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Music Park: Parklife DC Top 10 Concerts of 2016 by Mickey

Mickey McCarter
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Music Park: Parklife DC Top 10 Concerts of 2016 by Mickey

CHVRCHES 008 Lauren Mayberry of Chvrches sings at Echostage on Oct. 17, 2016. (Photo by Mickey McCarter)

I’ll confess that I’m a man whose taste in music is readily apparent. If you have new wave tunes to play, particularly from 1976-86, I’m going to show up and listen to them. That said, a number of incredible legacy new wave bands happened to travel through the DC metro area over the past year, and I took the opportunity to review them for our humble blog.

That said, a number of younger bands definitely broke through and seized my attention, most notably Canada’s Operators, who were the most exciting new band I’ve seen in some time. As with Operators, many of the best performances I witnessed in 2016 came from bands whose leaders are among the Masters of Synthpop, and so I have dedicated a postscript of really great synthpop shows that may have “missed” the top 10 but otherwise deserve a lot of applause.

Check out my top 10 list of concerts I saw for Parklife DC. (Click on the concert slugline to revisit the full review.)

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Don’t Miss: Peaches O’Dell & Her Orchestra @ Black Cat, 12/31/16

Mickey McCarter
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Don’t Miss: Peaches O’Dell & Her Orchestra @ Black Cat, 12/31/16

Black Cat NYE

For 23 years on New Years Eve at the Black Cat, Ms. Peaches O’Dell leads her big band through classic dance numbers from the ’20s to the ’50s.

And every year, it’s a hit that cultiminates in a famous conga line. Come out to the Black Cat, where Peaches O’Dell & Her Orchestra will do it again this year! Peaches and company roll through Latin dance classics, swing, jazz, and more. You can check out some live recordings on YouTube, which are presented in a quirky retro style that captures her taste and style.

Watch a video for a “retro sci-fi” version of “Mambo No. 5” by Peaches O’Dell & Her Orchestra on YouTube:

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gijf2hBS1h0]

“My ultimate goal is happines and celebration for one and all through some remarkable music and crowd energy,” Peaches said in an email to Parklife DC.

Lounge act Tony Anthony & His Malvivants will provide entertainment between sets when Peaches and Her Orchestra take a break. Downstairs in the back stage, DJ Dredd provides more contemporary entertainment.

Metrorail will run until 3am on New Year’s Eve, and the Black Cat is conveniently located a few blocks away from the U Street Metro Station. Make plans to dance the night away with Peaches O’Dell & Her Orchestra.

Tickets are available online.

Peaches O’Dell & Her Orchestra
w/ Tony Anthony & His Malvivants, DJ Dredd
Black Cat
Saturday, Dec. 31
Doors @7pm
$30
21+

Snapshots: Rasputina @ Howard Theatre — 12/17/16

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Snapshots: Rasputina @ Howard Theatre — 12/17/16

Rasputina @ Howard Theatre, Washington DC 12/17/2016 Rasputina performs at the Howard Theatre on Saturday, Dec. 17, 2016. (Photo by Paivi)

Twenty years ago, Melora Creager introduced the world to an unusual genre of music — cello rock — with her band Rasputina.

The band released its debut album Thanks for the Ether via Columbia Records in 1996, and now Melora and company undertook a 20th anniversary tour of the album with a stop at the Howard Theatre in DC on Saturday, Dec. 17.

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Snapshots: Parklife DC 10 Best Pictures of 2016

Mickey McCarter
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Snapshots: Parklife DC 10 Best Pictures of 2016

Peter Hook and The Light @ Howard Theatre, Washington DC, 11/23/2016
Peter Hook performs at the Howard Theatre on Nov. 23, 2016. (Photo by Paivi)

It’s been a good second year for Parklife DC, particularly as we really improved our concert photography game.

Our little blog recruited some excellent photographers, notably Paivi Salonen, who is really quite good and sticking around with us into 2017! We also had the pleasure of working with Kristie Chua, who has moved onto other endeavors.

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Don’t Miss: Austra @ Black Cat — 1/28/17

Mickey McCarter
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Don’t Miss: Austra @ Black Cat — 1/28/17

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Katie Stelmanis of Austra (Photo by Renata Raksha)

Canadian vocalist and producer Katie Stelmanis has been receiving praise with the upcoming third album by her band Austra, which is visiting the Black Cat on Saturday, Jan. 28.

“Stelmanis’ personal satisfaction derives from artistic validation… and having a voice… and with ‘Utopia’” she’s found both in the form of a steely cold and cascading swirl of a track. One that’s anthemic, too, in a way that encourages you to find your own resolve, as well,” said Stereogum in praising the song “Utopia” from the upcoming album, Future Politics, due Jan. 20 via Domino.

Watch the official music video for “Utopia” by Austra via YouTube:

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7rzmhbiKUo0]

In a statement, Katie said the new album has a point: “a commitment to replace the approaching dystopia.”

