Originally hailed as heroes of the ’90s alt-country scene, My Morning Jacket has, like their peers in Wilco, evolved into something very different and much more expansive. In their recent performance at The Anthem, they showed just how far they’ve come.
Alex G Vibes at The Anthem
The artist’s mix of songs and instrumentals with strong melodies and a psychedelic light show engulfed The Wharf venue.
Words by Matt Bailey
Photos by James Todd Miller
Singer-songwriter Alex G packed about 30 songs into just over two hours. A gifted triple threat (writer, instrumentalist, and vocalist), Alex’s legions of fans seem to recognize each number by the opening note.
Alex G opened his recent set at The Anthem with “Louisiana.” The number showed off his normal vocals as well as his ability to access a near-grating nasal falsetto. It was perfectly weird, which may have been the point.
“It’s only taken me 20 years to get the bottom of my career,” Brent Cobb told the audience in his recent appearance at The Hamilton Live with his band The Fixin’s, after joking, “Someday, we might be able to afford guitar techs,” and asking for the audience to be patient while they tuned their instruments. Jokes aside, Cobb has emerged over the last decade as a critically acclaimed singer-songwriter, earning Grammy nominations.
When I was in college in 2021, I was browsing for something to watch when I stumbled upon a new show called The Sex Lives of College Girls. At its core, it was a Gen-Z Girls. The standout from the show was undeniably Reneé Rapp, who played a closeted gay girl named Leighton, masking as a rich queen-bee archetype. Her character’s storyline was relatable to a lot of queer people’s coming out journeys, and fans quickly latched onto Reneé’s audacious personality on social media.
The Violent Femmes turned The Lyric Baltimore into a communal sing-along on Oct. 5, delivering a brisk, hit-stacked “evening with” set that doubled as a love letter to folk-punk’s scrappy core.
Steve Satzberg was there to photograph the show!
Black Rebel Motorcycle Club celebrate the 20th anniversary of their third studio album, Howl, with a tour that finds the band playing the album in full alongside other fan-favorite tracks.
Locally, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club play live at 9:30 Club on Sunday, Oct. 12!
Post-punk icons The Psychedelic Furs return to DC for a headlining show at The Anthem on Wednesday, Oct. 15, bringing their atmospheric sound and enduring stage presence to the waterfront. Led by the unmistakable baritone of Richard Butler, The Furs rose from the UK’s late-’70s art rock scene with a moody blend of guitars, saxophone, and cinematic flair that helped define the era’s alternative sound.
The Nationals Park crowd was treated to a dynamic and captivating performance as Chris Brown’s Breezy Bowl XX Tour rolled through Washington DC for a second night this week. The sold-out venue experienced an impressive 2+ hour set that reaffirmed Brown’s reputation as a captivating live performer.
There’s something about a Nashville Pussy show that hits different on a Tuesday night. Maybe it’s because you know damn well you should be home doing something responsible like catching up on emails, walking the dog, pretending to meal prep but instead you’re crammed shoulder to shoulder in a Virginia rock club surrounded by people who made the same bad decision. And thank God for that.
There’s something about a Tuesday night that makes rock and roll feel even grittier. It’s not the weekend crowd, not the casual “let’s grab a drink and see a band” energy. Tuesday shows attract the true believers, the ones who still crave that rush of live amps and sweat-slick guitars no matter what day’s printed on the calendar. And Leesburg’s Tally Ho Theater has quietly become one of those spots where the faithful gather. Earlier, Nashville Pussy scorched the same stage, leaving it still warm for Buckcherry to waltz in and turn the place into a fire hazard.
