Last Friday and Saturday night, a significant chunk of Washington, DC’s local music community got babysitters, tuned their guitars, found a good t-shirt (or in the case of a few women, the right tie) and headed to the Black Cat to celebrate its 20 year anniversary. With a line up handpicked by Dante Ferrando, the club’s owner and founder, there’s no doubt the shows would sell out, but both nights felt more like an extended family reunion than sold out concerts.

Ferrando drew the lineup from local talent, picking established, reunited, current, and legendary acts, including a few bands that also worked at the bar, and his own Gray Matter. And for some, that’s what the party was all about: The music. Every band had its own fans, but many people stayed planted on the familiar black and white checked floor from start to finish. But for others, there were moments when the music was the backdrop to the hugs of long-parted friends reuniting in the back of the main stage area.

ALWAYS tip your bartender