Dave Wakeling of the English Beat (Photo by Bryan Kremkau)
Legendary ska rockers English Beat are closing out the year with another tour of the United States, and frontman Dave Wakeling and company visit the Lincoln Theatre in DC on Tuesday, Nov. 7.
Don’t Miss: The English Beat @ Lincoln Theatre, 11/7/17
Snapshots: Baio @ The Anthem — 11/2/17
Baio performs at The Anthem on Nov. 2, 2017. (Photo by Paivi)
Chris Baio, bassist for Vampire Weekend, tours as a solo act as Baio. He dropped by The Anthem on Thursday to open for The Shins, and Paivi photographed his show. (Check out Paivi’s photos of The Shins here.)
Snapshots: The Shins @ The Anthem — 11/2/17
James Mercer fronts The Shins at The Anthem on Nov. 2, 2017. (Photo by Paivi)
The Shins made a highly anticipated return to DC with a show at The Anthem on Thursday, and Paivi caught some pix of the band’s performance.
DJ Park: Getter @ Echostage — 10/31/17
Getter (Photo courtesy OWSLA)
Suh Dudes! We welcomed the California-based disc jockey Tanner Petulla, better known as Getter, in the house to deliver a mesmerizing performance at Echostage on Halloween. The crowd was ready for a festive night as everyone was dressed in their spookiest and scantiest costumes as Getter was ready to take stage. Echostage was filled with anticipation for the performance and ready for takeoff.
Interview: Andy McCluskey of Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark (@ 9:30 Club, 3/6/18)
Paul Humphreys and Andy McCluskey (right) of Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark (Photo courtesy Ticketfly)
The brilliant Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark (OMD) released The Punishment of Luxury, their 13th studio album, on Sept. 1 via 100% Records subsidiary White Noise. The album fared very well commercially, hitting #4 on the UK Albums chart as well as #7 on the US Top Dance/Electronic Albums chart.
I had the genuine pleasure of again chatting with Andy McCluskey, vocalist, bassist, keyboardist, and songwriter for OMD, as the band will launch a North American Tour with a performance at 9:30 Club on March 6, 2018. (It’s not officially announced by 9:30 Club yet, but buy your tickets online here.)
In our chat, Andy provides insights into songs on The Punishment of Luxury, shares his feelings on recent work by Gary Numan and New Order, and reveals artists (with some surprises) with whom OMD would like to collaborate (particularly as they approach their 40th anniversary as a band).
I babbled a bit more than usual because he’s a personal hero, and as such my interview covered a lot of ground. I’ve edited the order of the questions to improve their logical flow and trimmed them where necessary for brevity. (Also, perhaps read our previous Parklife DC interview with Andy McCluskey from May 2016.)
Music Park: Dresden Dolls @ 9:30 Club — 10/31/17
Amanda Palmer performs with The Dresden Dolls at 9:30 Club on Oct. 31, 2017. (Photo by Paivi)
You’ll never meet someone as comfortable in her own skin as Amanda Palmer.
The sassy singer/vaudevillian was perfectly at home at 9:30 Club on Tuesday, and it’s clear to see she would be perfectly at home absolutely anywhere. Her wits and her talents got her by early in life, and those assets continued to do so as she embarked on a brief east coast tour with drummer Brian Viglione as punk cabaret darlings The Dresden Dolls.
Music Park: Lucinda Williams @ Lincoln Theatre — 10/30/17
Lucinda Williams (Photo by David McClister)
I suspect the inclusion of Lucinda Williams among my favorite artists stood out a little on my (now deleted) dating profile, buried as it was among a list that heavily favored new wave, electronic, and industrial artists.
The contrast in genres was apparently notable enough that visitors commented on it more than once. But then my appreciation for Lucinda’s music did in fact arise out of a specific set of circumstances, absent which I might not have discovered her at all.
Snapshots: Boy Harsher @ DC9 — 10/29/17
Boy Harsher performs at DC9 on Sunday, Oct. 29, 2017. (Photo by Paivi)
Electronic duo Boy Harsher performed at DC9 on Sunday on the heels of releasing Country Girl, their latest EP, on Oct. 13 via Ascetic House. Augustus Miller and Jae Matthews played some of their latest dark electronic music in a very satisfying show on a brief US tour that takes them to Kingston, New York, tonight.
DJ Park: Shaun Frank @ Echostage — 10/27/17
Shaun Frank (Photo courtesy 2+2 Mgmt)
Once, Shaun Frank was a part of a band named Crowned King and only due to a lot of minor hiccups, they disbanded and he followed a new path as an electronic music DJ.
And The former Canadian frontman of a rock band recently showcased his ability to take a crowd by storm when he took center stage in the Nation’s Capital at Echostage on Friday, Oct. 27.
Don’t Miss: Dirtybird Players @ Echostage, 11/4/17
Walker & Royce (Photo courtesy Dirtybird)
Dirtybird is taking over Echostage on Saturday, Nov. 4. Led by Dirtybird chief Claude VonStroke, the label will present at least five different sets, including featured music by breakout duo Walker & Royce.