Parklife DC

Don’t Miss: The Fray @ The Fillmore Silver Spring, 11/15/16

Live Review

Mickey McCarter

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November 10, 2016

Don’t Miss: The Fray @ The Fillmore Silver Spring, 11/15/16

The Fray (Photo by Frank Ochenfels)

Denver rock band The Fray will always be beloved for their mid-aughties singles “Over My Head (Cable Car)” and “How To Save A Life” from their debut album.

If you didn’t get acquainted with the rest of their output, The Fray have made it easy for you to catch up, as last Friday they released a compilation package, Through the Years: The Best of The Fray, via Epic Records.

Through the Years contains 12 tracks covering greatest hits in chronological order, but then also delivers the treat of three new songs from the soulful rockers.

Listen to “Singing Low,” one of the new songs from Through the Years, by The Fray via YouTube:

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3oq9LwYxR38]

Isaac Slade (vocals, piano), Joe King (guitar, vocals), Ben Wysocki (drums), and David Welsh (guitar) are touring in support of the greatest hits package, and they arrive locally at The Fillmore Silver Spring on Tuesday, Nov. 15.

The Fray have released all four of their studio albums via Epic Records, including their latest Helios in 2014. (On that album, they worked with one of my favorite producers ever — Stuart Price, who has done great work with Madonna and The Killers.)

You may also recall hits from The Fray like “You Found Me” and “Never Say Never” from their second album. Needless to say, this will be an “epic” night of power ballads and soul searching, and you’re sure to sing your heart out as the band plays all of the songs you know and love from them.

Tickets are available online.

The Fray
w/ American Authors
The Fillmore Silver Spring
Tuesday, Nov. 15
Doors @7pm
$40
All ages

Don’t Miss: Dragonette @ U Street Music Hall, 12/9/16

Live Review

Mickey McCarter

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November 9, 2016

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Don’t Miss: Dragonette @ U Street Music Hall, 12/9/16

Dragonette (Photo by Gabe Ayala)

Synthpoppers Dragonette are about to release their fourth album “Royal Blues” this Friday, Nov. 11, via their own Dragonette Inc. label. And the Toronto trio have launched a tour in support of it.

Dragonette are no strangers to DC, where they have performed frequently since the release of their 2007 debut album, Galore. They visited U Street Music Hall in November of last year, and they are set to return there on this tour with a show on Friday, Dec. 9.

After two albums of fantastic new wave music, Dragonette started to lean more into house, inspired (I’ve long said) by their collaborations with well-regarded DJs — most notably Martin Solveig, who guided them into the 2010 hit “Hello.” Their third album, 2012’s Bodyparts, certainly favored electronic beats over guitar, a trend that continues on new songs like “Darth Vader.”

Listen to “Darth Vader” by Dragonette on Soundcloud:

[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/290414930″ params=”color=ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false” width=”100%” height=”166″ iframe=”true” /]

All the same, vocalist Martina Sorbara, bassist Dan Kurtz, and drummer Joel Stouffer always deliver a terrific, high-energy show. Martina’s fantastic voice and frenetic dancing make for a great performance, but Dan’s extraordinary turns on the synthesizer truly take Dragonette to the next level.

This is certainly a show worth seeing! Tickets are available online.

Dragonette
w/ Gibbz
U Street Music Hall
Friday, Dec. 9
Doors @7pm
$20
All ages

Ticket Giveaway: DIIV @ 9:30 Club, 11/17/16

Live Review

Mickey McCarter

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November 9, 2016

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DC has been enjoying an onslaught of shoegaze in recent times, and the resurgent guitar pop wave is being led in part by Brooklyn shoegazers DIIV. Zachary Cole Smith and his band opened for classic shoegaze band Ride at the 9:30 Club last year, headlined their own show at the Black Cat, and return to headline the 9:30 Club on Thursday, Nov. 17.

In the midst of DIIV’s victory lap, the band released their second album, Is the Is Are, in February via Captured Tracks. “Is the Is Are, more than any album in a long time, feels like a great and immersive book,” said Under the Radar.

Watch the official music video for “Mire (Grant’s Song),” a new song by DIIV, courtesy of Pitchfork, on YouTube:

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HMaxYF8OBmU]

Parklife DC is giving away a pair of tickets to see DIIV. To win, simply leave a comment on this blog. You can leave any comment but perhaps tell us your favorite song by DIIV.

For the rules of this giveaway–

Comments will be closed at 5pm on Friday, Nov. 11, and a winner will be randomly selected. The winner will be notified by email. The winner must respond to our email within 24 hours, or they will forfeit their tickets and we will pick another winner. We will email you instructions on claiming your ticket. Good luck!

If you don’t win, tickets are available online.

DIIV
w/ Moon King
9:30 Club
Thursday, Nov. 17
Doors @10pm
$20
All ages

Music Park: TORRES @ 9:30 Club — 11/6/16

Live Review

Jeremy Bailey

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November 8, 2016

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Music Park: TORRES @ 9:30 Club — 11/6/16

TORRES (Photo Credit: Shawn Brackbill)

As the green and purple lights flickered in and out, casting an enigmatic glow upon the stage, Mackenzie Scott pleaded, ‘Come out wherever you are.’ in the thoughtful and sorrowful song “Helen”.

