U finally started playing larger venues, he knew they had arrived in DC.åÊ The one place he never had a chance to play, yet wishes he could have, was The National Mall.åÊ The journalist mentioned one of two instances in which Fugazi played in the front The Lincoln Memorial and the excitement of being at a show with such a huge crowd, without the help of the internet or major labels.åÊ “Oh, to be born just a decade earlier!” I jealously thought as he recalled such events.
Still, most of the discussion focused elsewhere besides DC and punk.åÊ Like his job as a music critic, he has to listen to everything that comes to him, regardless if it’s the poppy, new record from some Disney Channel tween star or Arcade Fire.åÊ He especially had a lot (of primarily good things) to say about hip-hop and rap in recent years, as it’s “the one genre that matches the pace of the information age.ÛåÊ Rappers can put out mixtapes and albums in a rapid-fire fashion, and sometimes this leads to filler, but it has also made the genre evolve really quickly.åÊ He also called Kanye West the closest thing to a household name that this generation has seen. You know, someone on the level of Madonna or the Beach Boys.åÊ Richards is still skeptical though, stating that “If he’ll remain so, we’ll just have to see in coming years.Û
In about one hour, Chris Richards touched on Fugazi, hip-hop, the current state of print media, and disappointing his niece with a Miley Cyrus review.åÊ It was a bit haphazard at times, but in the end a lot of insightful points were made by a former punk rocker that demonstrated that you can grow up and get a cool job without “selling out.Û
For those not familiar with Q And Not U: