Archive 2015

Just in time for the summer season, the annual build-out for The Metro Underground is now complete. No doubt, this was our largest build-out since we launched efforts back in 2008. It's been quite the undertaking, but it we've added a lot so we have all that much more to offer.  Our apologies for the delay, but due to personal reasons it was necessary to take a brief hiatus. Either way, we're finally back so we hope you enjoy! 

First & Foremost, Our Email has Changed - It seems the spam-bots found us, so the old email (Rick@TheMetro) now diverts to a secondary inbox. Additionally, personal email for Richard A.D. has also changed. We're phasing out both so please update any info to
OUR NEW ADDRESS HERE (hidden for fear of spam-bots). Thank you.

A Critical Change for Facebook - Please note: our focus on Facebook is shifting from the FB Page to our FB Group. Previously titled "DC Fetish Ball / DC Fetish Weekend," the group has been renamed to The Metro Underground & will now carry an expanded focus. 

This will do 2 things: First, it will expand the scope & use of the group beyond our own events to cover the full spectrum of the scene (more hard-edged events will still be placed to Fetlife). Second, since Facebook is more mainstream in nature it will also tone down the impact of the previous title. The reason for this is due to changes in policy. We've grown progressively disillusioned w/ Facebook pages. You now have to pay to promote your page & "boost your post." Unfortunately, since most of our promotions are not our own events the Metro doesn't work under that model.

As a result of the new policies, not only has growth ground to a halt but whenever we post an item of interest the current reach is basically irrelevant. With such diminishing returns, efforts to maintain the page at previous levels was seen as a waste of time. However, the Facebook GROUP still offers a solid forum to get the word out. So we're shifting our focus from one to the other. Now the Facebook Page will be used primarily for event photos & bi-monthly updates to drive traffic to the group. 

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Empire & the Alchemy Room have Closed - As of May 5th Springfield's main concert venue has closed. They've certainly had some issues so this doesn't come as a surprise. In fact, bigger bands may now be diverted to better venues such as the 9:30 Club so hopefully this might be a good thing. New ownership may even address some of the issues that plagued previous ownership so we'll have to wait & see what the future holds. But for now, the venue is closed.

Scene favorite Mad MoMo's closes - a DC favorite for smaller events such Burning DC, Tribal Fusion, & our Pre-party for the DC Fetish Ball has recently closed as well. We wish the owners well in their new endeavors.

A Few Changes for Key Events - Burning DC, DC Tribal, Black Beat, Floating World, & GlamourCon are all on hiatus. Tampa Bay Escapes & SteamCon are both cancelled. Kinetic (as expected) won't be returning. Scene favorite, TKN (The Kilted Nation) seems to have closed.

Work Continues on the Crucible - Having moved from its previous location, The Crucible is currently undergoing a full build-out on their new venue. They hope be open for business sometime by the end of summer. Volunteers to assist w/ needed construction are VERY welcome. In the meantime, Camp Crucible held at Ramblewood over Memorial Day Weekend is still on.

The Scene vs. Bureaucracy - it seems that several of the area's main fetish clubs (from DC, to Baltimore, to Frederick) have all faced a heavy assault by bureaucratic entities. Attempts to hinder or close said organizations were offered in the guise of zoning issues or fire codes (as usual). However, we're happy to report that each in turn was eventually give a clean bill of health & operations seem to have now passed beyond scrutiny.

The "50 Shades" Effect - A lot has been said about the recent fever over 50 Shades of Grey. Almost without exception the battle cry of the scene has been for concern over consent & abuse. Make no mistake, these are at issue & need to be addressed. But so much on this subject has already been said that I don't feel the need to reiterate it here.

Personally, I think an overlooked element in all this is the reach it's achieved. Most people have been crying foul because it gives a bad perspective of true BDSM, but to be honest I couldn't get past the writing. It was just bad (REALLY BAD). My impression is that it's basically a Harlequin Romance novel set in a storyline of misinterpreted BDSM. Take away the aspects of BDSM or Fetish then all you have is a body of work that's absolute crap. Yet this woman sold over 100 million copies! Then got a major movie deal! The writer in me wants to cry foul. The other side wants to scream that this living proof that our "Taboo" culture is actually very mainstream. So next time someone rolls out how twisted the kink scene is, let the trumpets blare that this is actually a very mainstream practice carried by a LARGE part of the population.

As a side note, there are a few things to make clear with regard to the entire body of work. The targeted demographic for this is primarily housewives in their 30's, 40's, & 50's. Essentially it's a group who is desperate to spice up their lives but who are not exactly clear on an understanding for things beyond the vanilla. The Author (E.L. James) started the whole thing as a Twilight Fanfiction (I swear, you can't make this stuff up), but that story soon evolved into 50 Shades of Grey. She was an erotic novelist in a mid-life crisis, & like any writer she wrote what she knew. In this case, she was morphing a basic story of fandom into a realm which she knew almost nothing about. BUT she had an array of deep fantasies fueled by an imagination that lived primarily in her own head & which was born of fanciful flights with her erotic novels. So what ended up on the page was not a relationship born of a healthy power exchange, but rather was something that she could superficially understand - something of coercion, total control, & dominance for the sake of it. The rest is a complete rip-off of Secretary meets 9-1/2 Weeks (which were both great movies). So there you have it…

And yes, we broke the " more concise" rule on this one but it was worthy of discussion.

AirBnB Meets Kink - There was Facebook, then came its kinkier cousin Fetlife. So too is there AirBnB, an online network of off the grid privately owned Bed & Breakfast establishments for local travelers. Well now there's KinkBnB offering the same accommodations but for sites of a more sex positive nature. See: kinkbnb.com.

Too Strange Not to be True - With ALL the religious debate now entering politics, beware of what may come. First there was a Florida church that lost its tax exempt status because it was actually operating as a night club for college kids on spring break (although they seem to still be operating as a major dance venue. See: CBS News). Now in Nashville there is a Swingers Club that has applied for zoning as a church (See Full Story Here). God love the entrepreneur in all of us. ;-)

Polly Goes Mainstream - You could call this a new age of sexual enlightenment. The Huffington Post recently featured the Polyamorous Lifestyle in a very positive light (See full story here: Huffington Post Online). It's intriguing how often you're starting to see various cultures gain positive exposure for what are generally considered an 'alternative' culture. I would even say the reason you're hearing so much from leaders of conservative religions is that they know they're losing ground. The only response is be loud (which they do very well). I think down deep they know they're on the way out.

Have a Favorite TV Show? - The Summer Schedule for renewals & cancellations has recently been posted. See article here: WashPost.

Speaking of which, stay tuned! We have more to come!