Known as TORRES, Mackenzie warmed up the 9:30 Club crowd on November 6th spilling in for the first night of Tegan and Sara’s two shows. Indeed, just to get in for doors open the line extended down the block and around the corner. Something I’ve rarely seen at the 9:30 Club.

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Ticket Giveaway: Peter Hook and The Light @ Howard Theatre, 11/23/16

Live Review

Mickey McCarter

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November 8, 2016

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Peter Hook (Photo courtesy BBC)

Parklife DC is giving away five pairs of tickets to see Peter Hook and The Light live in DC during our next party — Careless Memories at Dodge City on Thursday! (Check it out on Facebook.) We are going to celebrate the bassist of Joy Division and New Order by playing a lot of music from both of his bands.

But for the sake of argument, let’s say maybe you cannot make it out to Dodge City (917 U St. NW, DC) on Thursday (although the next day is a federal holiday)! What might you do then? Go winless while one of Manchester’s favorite sons brings those awesomely splendid basslines to the Howard Theatre, where Peter Hook and The Light play on Nov. 23?

Well, love may tear us apart, but tickets will bring us together! In case you really cannot make it out on Thursday, we will give away a pair of tickets to see Peter Hook and The Light perform the songs of Joy Division and New Order right here on this blog.

Watch a young Peter Hook play in New Order as they perform “Bizarre Love Triangle” at Strawberry Studios Stockport on YouTube (exact date unknown) — and read Billboard’s “10 Reasons Why New Order’s ‘Bizarre Love Triangle’ Is One of the Greatest Songs of All Time“:

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r91OO8D1Oys]

Parklife DC is giving away a pair of tickets to see Peter Hook and The Light. To win, simply leave a comment on this blog. You can leave any comment but we would like to know your favorite song by New Order or Joy Division. (Hey, I’m also going to use your responses to inspire my playlist at Dodge City on Thursday at 8pm. Come out to hear the songs.)

For the rules of this giveaway–

Comments will be closed at 8pm on Thursday, Nov. 10, and then we’re all going to Careless Memories at Dodge City, where we will give away five more pairs of tickets in person! For this drawing, a winner will be randomly selected. The winner will be notified by email. The winner must respond to our email within 24 hours, or they will forfeit their tickets and we will pick another winner. We will email you instructions on claiming your ticket. Good luck!

If you don’t win, tickets are available online!

An Evening with Peter Hook and The Light
Performing “Substance” – Joy Division and New Order
Howard Theatre
Wednesday, Nov. 23
Doors @6pm
$35
All ages

Music Park: Foals @ Echostage — 11/3/16

Live Review

regardingtess

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November 8, 2016

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Yannis Philippakis of Foals performs at Echostage on Nov. 3, 2016. (Photo by Theresa Sanchez)

“It’s been awhile since we played in D.C. I think, so ah, I remember the first time we played here we played to basically like to the equivalent of this nugget of people right here [points to the crowd packed in front of the stage]. Thank you so much for following the band and coming out,” said Yannis Philippakis.

If the aforementioned lead singer of Foals could stand still, would the music sound just as good? Probably. But that’s not the point of a live show. You can listen to their music on iTunes, YouTube, satellite radio, or any streaming service and you’d never come close to experiencing the way the music literally jumps off the stage and encompasses your entire being.

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Don’t Miss: Zipper Club (Opening for The Sounds) @ 9:30 Club, 11/28/16

Live Review

Jeremy Bailey

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November 7, 2016

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Don’t Miss: Zipper Club (Opening for The Sounds) @ 9:30 Club, 11/28/16

Zipper Club (Photo from Zipper Club FB)

The Sounds return to the 9:30 Club on November 28th bringing along two openers!

One opener you’ll definitely want to catch is Zipper Club. They are a new band out of Los Angeles made up of Mason James (guitar) of Cerebral Ballzy, Damar Davis (drums) and fronted by musician and model Lissy Trullie.

Their sound is as infectious as The Sounds, where Lissy’s voice and the synth-laden beats make a perfect fit as an opener.

The first single, “Going the Distance”, has done well on Billboard’s Alternative Songs Chart. It is instantly danceable and a song you will put on repeat until your music delivery system breaks down.

[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/270049919″ params=”auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&visual=true” width=”100%” height=”150″ iframe=”true” /]

They are working on their debut album with producer James Iha (Smashing Pumpkins), so be on the look out.

We know you can’t wait to catch The Sounds perform live, but now make sure you get to the 9:30 Club with enough time to witness Zipper Club. Good exercise after the long Thanksgiving weekend.

Tickets are available and can be found here.

