Coming up May 16 – GottaSwing Dance at Chevy Chase Ballroom!
Click here for some cool video from the Quarry House!

"KEEPER OF THE ROCKABILLY FLAME" ~  Joel Sparks, On Tap Magazine

"MASTERS OF RED-HOT ROCKABILLY AND ROWDY HONKY TONK"
~ Richard Harrington, The Washington Post

"HONKY TONK THE WAY IT SHOULD BE" ~  Eric Brace, The Washington Post

"NIGHTLIFE AGENDA FAVORITE", "EXCELLENT" ~  Fritz Hahn, The Washington Post

"COUNTRY VOCALIST OF THE YEAR" ~  Washington Area Music Association, 2004 and 2006!

Back before they called it rock and roll they called it Western Bop.  In '55, the first time anyone called Elvis a King, they were calling him The King of Western Bop.  Buddy Holly's first business card advertised "Western & Bop".  Western Bop is where it all comes together --  Rockabilly, Classic Country, and Vintage Honky Tonk.  Western Bop is a flattop acoustic beating time like a big eight-wheeler comin' down the track. It's a bass fiddle getting slapped like there's no tomorrow. Throw in a stinging lead guitar, and you know you've found the right place. 

We're talking about high-energy rockabilly, tear-in-your-beer ballads, and hell-raising honky tonk all rolled into one exciting package.  The Washington Post calls it, "Honky Tonk the way it should be."

Forget the tribute bands, the oldies bands, the camp, and the kitsch. This is the real music, played the way it's supposed to be played -- straight ahead, a little bit blue, and one hell of a lot of fun.

The Washington Area Music Association recently named J.P. McDermott
Country Vocalist of the Year for 2007 -- Thanks for all your support!

Western Bop is back and its here to stay!

J.P. McDermott & Western Bop are based near Washington, D.C. and play songs by:
Buddy Holly, Webb Pierce, Johnny Cash, Warren Smith, Roy Orbison, Mac Curtis, Elvis Presley, Ray Price, Stonewall Jackson, Johnny Bush, Jerry Lee Lewis, Hank Williams, Carl Smith, Billy Lee Riley, Lefty Frizzell, Bob Luman, Willie Nelson, Eddy Arnold, Marty Robbins, Wynn Stewart, George Jones, and more, plus great original tunes in the same vein.....

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THE SHOWS

Saturday May 10	PRIVATE PARTY Baltimore, MD	We play private parties, weddings, corporate affairs, fund-raisers, you name it! Contact J.P. for more info!
Friday May 16	SWING DANCE! Chevy Chase Ballroom 5207 Wisconsin Ave., NW Washington, DC Drop-in beginner lesson 8:30-9pm, Dance 9pm-12midnight $15	If you're a dancer, you know how much fun these Friday nights at CCB can be -- a swell floor, and a great crowd. If you've never been, come to the free lesson at 8:30 -- Tom & Debra are a lot of fun, and you'll be dancing with authority by 9:00!
Saturday May 24	THE QUARRY HOUSE TAVERN 8401 Georgia Ave Silver Spring, MD 301-587-8350 9:00 pm - 1:00 am $6 Cover Smoke Free Dancing:  Yes -- Wooden Dance Floor Just two blocks from Silver Spring Metro	Get with the full Rockabilly Saturday night schedule at http://www.myspace.com/quarryhouserockabillysaturdaynight
Thursday May 29	Bethesda Metro Station Red Line Bethesda, MD 4:30 pm – 7:00 pm	J.P. plays solo and unamplified at the Bethesda Metro station. Part of the Metro Performs series. Stop by and give a listen!
Thursday June 5	JV RESTAURANT 6666 Arlington Blvd Falls Church, VA 703-241-9504 9:00 No Cover	Join us the first Thursday of every month at the friendliest honky tonk inside the beltway.
Saturday June 7	THE SURF CLUB 4711 Kenilworth Ave Bladensburg, MD 301-927-6310 9:00 pm Admission: $10 Smoke Free Dancing: Yes -- Great Wooden Dance Floor!	A rockin’ good time at the last of the PG County Honky Tonks!
Friday June 20	Silver Spring Metro Station Red Line Silver Spring, MD 4:30 pm – 7:00 pm	J.P. plays solo and unamplified at the Silver Spring Metro station. Part of the Metro Performs series. Stop by and give a listen!
Saturday June 28	CRAFTY BASTARDS SHOW Georgia Ave Silver Spring, MD 3:30 – 5:00	Live music, crafts, cool stuff. Sponsored by The Washington CityPaper
Saturday Aug 16	HEMPEN HILL BBQ Fountain Head Plaza Right off Route 81 at Exit 9 Hagerstown, MD 9pm - 1am Free!	Great food, room to dance and a lively atmosphere make this the best place to be on a Saturday night in Hagerstown. We’ve played here a couple of times and always had a ball. Join us, won’t you?
Saturday Aug 23	STEER INN TAVERN 10514 Racetrack Rd Berlin, MD 410-208-1900 9pm - 1am Free!	It’s not too early to get down to the beach for some Western Bop!

