Lenny Kravitz in The Bahamas (Photo courtesy Weber Shandwick)
Lenny Kravitz opened his Raise Vibration 2019 US tour at Wolf Trap’s Filene Center on Wednesday night, leading his nearly sold-out audience through a rousing 21+ song set lasting well over two hours.
Vandoliers (Photo by Cameron Gott)
Dallas-based cowpunk band the Vandoliers headlined a festive evening of twangy performances that featured several musicians based in our local area. Max Jeffers of Baltimore rock group Western Star opened the show with a solo electric performance. I found myself sitting next to Max’s father, and we got to talking about his relationship with the Old 97s, who recorded their latest album at his ranch.
Ezra Koenig of Vampire Weekend (Photo by Monika Mogi)
Vampire Weekend released Father of the Bride, the band’s fourth studio album, in May by Columbia Records, and it went straight to #1 on the Billboard 200. Frontman Ezra Koenig and his bandmates took to the road on The Father of the Bride Tour, and they appear at Merriweather Post Pavilion on Thursday, Aug. 29.
Squeeze (Photo by Rob O’Connor)
The pop masterminds of Squeeze sang the Difford and Tilbrook Songbook at The Kennedy Center recently, and a marvelous time was had by all at the sold-out show.
Amanda Shires performs at The Hamilton Live in DC on Aug. 17, 2019. (Photo by Ari Strauss)
A strong crowd turned out for Amanda Shires’s “music show,” as she put it, at The Hamilton recently. At the beginning of her set, the lights dimmed and Leonard Cohen’s “You Want It Darker” played as Amanda and her band took the stage. Amanda began with material from the critically acclaimed album she released last year, To the Sunset, slinging her electric guitar, appropriately enough, on “Break Out the Champagne.”
The Waifs perform at The Birchmere on Aug. 15, 2019. (Photo by Mark Caicedo)
“With every passing year, many of them watch as the other people their age achieve the predictable milestones of normal life — the car, the family, the house, the nest egg. Why? Because musicians and singers are willing to give their entire lives to a moment — to that melody, that lyric, that chord, or that interpretation that will stir the audience’s soul. Singers and Musicians are beings who have tasted life’s nectar in that crystal moment when they poured out their creative spirit and touched another’s heart. In that instant, they were as close to magic, God, and perfection as anyone could ever be. And in their own hearts, they know that to dedicate oneself to that moment is worth a thousand lifetimes.” — David Ackert, Los Angeles Times
Stabbing Westward (Photo courtesy Ticketfly)
Stabbing Westward celebrated the 20th anniversary of their third studio album, Darkest Days, with a tour last year. The industrial rockers remain on the road, and now the quartet hit Union Stage on Sunday, Sept. 8. You can win tickets to see Stabbing Westward with Parklife DC!
MC Hammer (Photo courtesy Universal Attractions Agency)
Hip-hop sensation MC Hammer brings his legendary Hammer House Party to D.C.’s new, state-of-the-art venue Entertainment and Sports Arena in Congress Heights (1100 Oak Drive SE) on Friday, August 23, presented by SiriusXM Fly with special guests Sir Mix-A-Lot, Kid ‘N Play, Tone Loc, DJ Kool, and Young MC.
The Smashing Pumpkins perform at Merriweather Post Pavilion on Aug. 17, 2019 (Photo by Chris Smyth)
“Making teenagers depressed is like shooting fish in a barrel.”- Bart Simpson, 1996.
In the 23 years since The Simpsons took their playful shot at The Smashing Pumpkins’ music, those “depressed teens” have grown into adults who now have a whole new list of issues causing their anxiety. Their worries about the SATs, school bullies, annoying parents, and a bleak view for the world’s future have become fears of paying bills, a government they don’t trust, kids who won’t listen, and a bleak view of the world as it is today.
The Raconteurs (Photo by Olivia Jean)
Whether or not rock ‘n’ roll needs a cheerleader, it certainly has one in Jack White. From days of the White Stripes to collaborations with luminaries like Loretta Lynn and bands like the Dead Weather and Raconteurs to his own solo material there’s a constellation of work that values the history and power of the art. There’s that and the fact that he, literally, pumps up a crowd like few I’ve witnessed. As a case in point, take the packed house at The Anthem Saturday night.
