In DMV’s underground music scene, one gogo band has emerged as savvy enough to break out of the local market: The Uncalled 4 Band (also known as UCB).

UCB has been around the DMV music scene for over a decade—and with their recent gig as house band for the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards, the next ten years could definitely mean that a new kind of gogo fusion will be heard on radio stations across the nation.

The Uncalled 4 Band (UCB)

According to Mike, a 13 year veteran of UCB, “this could be the biggest thing to happen to gogo since EU and School Daze.” I met with some of UCB’s talented musicians last week at a welcome home event sponsored by The Board Entertainment and I Got It For Free Promotions to find out what exactly UCB has ahead of them.

The general atmosphere of the event at Rose’s Dream (located on H Street, NE) was one of low-key excitement and several local media outlets (as well as fans) were there to congratulate the band on their outstanding performance at the award ceremony.

It’s not often that the DMV is represented on a national platform in any topic other than politics, so I’m not exaggerating when I say that UCB’s gig as the MTV Video Music Awards house band was huge for those of us wondering why super-talented local musicians rarely make it out of the local circuit.

“They made the right moves,” said longtime DC promoter Dre All Day. “They took their music into a new direction and set themselves apart. UCB always had the ear of the city.”

“It’s really cool that MTV notices that me and my band have chemistry, because we’ve been playing together for four years now,” Wale said a few weeks ago in an interview about UCB with MTV reporters. “The chemistry is definitely there. We’re going to bring that young energy and that D.C. style to the table.”

And now—after performing onstage for an audience that included huge artists such as Puffy, Jay Z, and Janet Jackson—it’s clear that their “energy” and “chemistry” have caught the ear of some very big players in the music industry.

The unique nature of gogo goes well beyond simple chemistry, and in terms of social impact, syncopated rhythms of gogo music seems to mirror the oxymoronic nature of DC itself: the city is home to the government of a nation that stands as a beacon of freedom across the globe and yet we are not afforded the same voting rights as the rest of the nation; the city is home to some of the most rich and powerful players on the planet, and yet nearly 1 out of 5 DC residents live below the poverty line; the city is home  to some of the most prestigious private schools in the country and yet the public school system has been on the brink of failure for years.

From Duke Ellington and the birth of jazz, to Chuck Brown and the birth of gogo, music  is at the heart of not only DC, but it’s also the reason why there is no place on earth like the DMV.

UCB is now in a position to really live up to the musical tradition of DMV artistry as they continue in their efforts to develop gogo into a fusion that encompasses a wider audience of music lovers across the country.

“The sky’s the limit,” said the band’s drummer, Eric. “There is hope and promise in gogo music.”

Moving forward, part of the challenge for UCB will continue to be exposing gogo to people who have never heard it before, or aren’t quite sure what to make of the unique beats and syncopation that characterizes the gogo sound.

“You can’t think local and expect to have big time results” said UCB lead guitar Stan, “You have to go out of your comfort zone and appeal to a wide audience.  Overall, the experience [at the VMAs] really reinforced the work necessary to be successful…we practiced 12 hours a day for about a week for the VMA performance…we’ve done a lot in DC but we have bigger dreams. For us, this was our introduction to the world.”

The other band members echoed Stan’s thoughts about thinking big, working hard, and stepping outside the box. According to the UCB musicians, they have created a perfect mix of originality and determination—they have been able to figure out a new fusion of gogo and hip-hop that broke through the DMV market due to dedicated musical research and a willingness to try new things.

Check out these clips of the band performing with hip hop artist Kid Cudi as well as 3Oh!3.

“The VMAs were very big.  It was a stepping stone for gogo, but we still got a lot more work to do” was Slump’s comment from his perspective as the congo player for UCB. “We’re gonna stay humble and really take it all in as a blessing and keep it going.”

The band was also extremely grateful for the support and love they receive here at home. When asked if they had any thing they’d like to say to everyone, they said “Thank you!  Thank you to the DMV, to all our supporters, and thanks to DMVSavvy.”

Oh, and by the way—I’m sure you’ve heard that Wale has been signed to be an opening act for Jay Z’s upcoming Blueprint 3 Tour which will travel throughout the U.S. and Canada.  The question remains: is the hometown favorite, UCB, going to perform on tour with one of the greatest rappers of all time?

Of course your sistah from another mistah was on the job!

I tracked down the HNIC and asked him for a DMVSavvy scoop. But guess what folks—Dax Witherspoon, UCB’s manager, wasn’t about to let the cat out of the bag. When asked if UCB would be performing on the Blueprint 3 Tour along with Wale, his only comment was “I’m not at liberty to say if the band will be performing on the upcoming tour.”

Hmmm….very mysterious Mr. Witherspoon…stay tuned folks—more information to come!

©Copyright by Kamina Newsome 2009
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