The goal then is to inspire hope and thus spur individual people to make the right decisions (and while offering good dance music, of course). “Not just hope in the future, but the idea that everyone is required to help write it,” she said.

Tickets are available online.

Austra
w/ Lafawndah
Black Cat
Saturday, Jan. 28
Doors @8pm
$18/$20
All ages

Ticket Giveaway: G. Love & Special Sauce @ 9:30 Club, 1/29/17

Mickey McCarter
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Ticket Giveaway: G. Love & Special Sauce @ 9:30 Club, 1/29/17

GLovePressPhoto Garrett Dutton aka G. Love (Photo courtesy Mason Jar Media)

Christmas is on Sunday! While not a holiday we often associate with the blues, sometimes that’s just how Christmas goes. And sometimes only a good bluesy song can capture our mood.

Garrett Dutton aka G. Love is a blues musician who also happens to love Christmas! He recently contributed a track to Amazon Music’s Acoustic Christmas, released Nov. 22. Give a listen to G. Love’s “Merry Christmas to You” on Soundcloud:

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Music Park: 10 Top Live Bowie Covers of 2016

Mickey McCarter
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Music Park: 10 Top Live Bowie Covers of 2016

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Duran Duran perform a medley of “Planet Earth”/”Space Oddity” at the Klipsch Amphitheater at Bayfront Park in Miami on April 1, 2016. (Photo courtesy YouTube)

In the past year, I’ve reminisced much on the passing of David Bowie, whose unexpected death in January marked a year of remembrances of the great musician and his legacy.

And many of these remembrances involved a good deal of dancing and absorbing live performances from wonderful artists that took the time to remember Bowie as well. Here then are 10 top Bowie covers that I saw in my time reviewing shows for Parklife DC in 2016.

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Snapshots: The Reminders @ 9:30 Club – 12/16/16

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Snapshots: The Reminders @ 9:30 Club – 12/16/16

The Reminders @ 9:30 Club, Washington DC, 12/16/2016
The Reminders perform at the 9:30 Club on Friday, Dec. 16, 2016. (Photo by Paivi)

Big Samir hails from Brussels, Belgium, and Aja Black was born in Queens, New York. Together, they are The Reminders, a hip hop/soul duo who got a lot of attention with their first two albums -– 2008’s Recollect and 2012’s Born Champions.

More immediately, The Reminders joined DC’s Thievery Corporation for a run of dates as an opening act on Thievery’s 20th anniversary tour, which ended with three sold-out shows at the 9:30 Club on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. (Check out Paivi’s pictures of Thievery Corporation from Friday night’s show.)

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Snapshots: Thievery Corporation @ 9:30 Club — 12/16/16

paivi
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Snapshots: Thievery Corporation @ 9:30 Club — 12/16/16

Thievery Corporation @ 9:30 Club, Washington DC, 12/16/2016
Thievery Corporation performs at the 9:30 Club on Friday, Dec. 16, 2016 (Photo by Paivi)

Thievery Corporation will release a new studio album, The Temple of I & I, on Feb. 10, 2017, via their own ESL Music. In the run-up to that release, Eric Hilton and Rob Garza recruited collaborators new and old for a 20th anniversary tour, which culminated in three sold-out shows at the 9:30 Club on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday last week.

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Don’t Miss: At the Drive-In @ 9:30 Club, 3/20/17

Mickey McCarter
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Don’t Miss: At the Drive-In @ 9:30 Club, 3/20/17

ATDI1000x400
At the Drive-In (Photo courtesy Fearless Records)

After a long silence following their last album, post-hardcore stalwarts At the Drive-In released a new song “Governed by Contagions” on Dec. 8 via Rise Records.

The new song marks a remarkable turn in developments for the El Paso punk quintet, which originally broke up in 2001 and eventually returned to touring in 2012. But now it seems like they are really back with a brief headlining tour in 2017, which includes a stop at the 9:30 Club on Monday, March 20, along with the promise of new music. Indeed, the new full-length album, produced by ORL and Rich Costey, to be released in 2017 will be the band’s first since third album Relationship of Command in 2000.

Watch a lyric video for “Governed by Contagions” by At the Drive-In on YouTube (or download a free MP3 at http://www.atthedriveinmusic.com):

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1-NYWzd7JW8]

With original guitarist Jim Ward departing the band, At the Drive-In members Cedric Bixler-Zavala, Omar Rodriguez-Lopez, Paul Hinojos, Tony Hajjar, and Keeley Davis carry on without him. Still, SPIN magazine hailed the new song, saying “The fierce, stuttering anthem is pretty classic ATDI.”

At the Drive-In initially eyed some US dates in June, but the band canceled that tour while Cedric recovered from voice problems. But now they are back for a run of dates that starts in DC and ends in Toronto on March 29.

Tickets are available online.

At the Drive-In
9:30 Club
Monday, March 20, 2017
Doors @7pm
$45
All ages

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