Austin has a reputation. For anyone following roots rock, Americana, or the blues, names like Jimmie and Stevie Ray Vaughn, Eric Johnson, and Charlie Sexton will know the Texas state capital’s undeniable propensity for producing musicians, and guitarists, in particular, who can blow your socks off on any given night.
Safe to say, we can add another to that distinguished list: Jackie Venson.
One of the delights each summer for DMV concert goers is unquestionably Wolf Trap’s lineup of high-profile concerts. It’s an impressive list of artists every year and 2025 might be raising the bar.
The night of July 15, indie folk hero Sam Beam visited the Filene Center to take the stage, of course, as Iron & Wine, the recording project that made him a star in the early 2000s and has since grown his audience to all parts of the world.
Pixies or “The Band That Drew the Blueprint for Alternative Rock” (The Hollywood Reporter) is headed to DC. And they bring a two-night engagement to The Anthem on Friday, July 25, and Saturday, July 26!
In the spirit of no repeats, the band play classic albums Bossanova and Trompe Le Monde in their entirety the first night, followed on night two by sets featuring staples from the band’s bottomless catalog alongside newer material including songs from The Night The Zombies Came (the band’s 2024 studio album).
Weird Al Yankovic’s Bigger & Weirder Tour 2025
A Glorious Accordion-Powered Circus of Song, Satire, and Sequins
By Mike Sprouse/ Odd Rocker Photography for Parklife DC
Let’s get one thing straight: Weird Al is not just a parody artist. He’s not just some accordion-slinging novelty act, he’s not “that food guy” or “the guy who did that Nirvana thing.” Weird Al is an institution — a culturally vital, still-thriving, crowd-conducting master of musical comedy who continues to evolve without ever really changing. That’s the magic trick.
And Sunday night at the Filene Center at Wolf Trap, Weird Al brought his Bigger and Weirder Tour to town, and — no surprise — it was an absolute circus in the best possible way.
The Clown That Left the Lawn in Tears and Laughter:
Puddles Pity Party Opens Weird Al Yankovic on the Bigger and Weirder 2025 Tour
Words by someone who definitely didn’t expect a Metallica cover in clown makeup.
Photography by Mike Sprouse/ Odd Rocker Photography
I’m not even sure how to describe what happened at Wolf Trap on Sunday night. Puddles Pity Party — yes, the 7-foot-tall, melancholy clown with the golden voice — walked onstage to open Weird Al and proceeded to emotionally sucker-punch a few thousand people armed only with deadpan mime work and a voice that could shake the moon. If you’ve never seen Puddles Pity Party, there’s no way to prepare. If you have seen him, you already know you can’t prepare.
There’s something permanently unruly about Cheap Trick. They don’t just play a show — they barrel through it like a getaway car with the top down, daring you to jump in and hang on. At Merriweather Post Pavilion, recently opening for Rod Stewart, they reminded us all that being tight, loud, and charmingly unhinged is still the gold standard in rock and roll.
It was a reunion with an old gang of misfits who still knew exactly how to knock over a liquor store and make it look like a magic trick — but that’s kind of what Cheap Trick does. They show up, flash that crooked grin, and suddenly you’re right back in the backseat of some beat-up ’78 Pontiac Trans Am listening to “Dream Police” being reminded of what actual rock and roll sounds like.
Rising Baltimore pop-punk band AITA recently performed live at Pearl Street Warehouse, and Steve Satzberg was there to photograph the show.
Rod Stewart Brings Nostalgia, Swagger, and a Lot of Sparkle to Columbia, MD
Words by Mike Sprouse
Photos by OddRocker Photography
Rod Stewart recently brought his One Last Time Tour to Merriweather Post Pavilion, and if this truly was his swan song, he went out swinging. With his signature shag still defying gravity and a wardrobe that sparkled like a Vegas skyline, Stewart delivered a high-octane, deeply nostalgic set that hit every corner of his five-decade career.
It was clear from the opening notes that this wasn’t going to be a somber goodbye — it was going to be a party.
Teddy Swims lit up The Anthem recently with back-to-back sold-out performances that were as emotionally charged as they were vocally stunning. The Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter from Atlanta brought his I’ve Tried Everything But Therapy (Complete Edition) tour to DC on Wednesday and Thursday (July 16–17), making up for a postponed pair of dates originally scheduled in June. If the wait dulled any anticipation, you wouldn’t have known it from the electrified crowd — and Swims himself seemed more than ready to make up for lost time.
Jason Isbell and The 400 Unit at Pier Six Pavilion
Words by Rahsaan “Wordslave” Eldridge
Photos by Steve Satzberg
Before a single note played, Jason Isbell recently walked on stage at Pier Six Pavilion to 4,500 people standing on their feet applauding with great appreciation and respect for what he’s already given them as one of the most prolific artists of the past two decades. His deeply personal lyrics and vulnerability were on full display from the beginning with “Crimson and Clay,” a nostalgic ode to his home state of Alabama.
