Live Review: Willi Carlisle w/ Anna Tivel @ Union Stage — 8/22/24

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August 26, 2024

“This is going to be a test of my ADHD medication,” folk singer Willi Carlisle told the audience in his recent performance at Union Stage.

It was also a test of my ability to take notes and my memory; to say he spoke a mile a minute would be an understatement. (I quickly gave up on trying to write down his stage banter, as there was simply too much of it and he moved too quickly.) In his first headlining performance in the DC area, Willi proved to be an energetic, engaging, and entertaining performer.

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Live Review: Andrew Bird w/ Amadou & Mariam @ Wolf Trap — 8/21/24

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Mark Engleson

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August 26, 2024

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If I described what Andrew Bird does, it wouldn’t sound like the likeliest formula for commercial success. He’s a virtuosic, classically trained violinist and expert whistler who, while he does make indie rock music, also works in classic American genres like jazz and swing. His most recent album, this year’s Sunday Morning Put-On, reinterprets a number of jazz classics, and he was, for a minute, a member of swing revival outfit The Squirrel Nut Zippers in the ’90s. (He remains close with that group’s leader, Jimbo Mathus, and they released an album together, These 13, a couple of years ago.)

Add to this that Bird is influenced by diverse forms of world music, an influence he honored by having long-running Malian duo Amadou & Mariam open for him when he visited Wolf Trap recently.

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Live Review: Pitbull w/ T-Pain @ Jiffy Lube Live — 8/21/24

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Thomas Sellers IV

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August 26, 2024

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Pitbull performs at Jiffy Lube Live on August 21, 2024. (Photo by Thomas Sellers IV).

Before the show even started, the Jiffy Lube Live Amphitheater was buzzing with excitement. DJ Laz recently got the crowd hyped with a high-energy playlist of hits, and fans, many sporting bald caps and Pitbull-inspired outfits, were ready to party. The vibe was electric, with everyone pumped up for the night’s performances.

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Live Review: New Found Glory @ The Fillmore Silver Spring — 8/19/24

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Carol Lowe

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August 26, 2024

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If there’s one band that has never wavered from their sound and ethos over the last 20 years, it’s New Found Glory. Staying committed to their messages of honesty and striving to be a good person and better friend, they have put out two studio albums, one live album, and more.

While Catalyst may have been lost amongst that list, it has stood the test of time with people still singing along years later, and New Found Glory recently celebrated the album with their Catalyst 20 Years Later Tour at The Fillmore Silver Spring. Among the chief anthems are “Intro” and the ever catchy earworm, “It’s All Downhill From Here” (Which let’s face it, they absolutely called it when they wrote this song give today’s politics and social climate). With songs that hit their career best at No. 3 on the Billboard Music Charts, this album may not be their most popular, but it is one that fans can’t live without as they brought some of our favorite NFG songs ever.

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Interview: Mark Burgess of The Chameleons (Live @ Black Cat — 8/17/24)

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Mickey McCarter

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August 23, 2024

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The Chameleons recently visited Black Cat in DC to play their album Strange Times in full. The band today consists of frontman Mark Burgess (vocals, bass) and founding guitarist Reg Smithies, who have reunited to give new life to the band. The Chameleons also include Todd Demma (drums), Stephen Rice (drums, guitar), and Danny Ashberry (keyboards), who all joined Mark in 2021.

On August 17, The Chameleons very nearly sold out the Black Cat for their Strange Times Tour 2024. Mark and the band were very much in the zone, and they played an engrossing and exciting set of 11 songs from Strange Times, followed by another six songs in an encore that included favorites from debut album Script of the Bridge and new single “Where Are You?”

Prior to the show, Parklife DC’s Mickey McCarter sat down with Mark Burgess of The Chameleons to ask him about the enduring success of Strange Times, the band’s upcoming new album, and his songwriting methods and outlook.

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Live Review: Usher @ Capital One Arena — 8/20/24

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Mecie Gold

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August 22, 2024

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Undeniably, this man has had a successful 30 years in the entertainment business. Headlining his sixth tour, “Past, Present, Future,” Usher began on August 20 in DC at the Capital One Arena, which had sold out within hours. An additional show was added on August 21. As concertgoers waited in anticipation for the show to start, the DJ kept the audience entertained, engaging both old and new fans alike.

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Live Review: The Secret Sisters w/ Jon Muq @ The Birchmere — 8/18/24

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Mark Engleson

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August 22, 2024

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Lydia and Laura Rogers, The Secret Sisters, have some of the best vocal harmonies in contemporary music. Their harmonies are complemented with engaging melodies and gorgeous lyrics, which have drawn the attention of fellow musicians like T-Bone Burnett and Brandi Carlile, who have produced records for them, and Ray LaMontagne, who has taken them on tour. Their beautiful songs have made them favorites of critics and gotten them nominations for Grammy Awards. They are beloved by their fans, and sold out The Birchmere for the first the time in their recent performance there.

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Preview: All Time Low @ Merriweather Post Pavilion, 8/24/24

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Parklifer

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August 21, 2024

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Multi-Platinum Maryland quartet All Time Low — Alex Gaskarth, Jack Barakat, Rian Dawson, and Zack Merrick — are celebrating two decades together as a band in 2024. To commemorate this significant milestone, the band releases The Forever Sessions Vol. 1 album on Friday, August 23, via their own imprint — Basement Noise Records — which they’re launching in partnership with Photo Finish Records.

All Time Low are playing several DMV shows this week — and tickets are still available for their date at Merriweather Post Pavilion on Saturday, August 24.

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Live Review: Glass Animals @ Merriweather Post Pavilion — 8/17/24

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Carolin Harvey

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August 21, 2024

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Glass Animals, the pop-rock “Human Musical Group Sensations,” recently brought the energy to for a nearly sold-out show at Merriweather Post Pavilion on a sticky Saturday night.

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