Snapshots: John Scofield Trio @ Wolf Trap — 11/16/23
The John Scofield Trio kicked off the US portion of their fall tour with a heavy jazz inspired evening at The Barns of Wolf Trap on Nov. 16. Mark Raker was there to photograph the show.
Live Review: Deer Tick @ 9:30 Club — 11/14/23
Few bands can take the 9:30 Club stage and go about their business to deliver a mind-blowing set of music with the determined spirit and fervid stance of Deer Tick.
The four-human squad out of Providence has been distilling its own flavor of blues and folk since the group solidified its lineup in the late 2000s, and since that time it’s become a household name among choosy indie rock listeners far and wide, as well as a staple at the Newport Folk Festival held each summer near their hometown.
Snapshots: Rubblebucket w/ Dante Elephante @ Baltimore Soundstage — 11/13/23
Rubblebucket danced the night away recently at Baltimore Soundstage with opener Dante Elephante! And Steve Satzberg was there to photograph the show.
Live Review: Caitlin Canty (w/ Joachim Cooder and Will Seeders) @ New Prospect Theatre (Bellingham, WA) — 11/14/23
The term “power trio” usually evokes images (and memories) of bands like Cream, Rush, and the Jimi Hendrix Experience where a virtuoso lead electric guitarist, heavy booming bassist, and powerful drummer together drive the sonic mayhem forward. But perhaps there is space in the definition of power trio to include a singer-songwriter, pedal steel player, and electric mbira player doubling on percussion who captivate a sold-out roomful of attentive fans with pristine vocals, soothing melodies, and a sense of warmth and intimacy.
On a recent chilly Bellingham evening, Caitlin Canty, Joachim Cooder, and Will Seeders did exactly that at the New Prospect Theatre’s refurbished Lucas Hicks Auditorium. The first night of a short West coast run, Canty and friends played tunes off her newest album, Quiet Flame, in a “sort of” record release performance. Although the album came out in June 2023, she hadn’t had a chance to play the songs in front of people yet. Judging from the crowd’s response, and Caitlin’s nearly constant radiant smile, the wait was more than worth it.
Snapshots: Shakey Graves @ 9:30 Club — 11/13/23
Shakey Graves is an impressive tale of a musician gradually morphing a one-man busking operation into one of the most cinematic and captivating acts on tour today.
The talented Alejandro Rose-Garcia has become a widely known and deeply beloved figure creating a mysterious and fiery brew of sounds that some call Americana but is unquestionably all to his own.
It began just with Rose-Garcia himself, oftentimes at festivals by himself with just a guitar and homemade percussion setup. Now, it features Shakey and a host of the skilled players he’s befriended along a fruitful path that has seen him play on stages far and wide and amass a hoard of zealous followers.
Preview: Liz Phair @ The Anthem, 11/25/23
This year marks the 30th anniversary of Liz Phair’s beloved debut record, Exile In Guyville, which was first released on June 22, 1993, via Matador.
Phair celebrated the record by launching a full band US tour and performing Exile In Guyville in its entirety (along with some additional hits), including a date at The Anthem in DC on Saturday, Nov. 25.
Live Review: Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real @ 9:30 Club — 11/23/23
In a recent appearance on comedian Marc Maron’s podcast, WTF, Lukas Nelson talked about how he likes, in his shows, to just play his songs with a minimum of superfluous chatter. That’s what he and his band, Promise of the Real, recently did at the 9:30 Club before a packed house.
Lukas modeled his shows on his dad’s concerts. He’s the son of legendary Outlaw Willie Nelson. Music is the Nelson family business; all of Willie’s kids have followed him into the business, with Lukas being the most successful. On that same podcast, Lukas talked about what it was like growing up with Willie for a father. Willie was often away touring, he said, but during the times when he was home, he was a “fun dad.”
Live Review: Nation of Language @ The Atlantis — 11/11/23
Nation of Language first appeared in DC on Jan. 8, 2018, to open The Wombats at 9:30 Club. Frontman Ian Richard Devaney proudly announced to the sold-out show the he quit his job that very week to tour with The Wombats. It was a gamble that paid off.
The synthpop trio triumphantly returned to DC to perform at The Atlantis, 9:30 Club’s little sister venue, recently, and they came equipped with three full-length studio albums and a winning stack of singles — all released in the intervening years. Those records are amazing but seeing is believing when it comes to Nation of Language.
Live Review: A. Savage @ Black Cat — 11/9/23
Not every solo endeavor is vital to an established musician’s creativity and spirituality, but the new offering from Andrew Savage appears to have been released at a crucial turning point for the leader of the NYC-born Parquet Courts.
His second studio album as A. Savage, Several Songs about Fire, is a striking migration that hears him reflecting on his departure from Brooklyn after living there for more than a decade and recovering an exhausted version of himself.
Preview: Liz Longley @ Jammin’ Java, 11/18/23
Nashville-based singer-songwriter Liz Longley, best known for her stop-you-in-your-tracks voice, plays Vienna’s Jammin Java on Saturday, Nov. 18.
Her 2015 self-titled debut was described as “something more; a cleverness, a wit and a mix of musical styles” by the Dallas Morning News and called “stunning” by HuffPost. Liz’s sophomore album, Weightless, released the following year, was praised as “a thing of beauty” by PopDose. PopMatters said it was “packed with instantly memorable pop rock songs.”
