The Reunion Tour was a much-needed night of praise with everything going on in the world. Featuring a lineup of all-star gospel artists — including Kirk Franklin, The Clark Sisters, Israel Houghton, Tamela and David Mann, and Tye Tribbett — this concert was a highly anticipated event at Capital One Arena recently.
Margo Cilker’s recent show at DC9 may have been her first official appearance in the DMV, but it’s not her first time here.
In true folk troubadour fashion, the native of California’s Santa Clara Valley and current resident of the Pacific Northwest busked for many years before releasing her first album, Pohorylle, in 2021. The album received strong reviews and earned her opening gigs with bands like the Drive-By Truckers and American Aquarium and artists like Robert Plant and Brandi Carlile. It was even nominated for UK Americana album of the year.
Few human beings have achieved icon status in the way of the all-universal John Mayer, now a 19-time Grammy nominee and the winner of seven of those awards.
Mayer, who attended the famous Berklee College of Music but left after a couple semesters, just turned 46 years old and holds one of the most influential positions in all of music. The Connecticut native recently completed an important and monumental run with Dead & Company while simultaneously expanding his own catalogue and raising his own trajectory as one of the most adored guitarists and singer-songwriters on the planet.
It’s been years since Mayer headlined the Charm City in any manner, and so this past Friday night gave thousands of his listeners all the reason needed to battle through a heavy downpour and find a seat at CFG Bank Arena for what would become an unforgettable solo set.
Not all artists can convey or portray their own influences with playfulness and style. But that is unquestionably part of the allure of Thundercat, the performing and recording moniker of Stephen Lee Bruner.
The gifted Los Angeles native was born into music and has thrived in it for more than 20 years. Along the way he played in a jazz fusion outfit with childhood friend Kamasi Washington and was a longtime member of Suicidal Tendencies, and now he is soaring to great heights while concocting an amalgam comprised of the varied experiences he’s had.
Recently at The Anthem in DC, Thundercat awed a packed house of fans who reveled in the chance to hear this intriguing and dynamic human’s stories and songs on a night that what was an extra-special occasion indeed: Bruner’s 39th birthday.
One of rock ‘n roll’s most exciting new bands — Dirty Honey — have hit the road again on a massive three-month tour across North America, and it just so happens that they hit Rams Head Live! in Baltimore on Friday, Nov. 3, for their Can’t Find The Brakes Tour.
So there’s apparently a saying about expectations and reality and them mutually exclusive, but that was proven utter bunk when I finally got to witness The Darkness recently at a sold-out 9:30 Club.
The Darkness spectacularly exceeded expectations, even though I had been waiting to see the band from Lowestoft, England — narrowly missing them at Baltimore’s Rams Head Live a few years back — for, well, decades as the band has been celebrating the release of their debut, Permission to Land, 20 years ago.
There are artists who have this incredible way of condensing whole stories into three or four minutes. And these stories aren’t just told through the lyrics but the way the music — the notes, the rhythm — all fits together. Alejandro Escovedo is a master at telling tales — both autobiographical and fictional. At a crowded hall at The Hamilton Live, Mr. Escovedo recently weaved such tales in the way I’ve only seen him do it.
Fresh off the long-awaited drop of her latest solo album Bury the Lede, Dessa, the indie rapper and writer, recently set the stage ablaze at DC’s renowned Black Cat, marking a triumphant close to the East Coast leg of her tour.
Backed by the talented multi-instrumentalist Joshua Holmgren on keys and vocals, along with the enchanting Aviva Jaye on harp and vocals, Dessa’s live performance at Black Cat was a testament to her artistry and stage presence, leaving the audience awestruck and inspired.
The Fillmore Silver Spring in Maryland was buzzing as fans recently gathered for The Really Her Tour, BIA’s first headline tour. The DMV Area has always shown their love for BIA, and she made sure to put on a show that would leave a lasting impression.
Before his recent early show at the 9:30 Club, MC Taylor of Hiss Golden Messenger visited the Dischord House. Located just across the Potomac from DC in Arlington, the house has, since 1981, been the headquarters of Dischord Records, the small, independent DC punk label co-founded by Ian MacKaye of Minor Threat, and, later, Fugazi.
“I wouldn’t be playing music if it wasn’t for the music that comes from this place,” MC said at 9:30 Club. “I don’t get starstruck easily.” But he was star struck when he met Mackaye.
The influence of punk might not be entirely evident if you heard Taylor’s music. Heavily influenced by the Grateful Dead, HGM plays Americana in their jam band style. But like a lot of artists, including those whose work doesn’t sound much like punk, almost everyone who came after has wrestled with its legacy.
