The Black Cat (Photo by Mickey McCarter)
The Black Cat is regarded as home to DC’s punk music scene. It hosts the likes of Discord bands like Hammered Hulls and traveling skate punk bands like FIDLAR, for sure, but there’s much more to the Black Cat.
With its 700-person capacity, the Black Cat is the touring home to indie rockers of all stripes, whether climbing their way up the charts or legacy bands that have won a consistent and loyal following.
Eli Lev performs at 9:30 Club on Aug. 17, 2019. (Photo by Mark Caicedo)
“Missing live music? So are we! That’s why we’re about to embark on our own ‘Virtual Tour’.”
So said local recording and touring artist Eli Lev recently on his Twitter feed. He and musical partner Megan Leigh will broadcast two livestreams via Facebook Live this Tuesday, March 24, and Sunday, March 29.
Duran Duran performs at The Fillmore New Orleans on Feb. 19, 2019. (Photo by Mickey McCarter)
Editor’s Note: Parklife DC asked its contributors to write essays about their favorite bands. These essays appear in an occasional series, My Favorite Artist, and provide our readers with insights into our bloggers, their motivations, and their approach to covering concerts.
To my ear, music is at its best when it motivates and inspires. Popular music provides a forum for catharsis, surely, but I am most excited when I hear something that stirs my soul, lifts my head, and moves my feet.
Cue Duran Duran.
A sign announcing a coronavirus closing (Photo by Ted Eytan)
DC has closed its music venues to efforts to contain the coronavirus (COVID-19). As such, staffers at concert halls around town are out of work.
Management at several music venues have established relief funds for their workers, allowing the public to donate directly to efforts to provide money directly to venue staff.
Should you ever have enjoyed a show at any of the venues below, please consider a donation to thank the hard-working staff who helped make it a great experience. Parklife has compiled a list below of music venues administering support funds, along with a statement posted by the management of each.
Parklife will udpate this list as relevant. Feel free to add info on relief efforts for music venue staff in the comments.
Billy Idol performs at the Pearl Theater at Palms Casino Resort on March 13, 2020. (Photo by Mickey McCarter)
Billy Idol’s dad was a helluva salesman. He worked hard all of his life, and he never really seemed to have time for Billy’s music as his son shot up the charts in the early ’80s.
In 2014, Billy was working on Kings & Queens of the Underground, his eighth studio album, and he took a mix over to his parents to get their feedback. To Billy’s delight, his dad was not only very interested in the album, but he liked the songs quite well.
Soon after, Billy’s dad passed away at the age of 90. In his bed at the time, he was listening to Billy’s “Ghosts in My Guitar,” a song that Billy performed with considerable emotion at the Pearl Theatre at Palms Resort Casino recently.
The Districts perform at 9:30 Club on March 10, 2020. (Photo by Casey Vock.)
Sometimes an album comes to life when a band needs it most, and the tour to support it is how the group actually reaps the spiritual, and financial, benefits of their work.
The Districts’ latest release — You Know I’m Not Going Anywhere — is said to have almost never happened: the band had nearly exhausted itself after an intense few years on the road and seemed to be searching for direction when founder and head singer Rob Grote isolated himself and put pen to pad to nurture the words that would comprise the newest LP.
RDGLDGRN (Photo by Ky Kasselman)
DC-based hip-hop trio RDGLDGRN broadcasts two free livestream performances in support of Capital Area Food Bank via Facebook Live on Friday, March 20.
Lucinda Williams (Photo by Danny Clinch)
Editor’s Note: Parklife DC asked its contributors to write essays about their favorite bands. These essays appear in an occasional series, My Favorite Artist, and provide our readers with insights into our bloggers, their motivations, and their approach to covering concerts.
In 1994, Lucinda Williams won her first Grammy Award for Best Country Song for “Passionate Kisses,” a track from her self-titled 1988 turn to Americana. Mary Chapin Carpenter’s cover of the song also won for Best Country Vocal Performance.
While Mary may have taken away the hardware for her performance of the song, Lucinda’s hardcore fans — like me — will always prefer her performance of the song.
Dead Kennedys frontman Skip Greer impressed with flair and deadpan comedy at 9:30 Club on March 11, 2020. (Photo by Paivi Salonen)
Coronavirus couldn’t stop our District’s vulnerable punk population from coming out in droves to support one of the scene’s most iconic bands, Dead Kennedys. Despite increasingly dire news around the global pandemic, and a declaration of emergency from DC Mayor Muriel Bowser mere hours before doors opened, 9:30 Club was packed to near capacity with diehard DK fans eager to see these living legends in the flesh.
DC Mayor Muriel Bowser at the DC Funk Parade on May 12, 2018. (Photo by Mark Caicedo)
Yesterday, Parklife DC speculated under what circumstances some DC music venues might remain open in the face of the coronavirus threat. Under an emergency order clarified on Sunday, Mayor Muriel Bowser allowed music venues, such as Songbyrd Music House for example, with a tavern or restaurant license to remain open while closing those categorized as nightclubs or multipurpose facilities.
Ultimately, Songbyrd decided it was impractical to remain open under the circumstances, and the venue announced it would close its doors all the same.
Yesterday at 4pm, Mayor Bowser made our hair-splitting assessment moot by ordering the closure of all restaurants and taverns in addition to the previously closed nightclubs and multipurpose facilities in order to staunch the spread of coronavirus.
Parklife will continue to update our readers on the status of music venues and concerts in the DC metro area.
