Americana Hour at Right Proper Brewing

Eli Waltz is rekindling an old flame. Hosted at Right Proper Brewing in Shaw and put on by Indivisible Art Collective, Waltz’s Americana Hour program is a musical showcase for folk and blues artists from the DMV. The show will feature Waltz on guitar and harmonica for the first half, and then Danah Koch of the Dead Pens, a Maryland-based artist known for her powerful vocals. Waltz, a founding partner of Dupont cocktail bar Astoria, will showcase his past skills as a blues harmonica session player and songwriter. Waltz tells City Paper he and his booking partner Doug Burdette want to highlight the area’s unsung impact on blues and folk music. “D.C. has this rich history that’s not just about politics,” Waltz says. “There’s this history of blues, and folk, and country.” Alongside its rich go-go and punk scenes, the District was also a source of inspiration for artists like Bob Dylan and Delta blues artist Skip James, Waltz says, and the larger area was the birthplace of other artists, like the father of American primitive guitar John Fahey, who started Takoma Records. “The goal is to keep this fire burning, and it’s the artists that are the ones that are keeping it alive, whether they’re in D.C. proper or outside in the neighboring states,” Waltz says. Waltz and Burdette hope the Right Proper sessions will become a longer series, forging a place where local folk and blues artists can shine and listeners can return to. If you miss the show, Waltz will be playing again with his band, Eli and the Waltz, at Hill Country Live on April 2. Americana Hour runs from noon to 3 p.m. on March 26 at Right Proper Brewing, 624 T St. NW. rightproperbrewing.com. Free. Proof of vax required.