ABOUT

Under the moniker Electric Cowbell, Jim Thomson produces an ongoing live music series in Washington DC called Secret Planet DC that partners with various venues, foundations, and musicians to produce unique, intimate, and unforgettable concerts all over the city. Secret Planet DC is part of a larger network of like-minded presenters in North America, starting with Olivier Conan and Barbes Brooklyn, DC, Richmond, Virginia, and chapters with active promoters in Pittsburgh, Northampton MA and State College PA as well as new associates in Philadelphia, Connecticut, Vermont and NY state. The purpose of the network is to facilitate access to the US market for independent foreign artists who do not fit in the well funded commercial networks who have monopolized the concert world in North America. Over the years, our yearly Secret Planet has presented close to 80 different artists,including Chicano Batman, Combo Chimbita, Mdou Moctar, Son Rompe Pera, Hailu Mergia, La Perla, Janka Nabai, BCUC, No BS Brass Band, Flor de Toloache, Mourning [A] BLKstar, Underground system, Las Cafeteras, Alash, Bulla en el Barrio, Anbessa Orchestra, Innov Gnawa, LADAMA, Dos Santos, Underground System, The Debo Band, Innov Gnawa, Alsarah & the Nubatones, Sunny Jain, Sofiane Saidi, Kaleta & Super Yamba, Yonatan Gat, Slavic Soul Party, Nickodemus, Discolocas, Chicha Libre, Combo Daguerre, La Mecanica Popular, Cochemea, Mafer Bandola, Banda Chuska. Jim also owns and operates the Washington, DC-based boutique record label Electric Cowbell Records as well as holding down and curating all vinyl DJ residencies at The Green Zone, Cana, La Shukran, Daikaya, and other bars and restaurants in the city. Jim is also a lifelong musician and promoter, playing drums as a founding member of GWAR, The Alter-Natives (SST Records), Bio Ritmo, CSC Funk Band, Time Is Fire, and he currently plays drums and percussion with Motherf*ckers JMB & Co with Geologist from Animal Collective. One of the first concerts he co-promoted was a Bad Brains show in Richmond, Virginia in 1987.