Capital Acts: Washington DC Performing Arts

“In these pages Moore, (and co-authors Holliday, Lorenz, and Young) give readers a panoramic look at the wide variety of arts that have either premiered or flourished in DC and written with warmth and irresistible energy throughout, regularly picking the perfect anecdotes and vignettes to bring DC’s artistic history to life.

Fans of the scene shouldn’t miss this book, and its sheer energy will make it of interest far beyond the beltway. A lively and richly detailed story of Washington, DCs artistic history.”

- Kirkus Reviews

“A treasure trove of life stories, legends, and long-lost lore that for the first time fully illuminates the richness and depth of the DC area music scene.”

- Pete Kennedy/The Kennedys

"Several of the narratives of this historical research and contemporary interviews will be familiar — who doesn’t know about the Muppets? — but some of it, very likely most of it, will be new to you. Or, if the name is familiar, you might not be aware about the local origins of seminal acts that got their starts in the Washington area, the world-famous Ringling Brothers circus and entertainment pioneer Al Jolson being examples.

You will also learn about some of the talented artists DC claims as its own but never made it into the show business mainstream despite undeniable and astonishing talent. Danny Gatton, for instance. And John Fahey. And Eva Cassidy. The list goes on." (From the Foreword)

- Buzz McCLain, former critic with The Washington Post.

• JOHN DUFFEY'S BLUEGRASS LIFE: FEATURING THE COUNTRY GENTLEMEN, SELDOM SCENE, AND WASHINGTON, D.C. - Second Edition by STEPHEN MOORE and G.T. KEPLINGER. Foreword by TOM GRAY
  John Duffey's Bluegrass Life: Featuring The Country Gentlemen, Seldom Scene and Washington, D.C. is the definitive biography of one of bluegrass music's most important artists in the history of the genre. His work as a founding member of these two pioneering bands, John Duffey urbanized bluegrass and introduced it to a broad new audience.
• All Roads Lead to The Birchmere: America's Legendary Music Hall by Gary Oelze and Stephen Moore
  The rousing, illustrated story of the Birchmere music hall by founder and operator Gary Oelze with music writer Stephen Moore. Performers, staff, journalists, and patrons share their stories of bluegrass, folk, blues, jazz, r&b, and more.