A delayed tour to promote an album release might not be the ideal way for a band to keep its momentum going. But then again it does allow for the record to soak into listeners, and by the time the songwriters get on stage, fans could very well have the tunes down pat.
Dehd released its latest LP, Poetry, back in early May, but the Chicago-born indie rock trio is just now getting around to toot the horn of 14 tracks that devotees have had on repeat for months.
Robyn Hitchcock has described his songs as “paintings you can listen to.” They’re typically surreal, but also, often, quite beautiful. His stage banter is equally off the beaten path, and his recent performance at The Atlantis was full of charming, eccentric asides.
Over a long career, Hitchcock’s influence has far outstripped his commercial success. Beginning with the Soft Boys, his ability to mix pop song craftsmanship, melodicism, and an off-kilter sensibility left its mark on generations of alternative rockers, especially REM. Over the course of his solo career, he’s embraced a more acoustic sound, and he’s even worked with beloved roots duo Gillian Welch and David Rawlings on the album Spooked.
Ben Folds fans gathered at The Kennedy Center on two recent October evenings to witness a unique milestone in the indie icon’s career. Known for his decades-long contribution to indie and pop music, Ben partnered with the National Symphony Orchestra in a one-of-a-kind concert to record a live album of symphonic versions of his greatest hits along with some new material.
It can’t be easy to truly multi-task on a stage. In the most thinkable examples, an artist can, say, just barely monitor the weather at an outdoor show, or perhaps keep an eye on a dog that’s been brought on tour and stays close to the band.
But in a marvelous display of balance, Dale Hollow recently cranked up a packed DC9 in the nation’s capital and simultaneously participated in an untimely but requisite online fantasy basketball league draft, building a pretend squad he’d named “The Hollow-Headed Hoopers.”
Hollow comes from Nashville and is now based in New York City. Just last month he released his first full-length album, Hack of the Year, but he led up to it with a bunch of explosive EPs and singles to introduce a powerful, appealing voice that can croon, growl, howl and even yodel.
Weaving an entirely unique sonic tapestry, TR/ST (producer/singer/artist Robert Alfons) has been captivating audiences with his dynamic vocals, emotive lyrics, and late night sensuality for over a decade now. Recently, TR/ST released his new album Performance.
What better way to spend Halloween night than dancing your cares away with TR/ST, who performs at The Atlantis in support of his new album on Thursday, Oct. 31?
“You try doing this at 82 years old,” legendary musician Graham Nash said before taking an intermission on his first of three recent nights at The Barns at Wolf at Trap. For 82 years old, and for someone who’s lived a lifetime in rock ‘n roll, Nash is in amazing shape, and he was full of energy in his performance. It was a magical evening that spanned decades of beloved songs.
A multiple inductee into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame with British Invasion group the Hollies and supergroup Crosby, Stills & Nash, Graham has been a fixture in popular music for more than six decades. His songs were omnipresent in the ’60s and ’70s, and he was there for cultural watersheds like Woodstock. One could write a fairly broad history of popular music following the courses of his career and his relationships with musical partners and lovers.
In September, COIN released their latest and arguably greatest album, I’m Not Afraid of Music Anymore, via 10k Projects.
The gents have embarked on the corresponding I’m Not Afraid of Tour Anymore, and they recently performed live at The Anthem in DC! Micaela Cerball was there to photograph the show.
“I’ve got a side gig as an Uber driver, and a fare is waiting for me,” quipped Nick Lowe on stage at The Atlantis before taking a break during a recent gig in DC.
The audience chuckled at the jovial Mr. Lowe’s exit line, and the legendary producer and songwriter took a five-song break, during which Los Straitjackets, the surf-rock instrumentalists backing him, played through some of their own numbers.
Nick Lowe & Los Straitjackets were a winning combination for this sold-out house for the first of two nights at The Atlantis.
Kaitlin Butts has “a lot of anger.” She channels it into her songs, so she doesn’t have to “hide a body.” That sharp edge makes her a dynamic performer, as she demonstrated in her recent performance at Union Stage.
It makes sense that Butts would carry around anger; she’s seen some things and been through some hard times. As she revealed, almost breaking down while introducing “Won’t Always Be This Way,” she and her mother had to flee an abusive situation. She spoke passionately of how abusers just want their victims to “disappear,” even going so far as issuing a cease and desist letter to force them to stop talking about what happened.
Rather than walking out to instruments or a dramatic intro presentation, Clairo, whose full-name is Claire Cottrill, and her jazz band gathered in a circle to share a drink before starting their recent show at The Anthem.
It was so intimate that it might make one wonder if they were interrupting a dinner party — but they made sure that intimacy lasted even after the music started. The relaxed, casual nature of the intro was only foreshadowing for the set ahead. And so, Clairo completely charmed a sold-out audience at The Anthem while promoting her new record alongside supporting act Alice Phoebe Lou.