by Cesar Perdomo and Lauren Goddard
This week, The Vinyl District will be looking back at some of the bands that called Gold Leaf home and the music they produced during their stay, as a reminder of the importance DIY spaces provide within a creative community and as an impetus to keep the existing spaces thriving.
As more artists began to settle into Gold Leaf Studios, word spread among the citizens of D.C. about a unique haven for creative individuals. As residents started to host more events, the popularity and notoriety around the studio grew.
It was during this period in 2007 when Alex Clarke from Fffever (from Day 1 of the retrospective, along with Laughing Man) was introduced to the newly formed group Ra Ra Rasputin. The group, which consisted of Brock Boss (vocals, guitar, keyboard, programming, percussion), Anna Rozzi (vocals, keyboard, percussion, guitar), Ken Quam (drums, percussion), and Patrick Kigongo (guitar, bass, percussion), soon landed their first gig at Gold Leaf in November of 2007, playing alongside Fffever. Later, Anna Rozzi left the band and was replaced with Joshua Shepard.
Ra Ra Rasputin soon became regulars at Red Door, an event space within Gold Leaf that was curated by the members of Laughing Man. With their unique sound of ’80s dance-based, post-punk rock and their energetic performances, Ra Ra Rasputin quickly gained popularity. In the summer of 2010 the members acquired their own studio space, and later that year they released their first self-titled album. Through the next year of their stay at Gold Leaf, Ra Ra Rasputin threw numerous memorable shows within the studio and just recently released two new singles. Check out a few memorable moments that Ra Ra Rasputin was able to bring us before the closure of iconic Gold Leaf Studios.
Photos by Cesar Perdomo
Videos by Robert “Scuba Rob” Orlowski
Top Gold Leaf Photo by Ben Droz
