When I mentioned to friends that I was going to cover Dinosaur Jr. at The Fillmore Silver Spring, the reactions were all pretty similar. There was a unanimous “F YEAH!” There was also a widespread “make sure you bring hearing protection.” Both responses were valid.
Nearly 50 years after they first came together as art school students in Leeds, England, first-wave British punk The Mekons are still at it, persevering through lineup changes and struggles with, as frontman Jon Langford said, “the capitalist music industry.” Earlier this year, they released their latest album, Horror, a response to our times from the band’s unabashedly leftist perspective, with plenty of their trademark mordant, cynical humor.
In their recent appearance at Union Stage — on their first tour since before the Covid pandemic — The Mekons shared some of these new songs, along with popular favorites from their extensive catalog.
Strutman Lane, the genre-blurring musical collective from the outskirts of DC, headlined a homegrown band showcase at the 9:30 Club on Saturday night, delivering a dazzling set of funk, pop, and soul to a packed house. Sharing the bill were the bluesy, hard-rocking Rock Creek Kings and rising singer-songwriter Brooklyn Kohl, making her debut at the storied venue.
Pelican is a behemoth. The amount of sound that emanates from these four musicians is staggering. And I have been a fan since 2005 and the release of their sophomore album, The Fire In Our Throats Will Beckon The Thaw. It was an amazing introduction to instrumental post rock. When Pelican recently came to DC9, it was to support their latest album, Flickering Resonance.
On his recordings, Dan Wriggins sounds like he’s right in the room with you. The leader of the Philadelphia-based band Friendship, Wriggins’ striking voice was the center of attention not too long ago at Comet Ping Pong in Chevy Chase.
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.
