Earlier this month MuralsDC unveiled a new work paying homage to the distinct DC sound of go-go music.
The mural “Go-Go City” by artist Kaliq Crosby depicts a young boy playing percussion on a five-gallon jug, a nod to go-go’s history of musician’s playing on found objects. The mural also features the bright colors and font from a classic go-go poster found throughout the city in the 80s and 90s. Crosby told the DCist, “I just wanted to create something that pays homage to the city and the sound, which defines us and really sets us apart.”
Crosby’s mural is located on the wall of an expensive apartment building where a local battle over go-go erupted in 2019. Allegedly, a resident made a complaint about the loud music coming from the Metro PCS store across the street. The store’s owner Donald Campbell has played go-go through loudspeakers on the corner since 1995. When T-Mobile executives told Campbell to stop playing the music, locals gathered for dance parties in protest and created a petition that received over 80,000 signatures.
Another MuralsDC artist Aniekan Udofia is painting an addition to the mural to the left of Crosby’s go-go piece. Crosby plans to complete a third panel this fall. Once completed, the mural will span eighty feet.