Daley and JMSN (Photo courtesy Ticketfly)
Gareth Daley is best known by the name Daley, and Christian Berishaj is better known by his stagename JMSN (pronounced “Jameson”). The two alternative R&B singer-songwriters have teamed for a tour, and Daley and JMSN perform at 9:30 Club together on Friday, Feb. 1.
The Wu-Tang Clan performs at Franklin Music Hall in Philadelphia on Jan. 25, 2019. (Photo by Andy Jillson)
The Wu-Tang Clan began a celebration of the 25th anniversary of the group’s debut album last year, and they continued with a double barrel blast of shows at Franklin Music Hall in Philadelphia on Jan. 24 and 25. I was there for the second night to capture a lot of images of the legendary rappers as they continued their salute to Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers).
Steep Canyon Rangers perform at Merlefest on April 28, 2016. (Photo by CP Thornton)
The Steep Canyon Rangers nodded to DC’s strong bluegrass history in a lively concert that showcased their unusual configuration and a few pleasant surprises at The Hamilton Live on Friday.
The Seldom Scene performs at The 8×10 on Jan. 24, 2019. (Photo by Matt Ruppert)
The Seldom Scene is closer to their 50th anniversary (2021) of making music than they are to their 40th, and they maintain relevance in the scene that by many accounts they either buoyed or helped create. They certainly nodded to bluegrass traditions at The 8X10 in Baltimore recently. But like so many musicians that followed them, The Seldom Scene borrowed from other genres such as country, rock, and pop – with ease and a deep familiarity.
Joan (Photo courtesy Big Life Management)
The band Joan is actually two men — Alan Thomas and Steven Rutherford — and the guys played some rather catchy dance tunes at DC9 opening Half Alive recently.
Half Alive (Photo by Sergio Necoechea)
Half Alive closed their show at DC9 recently with “Still Feel,” the trio’s most recognizable song. And that disco-flavored banger played like all parts of the band’s fully realized sound.
Duran Duran (Photo by Stephanie Pistel)
New wave heroes Duran Duran perform at a big festival in the Cayman Islands soon, and then they come ashore for a short stint of dates in the United States, including two nights at The Fillmore New Orleans. The first night at the sparkling new Fillmore sold out but limited tickets remain for Duran Duran’s show on Wednesday, Feb. 20.
Soulfly (Photo by Charlene Tupper)
Soulfly recently released Ritual, a new album, via Nuclear Blast. The heavy metal quartet are touring with a stop at Cafe 611 in Frederick, Maryland, on Thursday, Feb. 7.
John Knowles and Tommy Emmanuel (Photo by Allen Clarke)
The sign on the marquee read, “Tommy Emmanuel, CGP,” and below that, “John Knowles, CGP.” CGP stands for Certified Guitar Player, a designation bestowed by master player Chet Atkins on a small number of extremely talented guitarists. Only three remain, and, with Chet having passed in 2001, there won’t be any more. And you likely never heard a show like the show played by two of these last CGPs at The Birchmere on Tuesday.
Vertical Horizon performs at City Winery on Jan. 18, 2019. (Photo by Paivi Salonen)
Vertical Horizon released a new album, The Lost Mile, last year, but it wasn’t really on the mind of frontman Matt Scannell when the band performed at DC’s City Winery recently. Instead, the concert spanned the career of Matt’s band, founded originally in DC, with a big focus on Everything You Want, its 1999 hit album, Everything You Want, according to Setlist.fm.
