Open Mic Anniversary at Rhodeside Grill

Rhodeside Grill downstairs open mic nights are hosted by Alex The Red Parez every Wednesday, with this August 28th being a special five year anniversary! Alex has been hosting open mic night every Wednesday nights back when IOTA Club and Café was around. There are two signup times at 8:30pm and 10pm, with Alex playing at 10pm. This even is always free and there is no cover!

Alex The Red Parez aka El Rojo has been bringing acoustic rock and old-time country to the Washington DC Metro Area since 2006.  “El Rojo” to his friends, Parez takes inspiration from epic troubadours Johnny Cash, Bruce Springsteen, Tom Petty and local balladeer John Bustine amongst various other artists.

Last Show at Iota

Some of the big names that have graced Iota's stage

Saturday Sept 30 is the last day Iota will be open for live music and they are going out with a day long celebration of live music forever with more than a dozen acts. Starting at  noon, a $10 cover will get you in to see all these musicians and more:

Justin Jones
El Quatro
Alex Parez
Two Ton Twig
No Second Troy
Mike Ferrio
Lauren Calve
Jumpin Jupiter
The Cowards Choir
Mary Battiata and Little Pink
Delarcos
Gist
Metrosongs
Fuzz Queen
Margot MacDonald
Jose Miguel Contreras

Then on Sunday from noon to 8pm, a final closing and sale will happen on premises with beer and wine sales. Your last chance to take home a piece of Iota!

Last Train Home at Iota

Iota is playing its last song this Saturday Sept 30, and Last Train Home is returning to the stage to help say goodbye to the loved Clarendon venue with back to back shows. They are playing tonight Thursday Sept 28 as well as Friday with Karl Staub and The Graverobbers. Cover is $15 and music starts at 7:30pm

Goodbye Iota

Such a sad day to acknowledge that my favorite live music venue of all time Iota Club and Café will be closing for good on Sept 30 2017. As reported in detail by ArlNow, the owners have decided to pack it up after their lease ends as the building is being remodeled and ending Iota's unique place in Arlington culture for 23 years. Their final lineup so far is Last Train Home on the 28th and 29th.

While nothing can replace Iota, similar spots like Galaxy Hut down the street and Gypsy Sally's in Georgetown will continue to host bands that would have played here.

I have such fond memories of this place and all the wonderful people I've met there, like Justin Trawick, Derek Evry, Alex Parez, Margot MacDonald and Rae Williamson just to name a few. ArlNow has an extensive list of performances that have graced Iota's small stage. Here is a quick list of my favorite shows at the quirky place that kept Clarendon strange:

My first recorded Iota night almost 10 years ago with the fun local band Boxcar Collision.

Matthew Good's oddly quiet show in 2008

The super catchy pop punk Exit Clov bursting with style and cow bells







My first show with Juniper Lane and witnessing Vivion Smith's killer vocals

Ending 2008 on an amazing festive night with Ten Out of Tenn. Might have been the best concert experience ever.

That time Tristan Prettyman sold out her show and the first time I saw a line down the block for Iota. Luckily she came back in 2011.

Reni Lane!!!

Katie Herzig's Hologram song live along with Butterfly Boucher in the same night.

Juniper Lane and Margot MacDonald on the same night in 2012!

The week everything was free at Iota in 2014

Luckily for us the Nine Songwriter Series frequently visited Iota

Derek Evry is awesome. Middle Distance Runner is awesome. And both in the same night!

The unforgettable night with Invisible Witches debuting in summer of 2014.

When Boston based Air Traffic Controller dropped by and forever got their song Hurry Hurry stuck in my head.

Justin Trawick's birthday show in 2015. This is the most musically talented and active guy here.

