I’ve written a few times about Playback the Tape, the fun event showing screening of vintage VHS clips that takes place every month: they find or are given VHS tapes and organize a screening around some theme at a bar or restaurant. There’s vintage hilarity and weirdness (often complete with the original commercials.)
In October I went to a hilarious Halloween event (complete with Garfield’s Halloween special) at the Mothership, and since then they’ve had events at various places around town.
However, they now have a permanent home at Petworth Citizen at 829 Upshur Street NW. The first show there is “The Birds and the Bees” with shows on sex-ed and sexual politics. Sounds like a fun one. They’re also giving out free Sticky Fingers cupcakes to the first 20 folks.
Here’s their full press release.
PLAYBACKTHETAPE CELEBRATES ONE YEAR ANNIVERSARY WITH “THE BIRDS AND THE BEES” AND PERMANENT HOME/SCHEDULE AT PETWORTH CITIZEN
March 20, 2015 – Washington, DC –
Following a full year venue-hopping month after month,PLAYBACKTHETAPE celebrates its first anniversary with a now-permanent home venue in the Reading Room at Petworth Citizen, and a regular schedule of shows on the fourth Thursday of every month.
Kicking off the second season is a One Year Anniversary Show called“The Birds and the Bees,” featuring an assemblage of recorded television specials demonstrating an evolving view of sexual education, politics, and liberation on TV from the 1980s through the 1990s. Plus,free first anniversary celebration cupcakes for the first 20 attendees, compliments of Sticky Fingers Sweets & Eats.
What: PLAYBACKTHETAPE presents: The Birds and the Bees
When: Thursday, March 26th @ 8:00 p.m.
Where: Petworth Citizen’s Reading Room – 829 Upshur Street NW, Washington, DC
Tickets: Free (all ages)
The program includes four home-recorded television specials, each complete with vintage commercials and ancillary content captured from original broadcast:
- “Hickory Hideout” (1984) – episode of locally-produced kids show teaching where babies come from
- “Cathy” (1987) – animated special based on the newspaper comic; Cathy and her boyfriend decide to see other people (NEVER RELEASED ON VIDEO)
- “Seinfeld” The Mango episode (1993) – Elaine opens up about faking orgasms
- Barbara Walters Special (2000) – interview segment grilling Ricky Martin about his sexuality
Plus, special thanks to our sponsor, Sticky Fingers Sweets & Eats, who is providing complimentary first anniversary celebration cupcakes to the first 20 attendees!
ABOUT PLAYBACKTHETAPE:
Always free, all ages, and always nerd-tastic, PLAYBACKTHETAPE is a monthly mashup of informal academia and cheeky nostalgia, using donated, rescued, and submitted VHS content as its springboard. Submission guidelines and more information can all be found at playbackthetape.com
