Moechella Unity Fest

D.C. musician and activist Justin “Yaddiya” Johnson and his Long Live GoGo organization are finishing off their Juneteenth weekend with a Sunday Moechella Unity Fest. He says the “unity” in the title has multiple meanings:  One is to bring together the different variations of the city’s official music. This show will include both old-school D.C. go-go bands like EU (most recently acclaimed by Glenn Close, who did “Da Butt” at the Academy Awards) and Junkyard Band, as well as bouncebeat go-go groups like TOB and ABM.  Yaddiya says that he wants to “bridge the gap” between the veteran outfits and the bouncebeat ones. He also wants to reach D.C.’s hip-hop scene, so DMV rappers Kingpen Slim, VISH, and YG Lil Bro will make guest appearances. Ultimately, Yaddiya wants to create unity with the presentation of the event itself. While many of his functions take place on crowded Northwest streets, this Father’s Day one is in Southeast with “festival-like grounds, and it shows our growth and provides an opportunity for a different experience.” That means there will be a “kids’ haven” and lots of vendors alongside Sugar Bear’s distinctive growl, Mone’t Bijan‘s potent vocal range, Junkyard’s cowbell and drums, and MTM’s R&B covers.  The event begins at noon on June 20 at Gateway DC Pavilion, 2700 Martin Luther King Jr. Ave. SE. Free.