Red Cross Hurricane Irma Benefit at Iota

This Friday and Saturday night Iota is hosting a concert to benefit the Red Cross Hurricane Relief effort. The $10 suggested donations goes towards people affected by the recent Hurricane Irma. If you can't make the show, you can donate online directly. Since Iota will be closing for good at the end of the month, this may be one of their last charity benefit shows. On the playlist tonight starting 8pm will be:
Plantface
David Kitchen
Wowee
PBC Vocal Band
Geff King
Chris Aaron
Jeff Smith

Crooked Angels at Iota

Iota has a full night of Americana music planned for Thursday August 10 with three great acts. Local rock legend Alex Parez, who is frequent at Iota, will play with his band The Hell Rojos bringing acoustic rock and old-time country. Joining them are the alt-country and Americana band from DC area The Walkways. Headlining the night is the "bourbon infused Americana" sounds from the husband and wife band The Crooked Angels. Cover is $10 and doors open at 7:30pm with music usually starting around 9pm.

Save Iota

This Wednesday, May 10th from 6-9pm at 2801 Clarendon Blvd, Regency Centers will be holding an open house to show off plans for the redevelopment and take input from the community. The grassroots Save IOTA group plans to tell Regency Centers directly that we want IOTA to be able to stay where they are without their building being redeveloped. They have over 600 signatures on their Change.org petition. Tell Regency Centers why it's important to have a live music venue that focuses on small acts in Clarendon. Before the meeting at 5:30pm we'll be meeting around the corner at IOTA to meet people and give out Save IOTA t-shirts to the first 50 people who show up!

Qianlei Li at Iota

Qianlei Li returns to Iota this Wednesday, March 8 at 10pm to once again play the unique Chinese violin Erhu and perform a variety of music from classic traditional songs to Adele covers. Qianlei has been playing the Erhu since she was six and has performed many times at local venues, including recently at the Verizon center before a Caps game. This Wednesday Qianlei will play along with other local talents at Iota's open mic night, presented by Alex Parez. Free show starts at 8pm.

Save IOTA!

I nearly had a heart attack when ArlNow.com broke the story of the possible future closing of Iota given the developer Regency Centers plan to the demolish 2800 Clarendon building. Since then, the developer who also owns Market Common Clarendon has responded saying they have "been actively working with the owner of IOTA since we acquired the center to do what we can to keep her as a part of the redevelopment."

Despite those assurances, local fans of the small live music venue that has graced our neighborhood for decades have created a petition to Arlington County to Save Iota and oppose the demolition plan. The next Clarendon Courthouse Civic Association meeting is happening this Thursday February 23 at 7:30pm at the Hyatt Place hotel in Courthouse (where Wilson Tavern used to be).

Come out to the Civic Association meeting Thursday night to voice your opinion and talk directly the developers. With the recent rash of local restaurant closings last year I don't think the community can stomach another loss, let alone a long time historical staple like Iota Club and Café.

1969 Classic Albums at Iota

Throwback to 1969 Classic Albums with local musicians at Iota this Saturday January 28! Cover is $12 and music starts at 8:30 pm.

• Alex Vans' Bad Business as The Stooges
• Jonny Grave feat. Maryjo Mattea as Led Zepplin
• Oh He Dead as The Beatles

Justin Trawick Birthday Show at Iota

Come to Iota in the Clarendon this coming Saturday, Jan 21 night for Justin Trawick's Seventh Annual 29th Birthday Show! Tickets are $12 and the show starts at 8:30pm with Louisa Hall Music opening followed by Justin Trawick and The Common Good! This show will feature Justin's entire band including Jean Finstad on upright bass, Josh Himmelsbach on mandolin, Pete Daniels and Matvei Sigalov on fiddle, rapper Flex Mathews, plus special guests!

Justin Trawick and the Common Good is a high energy "urban americana” band packed full of emotional raw musicianship, heartfelt lyrics, and powerful harmonies.  Justin is a local legend in the Arlington music scene who is very active with solo projects, the Common Good band, creating the Nine Songwriter Series and the Circus Life podcast.  In February 2014 Justin won Song of the Year at the Washington Area Music Awards for his song “All the Places That I’ve Been." Happy birthday Justin!