MARK YOUR CALENDAR NOW FOR THESE OTHER UPCOMING SHOWS!

Thu	May-01-08	JV Restaurant
Sat	May-10-08	Private Party
Fri	May-16-08	Chevy Chase Ballroom
Sat	May-24-08	Quarry House Tavern
Fri	May-30-08	Private Party
Sat	May-31-08	Quarry House Tavern
Thu	Jun-05-08	JV Restaurant
Sat	Jun-14-08	Quarry House Tavern
Sat	Jun-28-08	Quarry House Tavern
Thu	Jul-03-08	JV Restaurant
Sat	Jul-05-08	PG Pool
Sat	Jul-12-08	Quarry House Tavern
Sat	Jul-26-08	Quarry House Tavern
Sat	Aug-02-08	Quarry House Tavern
Thu	Aug-07-08	JV Restaurant
Sat	Aug-16-08	Hempen Hill BBQ
Sat	Aug-23-08	Steer Inn
Sat	Aug-30-08	Quarry House Tavern
Thu	Sep-04-08	Clovis Music Festival
Fri	Sep-05-08	Clovis Music Festival
Sat	Sep-06-08	Clovis Music Festival
Sat	Sep-13-08	Quarry House Tavern
Sat	Sep-20-08	Mobtown Greaseball
Sat	Sep-27-08	Quarry House Tavern
Thu	Oct-02-08	JV Restaurant
Sat	Oct-11-08	Quarry House Tavern
Sat	Oct-25-08	Quarry House Tavern
Thu	Nov-06-08	JV Restaurant
Sat	Nov-08-08	Quarry House Tavern
Sat	Nov-22-08	Hempen Hill BBQ
Sat	Nov-29-08	Quarry House Tavern
Thu	Dec-04-08	JV Restaurant
Sat	Dec-13-08	Quarry House Tavern
Sat	Dec-27-08	Quarry House Tavern

 Check back often to see what's coming up.

Click here to sign up for the announcement list.

SOME SHOWS FROM THE RECENT PAST...

