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Washington, D.C.

D.C. celebrities unite for 'Disco Dan' graffiti doc

Whitney Matheson
USA TODAY
A new film profiles D.C. graffiti artist Cool 'Disco' Dan.

I grew up not far from Washington, D.C., in the '80s and '90s, when the city got more press for the Marion Barry scandal and being America's "murder capital" than anything positive.

One fixture of the city streets back then was Dan Hogg, a graffiti artist who dubbed himself "Cool 'Disco' Dan." Dan witnessed the city's culture firsthand and was viewed as somewhat of a unifier. A new documentary illustrates Dan's powers by bringing together several folks you never thought you'd see in one movie, including Henry Rollins (who narrates), punk fixture Ian MacKaye, late "Godfather of Go-go" Chuck Brown, local horror host Count Gore de Vol and even, yes, Marion Barry.

The Legend of Cool "Disco" Dan tells the city's political and musical stories through Dan's eyes. Here's a preview:

If you're curious about D.C. politics, graffiti culture or the music from the area, I think it's worth checking out. The movie screens this month in the D.C. area and Baltimore, but you can pre-order a rental or DVD via cooldiscodan.com. (Fans who help spread the word about the movie can even receive a portion of the sales profits.)

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