Zipper Club (Opening for The Sounds)
w/ My Jeruselem
9:30 Club
Monday, November 28
Doors 7:00pm
$25
All ages

Don’t Miss: Pet Shop Boys @ Warner Theatre, 11/11/16

Live Review

Mickey McCarter

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November 7, 2016

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Don’t Miss: Pet Shop Boys @ Warner Theatre, 11/11/16

Pet Shop Boys at the first night of four sold-out shows at London’s Royal Opera House on July 20, 2016. (Photo by Ken McKay)

The ever-fabulous Pet Shop Boys have been feeling particularly creative lately, releasing a series of very very good albums.

Neal Tennant and Chris Lowe always have been somewhat restless musicians, setting high marks for their disco-oriented synthpop. Their recent work with producer Stuart Price, pop king of modern disco producers, really has raised the bar, however, particularly with their latest and 13th album Super, published in April via their own x2 label.

Pet Shop Boys launched a US tour in support of the new album in Las Vegas last month, and the tour arrives in DC on Friday, Nov. 11 in a sold-out show at the Warner Theatre. (Resale tickets are available for DC, and a few tickets remain for surrounding dates in New Jersey, New York, and elsewhere.)

Like the very best of the Pet Shop Boys’ catalog, Super is stuffed full of cheeky observations on society as well as substantive ruminations on who we are — all set to extremely appealing disco and house beats. Super opens with the outstanding “Happiness,” an addictive house composition that carries a great deal of weight with its minimalism without at all leaving us empty.

“Twenty-something” is one of those tracks full of cheeky observations, assessing the cockiness of youth. The lyrics of the song are offset by a cinematic video that depicts an unfortunate young man in San Diego caught in an unforgiving cycle of life as a criminal.

Watch the official music video for “Twenty-something” by the Pet Shop Boys on YouTube:

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0KCVmOQ1q6Y]

The new PSB songs sit very well beside older numbers while seeming like a sharpening of the vision displayed on some of the duo’s ’90s material like the Nightlife album, while improving upon it immensely.

Parklife DC is so excited about this show, that we dedicated our monthly new wave party, Careless Memories (which happens second Thursdays at Dodge City!) to the inimitable Pet Shop Boys. This is going to be a great show.

The show is sold out, but resale tickets may be available!

Pet Shop Boys
Warner Theater
Friday, Nov. 11.
Show @8pm
Sold out
All ages

Don’t Miss: Priests @ Black Cat, 3/11/17

Live Review

Mickey McCarter

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November 7, 2016

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Don’t Miss: Priests @ Black Cat, 3/11/17

Priests (Photo courtesy Pitch Perfect PR)

DC’s explosive punks Priests are set to release their first full-length album in January — Nothing Feels Natural via their own Sister Polygon Records. The band is launching a US tour to support it, and that tour ends at the Black Cat in a belated record release party on March 11, 2017.

Priests recently released a second video for a track from the album, satirizing greed and consumerism with their song “Pink White House.” The video paints a grim picture of people sometimes literally murdering others for a buck. Even a seamonster gets on the action, mugging a hapless fisherman (portrayed by guitarist Gideon Jaguar).

Watch the official music video for “Pink White House” by Priests on YouTube:

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

In a press release, singer Katie Alice Greer said this of the song and video: “Lyrically, this is a Priests song I am maybe most proud of to date. I am very inspired by the filmmaker Adam Curtis, the first time I saw ‘It Felt Like A Kiss,’ I thought, man, I want to start a band where I can write lyrics the way this guy makes films, like these politically pointed surreal avant-garde narratives, and then I met Daniele and we started Priests.

“So for me, ‘Pink White House’ is a step towards achieving this style of lyricism. I’m excited about that. Musically we wrote the first half and then were like, ‘where do we go from here?’ We wanted the second half of the song to feel like you’re in a new scene of the story, where ‘come on palm trees’ starts. It was very fun and adventurous for us, writing this way! For the video, I wanted to do something playing on the notion that pop culture repackages your identity and sells it back to you for ‘entertainment.’”

Add to this that Priests are a thrilling live band, and you know you can’t miss this date. (Check out our Parklife DC reviews from Black Cat shows on May 10, 2016, Feb. 14, 2016, and Feb. 7, 2015.) Tickets are available online.

BTW, as we reported previously, Priests have launched an official website, and they also recently appeared on Twitter. Follow them at @PRIESTS_TWEET.

Priests
Black Cat
Saturday, March 11
Doors @8pm
$15
All ages

Music Park: Mandolin Orange @ The Hamilton Live — 11/3/16

Live Review

Mickey McCarter

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November 4, 2016

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Music Park: Mandolin Orange @ The Hamilton Live — 11/3/16

Emily Frantz and Andrew Marlin of Mandolin Orange perform at The Hamilton on Nov. 3, 2016. (Photo by Mickey McCarter)

Before hitting the road to tour their new album, Mandolin Orange did a number of recording sessions for various music outlets, which really warmed them up to the songs and how to present them live.

Andrew Marlin (vocals, mandolin, guitar, banjo) and Emily Frantz (vocals, violin, guitar) were especially mindful of those experiences during their sold-out show at The Hamilton on Thursday night. They praised the DC concert hall for its acoustics and warmth, which aided their ability to capture the sound they wanted from the new songs — songs like “My Blinded Heart,” which they performed next.

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