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Live Review: Shania Twain @ Merriweather Post Pavilion — 6/27/23

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ShaniaTwain
Shania Twain dazzles at Merriweather Post Pavilion on June 27, 2023. (Photo by David LaMason)

“Ain’t nothin’ better / We beat the odds together / I’m glad we didn’t listen / Look at what we would be missin’”

Over the past couple of years, Shania Twain has been building up to something. From teaming with Orville Peck on “Legends Never Die” to her new album, titled Queen of Me, which is filled with dance-heavy tracks with a message of self-love. It’s a common theme in her music, and it’s one that resonates with not only her fans but musical artists across the spectrum.

I hadn’t seen a Shania Twain concert before, so I wasn’t sure what to expect heading into a sold-out Merriweather Post Pavilion on Tuesday night. But having heard of her legendary performances, I couldn’t pass up the chance to finally witness this icon who Taylor Swift recently called, “the best.”

Snapshots: Sloan @ Union Stage — 6/27/23

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Sloan
Sloan performs at Union Stage on June 27, 2023. (Photo by Nalinee Darmrong)

Legendary Canadian rockers Sloan released Steady, their 13th studio album, last year, and they have hit the road to tour it. Sloan recently visited DC to perform at Union Stage, and Nalinee Darmrong photographed the show!

Ticket Giveaway: ILLENIUM @ Merriweather Post Pavilion, 7/15/23

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ILLENIUM (Photo by Lindsey Byrnes)

Grammy-nominated producer ILLENIUM shared his fifth studio album, a star-studded self-titled collection full of heart, soul, and cinematic beauty, in April via Warner Records. The 16-track set includes the No. 1 dance hits “All That Really Matters” with Teddy Swims and “Luv Me A Little” with Nina Nesbitt.

ILLENIUM performs with friends Svdden Death, William Black, and Annika Wells at Merriweather Post Pavilion on Saturday, July 15, and you can win tickets to go with Parklife DC!

Snapshots: Bonny Doon and John Andrews & The Yawns @ Comet Ping Pong — 6/22/23

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Bonny Doon @ Comet Ping Pong Washington DC 06.22.23 Photo by Casey Ryan Vock
Bonny Doon performs at Comet Ping Pong on June 22, 2023. (Photo by Casey Vock)

It must be gratifying for a group of performing musicians to see and hear an audience singing back word for word, especially to songs just recently released.

Two established indie rock entities recently saw a room of ticketholders in full and eager support for a terrific double bill that amounted to a can’t-miss slate of music at Comet Ping Pong, where patrons can get a living room view of some of their favorite artists on the rise.

Headlined by Bonny Doon, a Detroit-based group in action since 2014 and rapidly growing in popularity, and with support by John Andrews & The Yawns, the well-known project of the New Jersey-born band leader who has helped several other outfits to success, the evening was a splendid treat for fans of indie and folk rock music.

Live Review: The Cure @ Merriweather Post Pavilion — 6/25/23

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The Cure perform at Merriweather Post Pavilion on June 25, 2023. (Photo by Mickey McCarter)

Robert Smith of The Cure seems mysterious to many people. Having long pegged him as a gloomy gus, some observers scratch their heads when Robert unspools beautiful new music or simply expresses genuine sentimentality.

But the secret to Robert Smith is that there is no secret. He has a tremendously big heart, and he boldly expresses love and longing in the songs of The Cure. But he also expresses the tremendous fear of love lost, love squandered, and love in loneliness. And these thoughts are very painful to him.

This eloquent, passionate Englishman is not so mysterious, and indeed more than 19,300 of us saw him clearly and vividly at Merriweather Post Pavilion when he and his band visited on Sunday with their Shows of a Lost World Tour for a sold-out concert.

Live Review: Two Friends @ Echostage — 6/23/23

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Two Friends
Two Friends perform at Echostage in DC on June 23, 2023. (Photo by Graeme Jackson)

At the intersection of music and pop culture, mashups and mixes have become a staple that is difficult to ignore. Despite its popularity, few have emerged from the sea of Soundcloud artists to create a strong brand and fanbase for themselves capable of consistently selling out major venues.

Enter Two Friends, the dynamic duo comprising Eli Sones and Matthew Halper, masters of crafting uplifting beats and seamless mashups, well known for their Big Bootie Mix series. Currently embarked on their Planet Two Friends Tour, they recently made a stop at DC’s Echostage, captivating the audience and sending the night into memorable euphoria.

Live Review: Jerry Harrison and Adrian Belew @ Lincoln Theatre — 6/22/23

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Jerry Harrison and Adrian Belew
Jerry Harrison and Adrian Belew perform at the Lincoln Theatre in DC on July 22, 2023. (Photo by Mickey McCarter)

Jerry Harrison and Adrian Belew famously toured together with Jerry’s band the Talking Heads in 1980-1981 when the band expanded past its four core members for an ambitious album, Remain in Light.

That extraordinary work has withstood the test of time, and Jerry and Adrian currently celebrate it with a tour that borrows its name. Harrison and Belew recently brought their show to the Lincoln Theatre in DC, where they performed more than a dozen Talking Heads songs in a really funky show with jam band Cool Cool Cool.

Live Review: Mikaela Davis and Southern Star @ Songbyrd Music House — 6/20/23

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Mikaela Davis and Southern Star - Song Byrd Washington DC - 06.20.23 Photo by Casey Ryan Vock
Mikaela Davis performs at Songbyrd Music House on June 20, 2023. (Photo by Casey Vock)

Admirable is the musician who uses an uncommon instrument to conjure a wholly original sound and reimagine how it can engage a listener.

A captivating harpist of growing stature, Mikaela Davis dazzles with the hulking stringed apparatus and pairs with it a luscious voice — the combination, along with her gift for songwriting, makers her shine in the studio and on the stage as a rare talent.

In a June 20 appearance at Songbyrd Music House in the nation’s capital, Davis and her extraordinary band, Southern Star, astonished through a varied set of music that showcased the skills of everyone on the stage and gave promise for what this group has ahead.

Live Review: Glove w/ Public Figures @ DC9 — 6/23/23

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Glove perform at DC9 on June 23, 2023. (Photos by Ari Strauss; Words by Mickey McCarter)

The three members of new wave band Glove danced in place as a very European beat that could have sprung from the charts in 1982 recently filled the crowded room at DC9.

In DC on Friday, dashing Rod Wendt launched the show on lead vocals for the Tampa, Florida trio’s new single, “Chewing on a Wire.” The band were instantly in the zone, and the DC9 audience very much joined them there.