Dave East performs at Baltimore Soundstage on Jan. 19, 2018. (Photo by Chris Castillo)
Rapper Dave East performed at Baltimore Soundstage last Friday, and in a way it was a homecoming for the artist who has made his name known from Harlem.
Snapshots: Dave East @ Baltimore Soundstage, 1/19/18
Music Park: Loi Loi @ Rock and Roll Hotel — 1/19/18
Kristie Di Lascio fronts Loi Loi at Rock and Roll Hotel on Jan. 19, 2018.
Led by Kristie Di Lascio, DC trio Loi Loi served up a strong synthpop brew opening Yacht at Rock and Roll Hotel on Friday. (Read our Parklife DC review of Yacht!)
Music Park: YACHT @ Rock and Roll Hotel — 1/19/18
Claire Evans fronts Yacht at Rock and Roll Hotel on Jan. 19, 2018. (Photo by Mickey McCarter)
Around nearly midnight, Claire Evans called out from the stage at the Rock and Roll Hotel on Friday: “How much time is left?” she asked.
“Five minutes!” the audience responded, informing Claire that the federal government would shut down any time now.
“It’s like fucked-up New Year’s!” Claire quipped to everyone, turning to her bandmates in Yacht on stage behind her. “Let’s enjoy the last five minutes of social services we have left.”
Ticket Giveaway: J. Roddy Walston and The Business @ 9:30 Club, 2/8/18
J. Roddy Walston and The Business (Photo courtesy Ticketfly)
J. Roddy Walston and The Business released Destroyers of the Soft Life, their fourth studio album, in September 2017 via ATO Records. The gents start a tour in Boston on Friday, and they soon stop at 9:30 Club on Thursday, Feb. 8. You can win tickets to go with Parklife DC.
Don’t Miss: DMX @ Howard Theatre, 1/26/18
DMX (Photo courtesy the Howard Theatre)
Earl Simmons, better known as DMX, debuted with his 5X Platinum album, …And Then There Was X, in 1999. The rapper last released a full album in 2012 with Undisputed, but he has been making new music recently. In January 2017, DMX released a new song “Bain Iz Back,” and he is coming to the Howard Theatre for a show on Friday, Jan. 26.
Don’t Miss: Ashe @ 9:30 Club, 2/6/18
Ashe (photo courtesy Mom+Pop)
Northern California singer/songwriter Ashe has released well-received singles, including her latest, the grungy “Girl Who Cried Wolf,” via Mom+Pop. Ashe is visiting 9:30 Club on Tuesday, Feb. 6 to open for Lauv. Get there early to catch her show!
Music Park: Eric Benét @ The Birchmere — 1/17/18
Eric Benét (Photo courtesy Primary Wave Entertainment)
The Love Song Is Here to Stay: Eric Benét
A standard English dictionary likely defines “singing” as the ability to create musical notes and sounds with the use of the human voice. Meanwhile, the soulful current of barbershops, hair salons and R&B-dedicated forums gladly define “sangin’” as the ability to sing but with mandatory diaphragm use, grit, passion, and pure confidence! R&B veteran Eric Benét provided The Birchmere with a dose of sangin’ on Jan. 17, in the first of two crowded shows, with seated couples and live videos aplenty.
Music Park: Alejandro Escovedo @ The Hamilton Live — 1/16/18
Alejandro Escovedo performs at The Hamilton on Jan. 16, 2018. (Photo by Mark Caicedo)
Alejandro Escovedo plays like his life depends on it. That most artists feel that existence-affirming drive to create is a given; for Escovedo the sentiment is literal. Alejandro opened the East coast leg of his “A Man Under the Influence/Think About the Link Tour, presented by Prevent Cancer Foundation” at The Hamilton Live on Jan. 16 to an enthusiastic and adoring crowd.
Don’t Miss: Bat Fangs @ Comet Ping Pong, 2/9/18
Bat Fangs (Photo courtesy Don Giovanni Records)
Betsy Wright is the bassist for DC power pop trio Ex Hex. Laura King is drummer for North Carolina garage rockers Flesh Wounds. Together, they are also Bat Fangs! The band releases its debut self-titled album on Friday, Feb. 2 via Don Giovanni Records. One week later, Sasha Lord presents Bat Fangs playing that new album at Comet Ping Pong on Friday, Feb. 9!
Interview: Etxe Records 10th Anniversary Showcase @ Capital Fringe, 1/20/18
Silo Halo (Photo by Adam de Boer and Julie Goett)
Etxe Records, named for the word for “shelter” or “home” in Basque, celebrates its 10th anniversary in 2018. To mark the occasion, the label released Etxe Records at 10 Years: A Compilation on Thursday, Jan. 18. Bands from Etxe Records also will perform in a Etxe Records 10th Anniversary Showcase at Capital Fringe (Logan Fringe Arts Space, 1358 Florida Ave. NE, DC) on Saturday, Jan. 20.
To explore the label and its bands in its 10th year, Parklife DC chatted via email with Chris Goett of Silo Halo and Avy Mallik of Near Northeast, the first of whom also is a co-founder of Etxe Records. Near Northeast and Silo Halo will be joined by fellow labelmates The Red Fetish and Teething Veils for the anniversary showcase concert.