Melissa Etheridge (Photo courtesy the artist)
Ten years ago, Melissa Etheridge released a Christmas album! In recent years, Melissa has taken Christmas on the road, performing The Holiday Show around the holidays with famous Christmas carols and her radio hits. On Tuesday, Nov. 27, Melissa brings her holiday show to The Birchmere.
Los Campesinos! perform at the Black Cat on Nov. 17, 2018. (Photo by Shantel Breen)
Los Campesinos! are celebrating 10 years of music with a tour that made its last stop at the Black Cat this past Saturday night. Devoted fans started lining up over an hour before doors to get a good spot up front for this show. The audience members were treated to an outstanding performance that evening! Shantel Breen was up front to enjoy the show.
Lauren Sanderson performs at the Rock and Roll Hotel on Nov. 17, 2018. (Photo by Ari Strauss)
Twenty-two-year-old alternative hip-hop artist Lauren Sanderson performed to a room of exuberant young fans over the weekend at the Rock and Roll Hotel. She recently signed a record deal with Epic Records, and she is touring in support of her recent EP release, Don’t Panic.
Burton Cummings of The Guess Who performs at Robert E. Parilla Performing Arts Center on Nov. 16, 2018. (Photo by Jason Nicholson)
From 1965-75, Burton Cummings was the lead singer and keyboardist for Canadian rock band The Guess Who. He sung a heap of the songs by The Guess Who that he made famous (including “American Woman”) at Robert E. Parilla Performing Arts Center at Montgomery College in Rockville, Maryland, recently.
Cedric Burnside performs at Blues Rules Crissier Festival in Switzerland on May 22, 2016. (Photo by Christophe Losberger)
The blues, one of America’s great contributions to the arts, come in many forms. Multi-instrumentalist Cedric Burnside plays hill country blues, so named for the hill country of northern Mississippi. And he played them sure and well at Pearl Street Warehouse recently.
Nicole Atkins performs at The Barns at Wolf Trap on Nov. 14, 2018. (Photo by Mickey McCarter)
“This is a song I co-wrote with my ex-boyfriend,” Nicole Atkins said with a sly grin at Wolf Trap recently. “He didn’t know we were dating.”
The he in question was rockabilly hero Chris Isaak, who collaborated with Nicole on her fourth full-length album, Goodnight Rhonda Lee, which was published last year via Single Lock. About half of Nicole’s concert at The Barns at Wolf Trap was dedicated to that latest album.
Jason Bonham (Photo courtesy Lappen Enterprises)
Any music lover will tell you, rhythm is an essential ingredient of a song. Any musician will also tell you that percussion was the first musical instrument. Ancient peoples discovered that banging on things would create patterns and melodies one could move to and feel deep inside. Since those first humans struck a piece of bark or a stretched animal skin, the tympani, the gong, the dulcimer, and the piano, among other percussion instruments, have become central to orchestras, jazz combos, pop groups, and marching bands.
When it comes to drummers, one of the greatest modern drummers ever to play was surely John Bonham of Led Zeppelin. Recently, ParklifeDC had the pleasure of speaking with drummer Jason Bonham, John’s son, in anticipation of Jason Bonham’s Led Zeppelin Evening appearance at The Fillmore Silver Spring this Sunday, Nov. 25.
The Front Bottoms (Photo courtesy the band)
The Front Bottoms released Going Grey, their fourth full-length studio album, last year via Fueled By Ramen. The trio constantly have been touring since, and they hit The Anthem on Saturday, Nov. 24, with Manchester Orchestra.
Overcoats dance the night away at 9:30 Club on Nov. 16, 2018. (Photo by David LaMason)
Overcoats, the musical duo of Hana Elion and JJ Mitchell, released their debut album, YOUNG, just over a year ago, but they’ve already made a name for themselves with their thoughtful lyrics, beautiful harmonies, and infectious beats. I caught those beats in action at 9:30 Club on Friday, when Overcoats opened Mitski.
Mitski amazes a sold-out crowd at 9:30 Club on Nov. 16, 2018. (Photo by David LaMason)
Mitski Miyawaki, who performs simply as Mitski, is that rare artist who writes songs that are both musically complex and creates an emotional sympatico between herself and her audience. That skill was on display in her show at 9:30 Club on Friday, the first of two sold-out nights.