Saturday Jan 26	Winter Dance Party: A CELEBRATION OF THE LIFE AND MUSIC OF BUDDY HOLLY! Chick Hall’s Surf Club 4711 Kenilworth Ave Bladensburg, MD 301-927-6310 9:00 pm Admission: $15 Smoke Free Dancing: Yes -- Great Wooden Dance Floor!			CELEBRATION OF BUDDY HOLLY'S LIFE AND MUSIC MARKS 49th ANNIVERSARY OF "THE DAY THE MUSIC DIED" J.P. recently appeared on WAMU FM talking about Buddy Holly’s life and music. Click here to listen! Click here to check out J.P. talking with internationally known Holly expert Colin Davies Sixth annual event gets vintage vibe at Chick Hall's Surf Club It's been nearly half a century since the world lost Buddy Holly in a plane crash, but his memory and his music live on.  On Saturday January 26th, the cream of the Washington area music scene will gather at Chick Hall's Surf Club for the sixth annual Winter Dance Party, a celebration of Buddy's incredible songs and his amazing life.  Holly was only 22 years old on that bitter cold night in February 1959, when the light plane he was traveling in crashed in a corn field outside Clear Lake, Iowa, killing all on board, and putting an end to one of the most creative and prolific careers of the rock and roll era. In a scant three years, Buddy left behind nearly 100 recordings, including at least 40 original songs, among them some of the greatest in the rock and roll canon. Though we lost Buddy, songs like "Peggy Sue", "It's So Easy", "Rave On", and "That'll Be The Day" live on through the years. Among the many acts that have covered Holly songs you'll find The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Linda Rondstadt, The Knack, The Trashmen, Nancy Griffith, Skeeter Davis, The Thirteenth Floor Elevator, The Searchers, The Stray Cats, Conway Twitty, Los Lobos, not to mention the Serendipity Singers, and many more. The Winter Dance Party will feature Buddy's exciting, fun, and heartfelt music all night long, with diversions into the careers of Ritchie Valens and the Big Bopper who also perished in the same plane crash. From The Surf Ballroom to The Surf Club The last venue Holly, Valens, and the Bopper ever played was the Surf Ballroom in Clear Lake, Iowa.  It's somehow fitting that this year's party comes to the storied Chick Hall's Surf Club in Bladensburg, MD.  With it's mirror ball, hardwood dance floors, and vintage bandstand, the Surf has the real feel of a great old dance hall.  Lovingly referred to as "the last of the PG County honky tonks", the Surf Club has been the site of many great shows from the time it opened in 1955 right up until today.  (Believe it or not, this will be the last Saturday night show at the Surf Club.  The Hall family has completed the sale of the property, and will turn it over to the new owners on February 1, 2008). J.P. McDermott & Western Bop to Host As it has been every year, the celebration is hosted by Washington Area Music Assocation award winner J.P. McDermott (Best Country Vocalist, Country Recording of the Year). McDermott has an abiding love for Buddy's music, and a vast repertoire including more than 30 Holly tunes. J.P. says, "The Winter Dance Party is always a blast -- we get to play all this fantastic music, share some of Buddy's story, and explore some of the connections and influences he had on rock and roll through the years." McDermott's versatile and hard-rocking combo, Western Bop (Bob Newscaster, Louie Newmyer, and Tom Bowes), will serve as the house band, backing a plethora of special guests representing some of the finest musicians from the diverse and compelling music scene around Washington and Baltimore. Artist scheduled to appear include: J.P. McDermott and Western Bop The Starlingtons The Hall Monitors The Garnet Hearts ellen cherry Michael Jantz Billy Coulter Dagmar (The Seductones) The Droptops David Kitchen & Andy Rutherford (The Thrillbillys) Bill Williams Seth Kibel Sookey Jump And maybe even more! This will be the sixth annual installment of the Buddy Holly celebration. The Winter Dance Party is one of the highlights of the season, gets bigger and better every year, and is one whole heck of a lot of fun. This is a once-a-year chance to hear some of the greatest rock and roll music ever written performed by a wide range of great talent, and dance at a classic venue that dates back to Buddy's time.  The show starts at 9:00. Admission is $15.00. Get there early for a good seat!
Sunday April 27		Kensington Day of the Book Howard Avenue Kensington, MD Free 2:30 pm	This is a wonderful street festival, rain or shine. Over 100 local authors, book and paper artists, small press publishers, literary groups, booksellers, and community organizations will set up along two blocks of Howard Avenue in Kensington Md to show, sell, and discuss their books and art. Music starts at noon with Esther Haynes & Keith Grimes. Western Bop is at 2:30. We’ll be right across from the train station in front of the Prevention of Blindness Thrift store.
Saturday Feb 9		SWING DANCE! Spanish Ballroom Glen Echo, MD Drop-in beginner lesson 8:00-9pm, Dance 9pm-12midnight $15	A Rockabilly Battle of the Bands : Rockin’ Bones versus Western Bop! Our first foray at the storied Spanish Ballroom – you won’t find a better place to dance, or more fun for your entertainment dollar. Plus, we’re going to win -- Be there to cheer us on!
Thursday Feb 14		Holiday Park Senior Center 3950 Ferrara Drive Wheaton, MD 1:15 p.m. Tickets: $2.00	Red-Hot Rockabilly Valentine’s Day Dance! This is open to the public, and seniors are especially encouraged to come on by and dance!
Thursday Feb 14		HEAD OVER HEELS Old Town Hall 3999 University Dr, Fairfax 7:30 - 8:00: complimentary swing lesson Western Bop at 8:00	Evening Valentine’s Dance! Have a nice dinner somewhere, then bring your sweetheart out for some dancing on the fine hardwood floor at the Old Town Hall in Fairfax. Our first time there!
Saturday Jan 5		NICK LOWE TRIBUTE The Barns At Wolf Trap	SOLD OUT!
Saturday Nov 3		SWING DANCE! CityDance Center at Strathmore 5301 Tuckerman Lane North Bethesda, MD Drop-in beginner swing workshop 7:30-8pm Dance 8-10:45pm $15	A fantastic room for dancing. If you've never been, come to the free lesson at 7:30 -- you'll be dancing by 8:00!
Saturday March 9		McGINTY’S PUBLIC HOUSE 911 Ellsworth Drive Silver Spring, MD 8:30-10:30pm $10 Dancing:  Yes – Large Wood Dance Floor!	Finally -- live music Sunday nights in Silver Spring! Full bar, good food, and a good dance floor. The perfect end to a good weekend. Dancing is permitted, and encouraged, but not required. A GottaSwing production, hosted by:
Sunday Oct 7		TAKOMA PARK STREET FESTIVAL Carroll Avenue, Takoma Park, MD (240)253-4229 10 am - 5pm (Rain or Shine) Metro: Red Line to Takoma Park Western Bop at 1 pm at the Dance Stage Dancing: Yes, on pavement	The best street festival around -- great food, cool vendors, and 18 bands take over the streets of Takoma Park for a Sunday -- this is the 26th annual. Some of the great music scheduled: Joe Uehline, Patty Reese, Billy Coulter, One Horse Town, The Alexandria Kleztet, Tommy Lepson, The Nighthawks, Robert Lighthouse, and more! We're on the big stage just up the street from the Takoma Park Metro at 1:00 -- a fine chance to see Western Bop outdoors in the daylight! (Takoma Park is a great place to find cool stuff -- beside all the vendors at the street fest, you'll find the great shops that line Carroll Ave -- places like Glad Rags! where you can find all sorts of interesting clothes, from vintage to modern.)
Saturday Oct 6		WEDDING Stevensville, MD	We play private parties, weddings, corporate affairs, fund-raisers, you name it! Contact J.P. for more info!
Saturday Sept 22		MOBTOWN GREASEBALL Putty Hill Station 2531 Putty Hill Ave. Parkville, MD