Alex The Red Parez at Iota

Every Wednesday night my favorite local live music venue Iota hosts an open mic night at no cover charge. This Wed November 16 the free open mic night is hosted by Alex Parez and features Brian Dolzani as the guest artist at 10pm. Two signups at 7:30pm and 10pm if you want to play onstage.

Julia Fanning at Iota

The incredible voice of Arlington local singer/songwriter Julia Fanning will be returning to Iota on Friday, July 8. She will be releasing her self-titled debut EP that day and joining her release party will be Erin and the Wildfire along with Lucas James Shaffer. Check out Julia's music video for her single "If I Had It All" as well. Music starts at 8:30 with a $12 cover.

Emily Henry EP Release at Iota

Emily Henry will be releasing her first EP, "Matchsticks", later this month and will be previewing the album on Sunday, May 15. Come celebrate the release at Iota with this local vocal and guitar talent and get the album almost a whole week early.

Featuring Vienna native songstress Natalie York and the Uptown Boys Choir front-man Kevin de Souza as guest acts. Music starts at 4pm and cover is $10. Later that night Small Houses plays at 8pm.

MetroSongs at Iota

Jason Mendelson started writing Metro themed songs years ago and gained fame by completing 86 songs, one for each of WMATA's 86 stations at the time. A talented musicians and guitarist, Jason and his Metrosongs band are playing again this Monday, April 25 at Iota. They are debuting the new spinning WHEEL OF METRO to add some random fun to the night along with:
The Grey A
Derek Evry
Matthew James Scott
and Faith & Kendra (of "13 Men" infamy)
Music begins at 7:30pm with a $10 cover.

SIRSY at Iota

This Friday, Jan 29 rock/soul duo SIRSY is touring at Iota in Clarendon. The upstate New York band features strong vocals by Melanie, who also plays drums and bass, and guitars and keyboards by Rich. With catchy songs like "Cannonball" the 8:30 show is bound to be energetic and entertaining. The $12 cover includes a set by singer/songwriter Julia Fanning as well.

A video posted by j u l i a f a n n i n g | jf (@juliafanning) on Jan 25, 2016 at 12:45pm PST

Party Like Its 1997 at Iota

This Saturday Oct 17 it's time to bring back your grudge style at Iota with a Classic Albums of 1997 themed night. Leading the night is the amazing and super energetic Party Like It's performing as No Doubt. Opening up for them is local duo Koshari as Radiohead, Skin Folds Five mimicking Ben Folds Five and also The Right Handed Lefties as Incubus. Cover is only $12 for the whole night!

Ska night at Iota

Tonight, July 27 Iota is hosting the National Sky Revival Tour starting at 8pm. Local ska/punk band Thirteen Towners joins Be Like Max, the A-Ok's and the Holophonics. Cover is only $12 for all four bands.

Footwerk at Iota

On Sunday June 21 Footwerk, a rising Washington DC-based indie hip-hop group who are about to release their debut LP Casual Encounters are playing at Iota. Their latest single "No Hurry" dropped last month exclusively on Brightest Young Things. Footwerk mixes hip-hop and other influential genres into their own unique sound. Cover is $15 for the entire day.

Iota is packing an entire day of live music into that Sunday, with music starting at 4pm with many artists appearing before Footwork including:

Shinobi Ninja
Accidents
Tejas Singh
Bo Jankans
DJ Ragz
Trevor Young

Classic Albums of 1996 at Iota

Travel back to the 90s this Saturday May 9! Iota is hosting another great night of classic albums, this time different local musicians channel songs that came out in 1996. Starting at 8pm and for a $12 cover, you get a lineup that includes:

Alex Vans and the Hide Away as BeckAcross the Sea (Evry/Scoops/Tufts/Walker) as Weezer
The Right Handed Lefties as The Cranberries
Rachel Levitin as Fiona Apple
Jacqueline Pie Francis as Tori Amos
Ardamus as Ras Kass
Hosted by Jamel Johnson