When picturing faces like those of Nick Cave, Charlie Chaplin and Captain Hook, the easiest thing to remember is their facial hair. Thick or thin, black or ginger, mustaches can say a lot about a person, and can compliment an outfit better than any woman's handbag. Recognizing the wonders of the mustache, DC9 is revving its engines to pay tribute this April as host to Stache Bash.
The Stache Bash 2009 Rock N' Roll Tour started April 2 in New York and will hit the District April 16 - its ninth stop. In each city, local bands will join forces with the group Della Valle. The band gained popularity with their first album, "Pink Elephants" and have been playing at the CMJ Music Festival since 2005. Della Valle is also the creator of a documentary, "The Glorious Mustache Challenge," which follows his attempts to bring back the golden days of mustaches on men under 30. Mustaches may have hit their peak during the '70s, but wearers are still standing proud.
"I wear it half ironically and half in appreciation of my youth when I used to idolize pirates and soldiers on horseback," Sean Mulligan, a junior in the School of Public affairs, said about his facial hair. Mulligan proudly sports a Van Dyke, a mustache-beard combo named after a Flemish painter. "This is the only time in my life I'll be able to live out that fantasy - I do it now for the little Sean of the past who couldn't do it."
Sporting a Borat-esque mustache, Della Valle and his band have been a constant at Stache Bash, starting with their single shows throughout the past three years. Stache Bash's main attraction besides the bands is a mustache contest. While the music plays on stage, judges will be wandering around the crowd and seeking out the best and worst mustaches. These judges will grab noticeable and note-worthy handlebars, and the audience will have the final say on who is deemed a winner. Concert-goers are also encouraged to "dress to their 'stache," donning outfits that change their identity from their own to their facial hairs.
The tour is a continuation of Della Valle's attempt at spreading the popularity of the mustache, the main purpose of his documentary.
"My overall goal has been and will be to raise the consciousness of the mustache," Della Valle told ABC about his documentary. Though the tour certainly has this sentiment at heart, it is also about celebration of the facial adornment.
Though their mustaches will be removable, ladies aren't left out of the fun. Women are welcome to create their own or buy a stick-on mustache and run with the best of natural-grown mustaches. It may be the one chance women get to dance around looking fine with hair on their upper lips.
Beer, music and mustaches are a winning combination to the Stache Bash crew, and none is more important than the other. From Albany, N.Y., to Richmond, Va., concerts will feature local bands and Della Valle. For the D.C. concert at DC9, Stache Bash has drafted locals Conshafter and The Grilled Lincolns.
Conshafter are a four-man, alt-rock band from Virginia. Their latest album, "Bombs Away, Baby" was released in October of 2008. Their song "Porn Star Mustache" will make an almost certain appearance on the set list. The Grilled Lincolns, the third band playing with Della Valle, were founded in 2000 and have been playing shows in and around the Beltway since then. Also called The G-Linx, the five-member group will bring their original sound to DC9 for Stache Bash. While only two of The G-Linx sport 'staches, hopefully they'll join in the spirit of the night with newly-grown facial hair in the vein of Burt Reynolds or Zorro. Both bands will also appear in the line-up of the Baltimore concert, with Conshafter continuing on for the Richmond concert.
Whether your mustache is homemade or the result of nature's work, Stache Bash 2009 Rock N' Roll Tour is the chance to celebrate one of the most versatile facial features man possesses. Whether it is seductive, intimidating or oddly hilarious, the mustache can say many things. And on Thursday, April 16th they will all be screaming party. The event is open to people 18 or above, with an admission price of $10. Doors open at 8 p.m.
You can reach this staff writer at kboghosian@theeagleonline.com.
