DAM! Festival 2007

Whereas CMJ continues to look less and less interesting to me this year, the Washington, D.C.-area DAM! Festival is starting to look like a very pleasant surprise.

Much like CMJ, the DAM! Festival (a/k/a/ The District's Awake! Music Festival) features local and national indie artists playing at a variety of venues across town. While DAM! is significantly smaller (about 35 bands at DAM! vs. hundreds at CMJ), they've still managed to put together a number of compelling shows. The full schedule can be found here, but these are the shows I'll be seeing:

Thurs., 10/11
Vandaveer and Julie Ocean at The Red & The Black, and if I can make it, I'll then run down the block to the Rock and Roll Hotel for The Big Sleep and Dirty on Purpose.

Fri., 10/12
The Beanstalk Library, The Teeth and Dragons of Zynth at the Rock and Roll Hotel.

Sat., 10/13
Pela and Stellastarr* at the Sixth & I Historic Synagogue, and if I can make it, I'll try to catch These United States at DC9.

Mon., 10/15
If I'm in DC, I may try to hit Cat Power. Otherwise, I'll be in NYC seeing The National, The Little Ones and Pela (again) at Highline Ballroom.

Oh, and if these shows weren't enough, it was announced this week that WOXY.com is sponsoring the DAM! Festival this year, so you know it's gonna be good.