Go-Go Forever!

Go-Go is the heartbeat of Washington DC—but right now, the city is skipping a beat. High costs are pricing out the very people who created the culture.

Khan’s "Don’t Mute DC" Housing & Family Plan:

• 100,000 New Homes: We’re building permanently affordable housing, not just "developer-friendly" units.

• The Price Cap: Rents and mortgages locked in at $900 for a 1-bedroom and $1,500for a 3-bedroom.

• The "Cradle to Creative" Support: 36 weeks of paid maternity leave and free childcare, because raising a family shouldn't be a luxury for artists.

In Khan’s DC, you don’t have to choose between your art and your rent. We’re keeping the beat alive by helping families thrive.

Khan will treat Go-Go culture with the respect it deserves, moving beyond symbolic gestures to create real economic power and cultural permanence.

1. Recognizing Go-Go as an Economic Industry

• Go-Go Enterprise Zones: Khan will establish "Go-Go Enterprise Zones" in historic corridors (like 7th St, H St, and MLK Jr. Ave) offering tax credits and reduced licensing fees for businesses that support Go-Go production, rehearsal, and retail.

• Dedicated Small Business Support: Through the Department of Small and Local Business Development (DSLBD), Khan will create a Go-Go Business Accelerator to help bands and promoters transition from "gigs" to "enterprises" with legal, marketing, and financial training.

2. Fair Access to City Opportunities

• The Go-Go First Procurement Policy: Khan will mandate that all city-sponsored festivals, community days, and public events prioritize local Go-Go bands and sound engineers.

• Simplified Vendor Access: Khan will create a "Certified Cultural Vendor" list to fast-track Go-Go artists and promoters through the city’s complex contracting process, ensuring they aren't sidelined by out-of-state entertainment firms.

3. Building and Protecting Go-Go Venues

• Spaces to Create, Propagate: Khan will add studios, stages, and labs to incubate Go-Go. These venues will stay open late into the night, ensuring that those working day jobs have a world-class space to grind on their craft after hours.

• Cultural Landmark Protections: Khan will introduce legislation to provide property tax abatements for small venues that commit to hosting live Go-Go.

• Noise Ordinance Reform: Khan will implement "Agent of Change" laws, ensuring that new residential developments built next to existing music venues are responsible for soundproofing—protecting our venues from displacement by gentrification-related noise complaints.

4. Youth and Cultural Education

• The "Teach the Beat" Integration: Khanwill expand the current "Teach the Beat" program into a full-credit elective and after-school curriculum across all DCPS and Charter middle and high schools.

• Apprenticeship Program: In partnership with the Go-Go Museum & Café, Khan will fund paid internships for youth to learn the technical side of the industry—lighting, live sound, and digital production.

5. Tourism and Cultural Promotion

• The Global Go-Go Campaign: Khan will market the District as the "Live Music Capital of the Mid-Atlantic," featuring a "Go-Go Passport" program that encourages tourists to visit local venues and the Go-Go Museum in Anacostia.

• D.C. Official Music Showcase: Khan will fund a high-production annual Go-Go festival on the National Mall, establishing it as a world-class destination event similar to New Orleans’ Jazz Fest.

6. Supporting Local Musicians

• Musician Healthcare & Housing: Khan will propose a Creative Economy Housing Subsidy and a dedicated health insurance navigator for independent artists, ensuring that the people who built this culture can afford to stay in the city they love.

• Pension Fund for Pioneers: Khan will explore a public-private partnership to create a retirement fund for Go-Go legends who have served the city for 20+ years.

7. Preserving History and Accountability

• Permanent Museum Funding: Khan’s first budget will include a guaranteed annual line item to expand and sustain the Go-Go Museum & Café as a world-class institution.

• Real-Time Audits: Every cent of funding be subject to quarterly independent audits published on a public, transparent dashboard.

• Mayor’s Go-Go Advisory Council: Khan will establish a permanent commission composed of Go-Go artists, promoters, and community elders that will meet quarterly to review city policy and hold my administration accountable.

Got ideas on how we can protect and strengthen Go-Go for future generations? Share them with khan: khan@khan4dc.org

And don’t forget to Join Team Khan and help transform DC into the ultimate Dream City for artists and creators.