IOTA Club Arlington Virginia Closes Down its doors putting on a Final Show with a Bang! Sat Sep 30th 2017!

IOTA you will be missed! 

Since my friend Jason Mendelson of MetroSongs gave me the courage to start performing again after one of my good friends Shawn Dake passed away due to suicide, IOTA open mic night got me going again. Since the day I checked out the venue and performed on stage, there has always been an electric aroma to this place. A place where you didn't get jugged, you were able just to do you. To find the right combination of life, city, and humbleness always made me feel that there was something genuinely different and very special about IOTA and the people I got to meet. "El Rojo" aka Alex Perez has done a phenomenal job running the place and everyone is appreciative for all his effotrs always making every Wed night for three years with the exception of two such a success! 

I felt so nervous inside the first time I got up there.

In the process of looking for a guitarist to record and perform with. I was really fortunate to get to perform with some really great musicians from Washington DC. Not having anyone to work on music with I would stop by any Wednesday night I could and jump on stage with anyone brave enough to improv something with me on stage with ABSOLUTELY NO PRACTICE. 

I was lucky to be able to perform with  Kaylon the night before he left to France. This video captured by my friend Lindsey Crumling was the first time meeting Kaylon and the last time seeing Kaylon.

Alex called my number and I went up to Ray the first guitarist I approached to see if he would go on stage with me. He went outside and got Kaylon to go up on stage with me and I'm so happy that the moment  was captured. 

These open mic nights where mini therapeutic sessions for the things that where going on inside of me that I had been holding in my unconscious mind, which IOTA helped me release on stage.

After my trip back from Peru and seeing all of my family. I felt it was even more of a duty of mine to continue pursuing the thing I love most, being on stage and signing, most importantly being blessed enough to have the privileged to do so.

On the stage of IOTA I was able to ride my emotions via the vehicle of melodies being played by selective musicians I was lucky enough to perform with in its time of existence.

While in Peru I wrote a song in my grandfathers home in a section where he used to play his exact guitar I was holding for the first time in over 22 years. I improved in front of my Uncle Benjamin and this is what came about.

I then took the song I came up with and my grandfathers guitar I brought back from Peru and prepared to get on stage. For the very first time was getting ready to play and sing the guitar. I had seen Marcus another musician I got to meet at IOTA. Marcus is one of those very talented people who can play multiple instruments. After seeing him play his harmonica on the set before me I asked him if he would go on stage with me and without any hesitation we took the stage.

Being able to play with Jorge Serafin was very special and memorable as we both dedicated a song to my grandfather and to my all my family back in Lima Peru. That was a very special night.

RIP IOTA!

IOTA will host live music all day from noon until close, presenting over a dozen local and touring acts. The party begins with D.C. based singer-songwriter Margot MacDonald and charges on with some of our favorite locals like The Cowards Choir, Justin Jones and Laura Tsaggaris. The show will end with a performance from José Miguel Contreras of Canadian indie rock band By Divine Right–check out the full lineup below. It’s a $10 cover to get in.
For the rest of the week, IOTA has an open mic on Wednesday and two shows from Last Train Home on Thursday and Friday.
IOTA’s Farewell Show Lineup
Margot MacDonald
FuzzQueen
MetroSongs
Gist
The Delarcos
Little Pink
The Cowards Choir
Jumpin’ Jupiter 
Lauren Calve
Mike Ferrio
No Second Troy 
Two Ton Twig 
Alex Parez
El Quatro
Laura Tsaggaris / Justin Jones
Jose Miguel Contreras