I was at this show

http://ourredneckpast.wordpress.com/2011/11/05/blitzkrieg-bop-in-baileys-crossroads-louies-rock-city-and-the-birth-of-punk-in-dc/

A wonderful little piece of DC music history, if a little inaccurate.  Punk in DC was already a VERY big deal by the Summer of '79.  It just was underground.  WHFS hated it, and never played it, but WGTB had presented it to DC all through '77 and into '78.  Unknown to the author, the Ramones actually played the Warner Theatre about a year and a half before Louie's, (I was at that show, too).  There were zines and little one-off shows going on all the time.  If you were connected, the music was there.
The controversy about a 'dress code" was very real.  The owner of Louie's was an old and well-known dick, and always seemed to hate everyone who'd paid money to sit in his club.  I still remember him yelling at a bunch of kids about their jeans.  At another concert I remember him grabbing me because I was wearing a hat as I entered (!).  In addition, the club made its main money off of beer.  A small army of scantily clad women were constantly nagging you to buy another beer, (at outrageous prices), throughout the shows.  They were irritating, and the whole place had the feel of a strip club.  Needless to say, I was happy to see the place go.