Losing a DC Institution
Yesterday, friends all over social media began sharing the news that 18th Street Lounge would be closing permanently after 25 years. As I read the article, I felt compelled to share it and add a few words on my own socials, but then I paused for a second. I decided this would require a little deeper dive into my thoughts on losing a Washington, DC institution. So here we are…
Interior shot of ESL. Photo courtesy of 18th St. Lounge
There are so many things that could be said about ESL. And I’m sure as I cycle through all my friends posts about the closing, everything has literally been said. So I’ll give you my side of this and try to avoid going into too much detail on the space itself. Though it’s hard to imagine thinking of ESL without talking about the venue… the long stairway up, the gorgeous bars, the vintage sofas throughout, the outdoor space. Literally every aspect of ESL feeds into its history and legend. But for so many of us, ESL was a bit more.
This was the first bar/club I went to upon visiting DC during a job interview. I went with my friends Dan Kelly and Matt Crossley. We got a drink, sat on one of the couches and talked about my impending divorce and reasons behind why I was leaving California. I remember thinking to myself back then, “what a cool city to have these dope bars and clubs built into these DC row house mansions.” We certainly didn’t have anything like that back in Oakland or SF.
After moving to DC, I found myself going to ESL quite a lot with my friends. Being avid Thievery Corporation fans, we loved the vibes of ESL. We enjoyed the variety of music. And as a fan of dance music, I absolutely loved the deep house that would encapsulate ESL on Sunday nights. You see, I got my interest in dance music from a variety of places. But the core of my “EDM” interest was forged by deep house parties in Tampa, Florida featuring legends like Little Louie Vega, King Britt, Marques Wyatt, and Mark Farina. So you can imagine the feelings and emotions I would have walking into those ESL parties and feeling that same music that pushed me into the dance music world. This is mostly pre-DVS photography days. I was a writer first. And so taking in these spaces, watching, listening and feeling was how I would process my experiences and emotions. As I mentioned above, I was going through a divorce when I first moved to DC, so these parties were therapeutic to me. They gave me an escape from the terrible reality I was facing. And to be frank, it gave me a chance to see that I would be okay as a single guy living in Washington, DC.
One of my favorite memories of ESL was a Sunday Night party with the late Sam “The Man” Burns. I went with my friend Cathy and we literally danced for house to some incredible house music. I remember looking around the room and seeing faces of all colors and backgrounds smiling and grooving. This is what humanity looks like. And it was facilitated by this nightclub. Of course these things aren’t unique to ESL. But in DC, a city dominated by politics and division, it was that unity that helps hold things together. We could sure use some of that unity through music right about now.
When I saw the news ESL was closing for good, I can’t say I was surprised. In the era of COVID lockdowns, I knew many businesses wouldn’t make it. But this one hurt. We didn’t get to say goodbye.
Driving home last night, I couldn’t help but feel that sadness. We’ll never walk up to that building again. We’ll never walk up those stairs again. We’ll never order a drink at the crowded bar. We’ll never see Thomas Blondet DJing in that little booth. We’ll never walk out the back door on to that rooftop again. We’ll never go room to room checking out the different vibes. And we’ll never sit down on one of those vintage couches and talk about life and let our problems escape us for that little moment in time. It sucks. And it hurts. We’ll miss you ESL. We’ll miss you more than I think most of us realize right now.
The rooftop patio and bar on the back of ESL. Photo courtesy of 18th St. Lounge