Porter Robinson (Photo by Peter Don)
Porter Robinson has developed a new concept, Virtual Self. With this new identity, Porter revels in his love of early ’00s visuals to “combine three tropes from the period that didn’t overlap much at the time: digital abstract, arcane magic design, and digital grunge, all into a single early-aughts flavor.”
With a show at Echostage on Monday, Sept. 3, Porter will bring Virtual Self to DC.
3 Doors Down (Photo courtesy Red Light Management)
Mississippi rockers 3 Doors Down have teamed up with Collective Soul for the Rock & Roll Express, a big summer tour that lands at MECU Pavilion on Tuesday, Aug. 21.
Gangstagrass (Photo courtesy Fiona Bloom)
Founded in 2006 by Brooklyn producer Rench, Gangstagrass combines hip hip and bluegrass into a groundbreaking sound. Gangstagrass has new music to perform, and the band will play it at Hill Country Live on Friday, Aug. 17.
The Revivalists (Photo by Brantley Gutierrez)
Formed in New Orleans in 2007, the eight-man roots band called The Revivalists recently released a new single, “All My Friends,” and they will soon start a tour. The Revivalists will play at Wolf Trap on Sunday, Aug. 19.
Hélène De Thoury of Hante performs at Tiny Cat Music Festival on Aug. 3, 2018. (All photos by Paivi Salonen. Words by Mickey McCarter)
Working Order Records, home to DC’s own synthpop duo Technophobia, held its first Tiny Cat Dark Music Festival to celebrate “dark electronic music” over the weekend at Black Cat. By any measure, the first edition of Tiny Cat was a wild success, drawing 10 bands of remarkably different soundscapes together over two nights of immersive music.
Gary Numan (Photo courtesy BB Gun Press)
The iconic Gary Numan will visit 9:30 Club on a return trip to DC on Friday, Sept. 21! Gary released Savage (Songs from a Broken World), his 18th studio album, last year and performed at 9:30 Club almost a year ago. Now, he’s back, and you can win tickets to see him with Parklife DC.
Needtobreathe (Photo courtesy Ticketfly)
Needtobreathe, often stylized NEEDTOBREATHE, have been busy lately! In July, they released an EP, Forever on Your Side (Niles City Sound Sessions), and on Nov. 16, the band will release Acoustic Live Vol. 1, a live album, via Atlantic Records. In the meantime, they will soon tour with a show at The Anthem on Friday, Aug. 17.
Hayes Carll performs at FM Kirby Center on Dec. 28, 2016. (Photo by Rich Howells)
Americana singer-songwriter Hayes Carll was in rare form before a sold-out house at DC’s City Winery Saturday evening. Performing mostly solo, with just an acoustic guitar, Hayes had the crowd spellbound, playing favorite songs and freely breaking into story. Hayes’s trademark wry, sarcastic sense of humor was on fine display, as was his heartfelt sincerity.
Sam Wilson of Sons of Bill performs at WNRN radio in Charlottesville, Virginia, on May 26, 2016. (Photo by Ashley Travis)
Friday night’s Sons of Bill concert very nearly didn’t come to be. Last year, during the making of their sixth album, Oh God Ma’am, the youngest of the three brothers in the band, James Wilson, fell on a champagne flute, severing five tendons and his median nerve. Doctors feared that he might not be able to play the guitar again. The Sons of Bill had finally tasted some success in 2016 with their critically acclaimed fifth album, Love and Logic, playing sold-out shows in London, and they were thinking about breaking up the band.
Black Milk performs at Rock and Roll Hotel on Aug. 2, 2018. (Photo by Will Colbert)
Detroit rapper/producer Black Milk turned up the temperature in northeast DC’s Rock and Roll Hotel last week. The concert was part of the aptly named FEVER tour. DC-based band Nat Turner joined him on stage to add fuel to the flame.
