Republic in Takoma Park Kicking off their Live Music Program with Krist Novoselic from Nirvana Sunday

6937-6939 Laurel Ave

From an email:

“Republic will officially launch their music program this month, hosting a live event on Sunday with Krist Novoselic, award-winning bassist from Nirvana. The event will benefit Takoma Park-based FairVote (http://www.fairvote.org/), of which Krist is board chair, and also features New Yorker essayist, Hendrik Hertzberg and a number of Maryland politicians including State Senator Jamie Raskin and Congressman Chris Van Hollen. Food and drinks from Republic’s new late night menu will also be available, with 5% of proceeds going to FairVote. See attached invitation for more info:

Republic, the newest addition to Black Restaurant Group, will debut their live music program and a new late night menu this March. Booking Manager and 9:30 club veteran, Catherine Rytkonen, will manage a diverse music line-up, featuring a wide variety of performances including open mic nights, blues nights, and jam sessions. Chef/partner Danny Wells and bar manager, Brett Robison, have collaborated on a late night food and drink menu which can be enjoyed throughout the restaurant, and on the expansive back patio, weather-permitting.

The late night menu from Chef Danny Wells features savory comfort dishes such as the restaurant’s signature Smith Meadows burger on a pretzel bun with mustard ale cheese and aioli for $13; a duck confit Cubano ($14) with country ham, bread & butter pickles, Swiss cheese and Poblano chilies; and slow braised lamb empanadas ($12) with spinach, roasted garlic and Salva Cremasco cheese. Snacks such as smoked tuna and olive tapenade ($6) and jerk-spiced sweet potato chips ($4) are available as lighter bites. Desserts include a cookie plate ($6) and a buttermilk panna cotta ($7). The menu is available after dinner service through last call: Sundays: 9:00 pm-11:30 pm; Monday through Thursday 9:30 pm-12:30 am and Friday and Saturday 10:00 pm-1:30 am.

Bar manager Brett Robison will debut new cocktails such as the Ring of Fire ($11), an homage to Johnny Cash made with Hennessy VS Cognac, Romana Sambuca, Peychaud’s bitters, an Angostura flame and lemon and orange peels; the Troll’s Blood ($12), a twist on a classic flip made with Cynar, Angostura bitters, an Angostura flame, sugar, and an egg white. Finally, ‘Bingers,’an industry staple—beer and shot combos conceived by Robison and Wells—is a lineup of six favorite beer and shot combinations assembled by the Republic staff. The Purple Suit ($8) is a shot of Robison’s house-made shrub and a wheat beer, while the Johnny Blaze ($8) plays homage to Wells’ friend and Republic regular whose standing order is a Bulleit rye and a ‘beer for show’. The full menu can be found here.

The regular musical performances will begin in March, with Sunday Open Mic Night every second and fourth Sunday. Every first and third Sunday showcases the coveted “artist spotlight” from the previous week’s open mic night (with the exclusion of March 9th). Monday will be Blues Monday Night, while Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights will be reserved for live concerts. On those nights, music will typically commence as dinner service begins to slow down. The music schedule will be updated on the website at www.republictakoma.com/eventsoffers/.

Acts will be booked by Rytkonen, a Takoma Park native and avid supporter of the local music scene. She has collaborated with the likes of Justin Jones, 9:30 Club Records’ first artist. As the first live music venue in the artistically inclined Takoma Park neighborhood, local musicians will be well represented in the line-up. Upcoming acts include Hard Swimmin’ Fish on March 17; popular Brooklyn-based band, Kalen and the Sky Thieves on March 22; and Takoma resident Djesben on April 11. Grammy award winning Nirvana bassist, Krist Novoselick will host a Democracy Party for his organization, FairVote, on March 9.

In the spirit of building a community hub where musicians can network and support one another, performances will be free of charge for the most part, but guests are encouraged to tip at will. There may be instances where a moderate ticket fee will be charged, which will be indicated on the calendar.”