The Front Bottoms (Photo courtesy Baltimore Soundstage)
In August, The Front Bottoms released In Sickness & In Flames, the band’s fifth full-length studio album. Now, guitarist Brian Sella and drummer Mat Uychich are playing socially distanced drive-in shows, with a date at the Frederick Fairgrounds on Wednesday, Oct. 28, presented by Baltimore Soundstage!
Tim Burgess (Photo by Nik Void)
Having last month announced news of his new 6-track EP, Ascent of the Ascended (out Nov. 27 via Bella Union), Tim Burgess shares a video-of-the year contender for the title track “The Ascent of the Ascended,” directed by Tim Pope.
Tom Petty (Photo by Mark Seliger)
For the first time ever, the Petty estate is working alongside fans and engaging with the music community to celebrate and pay tribute to Tom Petty.
Due to the ongoing pandemic, this year’s special Tom Petty Birthday Bash, honoring what would have been his 70th birthday, will be held virtually on Friday, Oct. 23, with 5 hours of performances, testimonials and tributes to Tom from friends and fans including Stevie Nicks, Chris Stapleton, Post Malone, Foo Fighters, The Killers, Norah Jones, The Raconteurs, Jason Isbell, a very special performance by Mike Campbell and Benmont Tench and many more.
Samantha Fish performs at The Birchmere on Oct. 19, 2020. (Photo by Ari Strauss)
I wasn’t sure what the experience of a concert would be like when I attended my first show since early March at The Birchmere on Monday evening. I knew that the concert hall would be a half-capacity, sold out for blues guitarist extraordinaire and singer-songwriter Samantha Fish. But I wasn’t sure what kind of energy such a crowd would generate.
Guided by Voices (Photo courtesy Tell All Your Friends PR)
Pandemic be damned, Guided By Voices have recorded their third album of 2020. This tremendous pace has kept the band in the news constantly this year, including five features in Rolling Stone, this time announcing their upcoming album Styles We Paid For, due out Dec. 11. They also have shared the first single, “Mr. Child.”
Midge Ure (Photo courtesy Erika Tooker)
The brilliantly talented Midge Ure inaugurated his Backstage Lockdown Club — a series of live performances, presentations, and chat — via his Patreon site over the last few months. The gregarious singer-songwriter takes requests, performs acoustically, shares tales, greets guests, and more several times a month for a very reasonable subscription fee! In a time of very few concerts due to the pandemic, Midge has thrown us a live music lifeline, and it’s an absolute pleasure to be greeted in song or story by his distinctive Scottish vocal.
During the concert series, Midge performs songs from his solo back catalogue as well as covers and selections from his other bands, including of course Ultravox, the influential New Romantic band he fronted from 1979-1988 (and again circa 2008-2013). Parklife DC’s Mickey McCarter caught up with Midge via Skype to chat about Backstage Lockdown Club, the 40th anniversary of Ultravox’s breakthrough album Vienna, and more.
Pigeons Playing Ping Pong performs at Showtime at the Drive-In in Frederick on Oct. 15, 2020. (Photo by Casey Vock.)
While the memories of live music as we once knew it slip more distant into our collective memories, it’s likely that no one will forget their first experience watching a drive-in style pandemic performance.
Originating in Europe and cropping up shortly thereafter throughout the United States, drive-in concerts have already become, for some, a norm in times of required or suggested social distancing. And thanks to the work of All Good Presents and Baltimore Soundstage, music fans in the DMV this fall are being offered a somewhat unexpected harvest of live music by way of the Showtime at the Drive-In series being held at the Frederick County Fairgrounds.
The Cribs (Photo courtesy [PIAS])
The Cribs recently shared new track “Never Thought I’d Feel Again,” and its accompanying video, taken from their forthcoming eighth album, Night Network, scheduled for release via Sonic Blew/[PIAS] on Friday, Nov. 13.
Luke Lalonde (left) and Born Ruffians (Photo courtesy Yep Roc Records)
Canadian post-punks Born Ruffians are known for their high-energy shows, full of bright guitars and biting lyrics. Frontman Luke Lalonde formed the band with his collaborators in 2004, and they have released seven full-length albums and at least another three EPs. In 2020, Born Ruffians released two albums — Juice and Squeeze via Yep Roc Records — after crafting a bunch of songs prior to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Usually, Born Ruffians are often on the road, including regular stops in DC, where they appear at venues like Black Cat and Rock and Roll Hotel. Indeed, Parklife DC considered Born Ruffian’s 2015 show at the Rock and Roll Hotel to be one of our Top 10 Concerts of the Year. While the pandemic has sidelined touring bands, Luke has been passing the time at home, and he chatted with Parklife DC about the lifeline of touring, creative writing, and the two new Born Ruffians albums.
Volbeat (Photo courtesy Q Prime)
Today, Volbeat confirm the release of Rewind, Replay, Rebound: Live in Deutschland, available digitally worldwide on Nov. 27 via Republic Records. The new 27-song set features songs recorded during the sold-out German leg of last year’s Rewind, Replay, Rebound World Tour, along with two additional tracks recorded earlier on the tour.
