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Around Town: Woofstock @ DC Pavilion, 8/6/16

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FalaDC likes dogs (Fala @ FDR Memorial)

Woofstock, presented by Barkly (a dog-walking service app) and The Big Bad Wolf (a pet retail store based in the DC area), comes to the DC Pavilion on Saturday, August 6th.

Music, food trucks, beer from RavenBeer in Baltimore, giveaways and a pet adoption event!

If you love dogs, you better head over there. Bring the pup!

You can also buy the event t-shirt here.

Music will include Party Like It’s…. and DJ Deviir. Food trucks include Smoking Kow BBW and Captain Cookie among others.

May the woof be with you.

Woofstock 2016
DC (Gallaudet) Pavilion near Union Market (1399 5th St NE, Washington, District of Columbia 20002)
Saturday, August 6, 2016
3-7pm
$5 (Dogs free)
All ages

Don’t Miss: CHVRCHES @ Echostage, 10/18/16

CHVRCHES 07 Chvrches perform in Baltimore on June 12, 2016. (Photo by Mickey McCarter)

Glaswegian trio Chvrches announced a fall tour, scheduled a date in DC for Monday, Oct. 17, at Echostage, and promptly sold it out.

Thankfully, the synthpop band announced a second date, Tuesday, Oct. 18, which goes on sale to the public on Friday, August 5 at 10am. If you missed out the first time, don’t pass up this second opportunity to see these fantastic new wavers in our fair city. Echostage holds about 6,000 people, which seems like a lot, but that first night sold out awfully fast!

Remind yourself of why Chvrches are so damn good by watching this animated video for “Bury It,” featuring Hayley Williams of Paramore (well, cartoon Hayley), on YouTube:

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B9BLMNn0PrQ]

I caught Chvrches last in Baltimore on June 12, and frontwoman Lauren Mayberry proved to be an outstanding, hypnotic performer. Here are a few of my observations on what was one of the best shows of the year so far (read my full review here):

“Chvrches carry forward the buoyant, uplifting tone of their show with excellent songs from the new album like ‘Make Them Gold’ and ‘Empty Threat.'”

“The lyrical optimism is reinforced by some fine synthesizer work from the Glaswegian trio, as Iain Cook and Martin Doherty dazzle with some truly soaring synths. Iain occasionally takes up guitar, and Martin occasionally lends vocals, expanding the sound of Chvrches’ synthpop. Together, the three really continue to blaze a trail that was marked by some of my favorite bands in the ’80s like a soulful Bronski Beat or a latter-day Eurythmics.”

“Lauren’s Scottish lilt is absolutely addictive, and it’s remarkable to see how she has grown as a performer since the band first appeared with ‘The Mother We Share’ roughly four years ago. She’s matured into a confident dynamo like a butterfly emerging from a chrysalis — and for me, her glam eye makeup reinforces the idea of a butterfly.”

Tickets are available online, starting at 10am on August 5.

Chvrches
Echostage
Tuesday, Oct. 18
Doors @7pm
$35
All ages

CHVRCHES 20

Sports Park: D.C. United vs. Philadelphia Union @ RFK Stadium, 8/6/16

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PHI-v-DC

Season Record: 5-8-8 (23 points)

Your D.C. United match up against the Philadelphia Union this Saturday, August 6th.

This is the second of four consecutive home games for the United, they played to a 1-1 draw last weekend against the Montreal Impact.

Philadelphia has owned the series this season, winning both previous games, 1-0 and 3-0. The Union sit tied for third place in the Eastern Conference (30 points). This is the final tilt between these two teams (outside the playoffs if they make it).

The United should be up to the task of winning this one, otherwise their playoff chances are slipping away.

Buy your tickets here.

Audacious Assertion: United 1, Union 0

(My home picks so far: 2-3)

MLS: Philadelphia Union at D.C. United
RFK Stadium
Saturday, August 6, 2016
7:00pm
$20-55
All ages

Don’t Miss: Baroness @ Howard Theatre, 8/12/16

BaronessJimmyHubbard0T5A2111BW
Baroness (Photo by Jimmy Hubbard)

Heavy metal band Baroness thundered back with their fourth album, Purple, 2015. Although it is the fourth full-length from the band, led by vocalist John Baizley, it also is full of firsts!

It’s the first album from the band’s own label Abraxan Hymns. And it’s the first album with new band members in bassist Nick Jost and drummer Sebastian Thompson. Critics clearly liked what they heard, as Metacritic gives the album high marks for “universal acclaim.”

Well, you don’t have to trust the critics, because you can hear it for yourself when Baroness come to DC to perform live. Baroness launch a new tour on Friday, August 12 at the Howard Theatre!

Purple is full of pulse-pounding rhythms and rolling drums, such as those found in the latest Baroness single, “Shock Me.” Watch the official music video for “Shock Me” by Baroness on YouTube:

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t6OCeW6FVvY]

“Shock Me” ranked #10 on Entertainment Weekly’s Top 40 Songs of 2015, while Purple hit #5 on Pitchfork’s list of Best Metal Albums of 2015 and #7 on Rolling Stone’s 20 Best Metal Albums of 2015.

“The cathartic experience of playing live music has not changed over the 13 years of performing,” John said in a recent interview with the SF Weekly. “But the sense of relief and release I feel as an adult is as intense, if not more than, when I was younger. The response to this record has been really, really overwhelming. There have been some pretty dramatic changes in the way that our audiences react to our songs, and I couldn’t be happier about that.”

Arkansas doom metal quartet Pallbearer open for Baroness. Tickets are available online.

Baroness
w/ Pallbearer
Howard Theatre
Friday, August 12
Show @7pm
$25
All ages

Don’t Miss: Hannah Wants @ Soundcheck, 8/4/16

Hannah-Wants
Hannah Wants (Photo courtesy Echo Location Talent Agency)

Hannah Wants (born Hannah Alicia Smith) has been busy in 2016, dropping new tracks and mixing new tapes! And Club Glow brings the UK DJ and her sounds to Soundcheck tonight, Thursday, August 4!

In 2014, Hannah drew a lot of attention as the Best Breakthrough DJ at the DJ Mag Awards and as Mixmag’s Best Breakthrough DJ and Star of the Year.

A self-described music addict, Hannah honed her DJ craft when she went from Birmingham, England, to Ibiza in 2010, and her career took off from there. After hosting many club residencies, she picked up a Radio 1 residency in 2015. And that year, she released her popular single “Rhymes” while continuing her mixtape series.

But let’s not forget the new tracks! Listen to “Hidden Love” by Hannah Wants feat. Detour City (and other tracks) on Soundcloud:

[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/playlists/230481914″ params=”color=ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false” width=”100%” height=”450″ iframe=”true” /]

This is a fantastically intimate opportunity to see the lady DJ who blew up 2014 and 2015, and who is on pace to own 2016 as well.

Tickets are available online and at the door.

Hannah Wants
Soundcheck
Thursday, August 4
Show @10pm
$20
18+

DJ Park: W&W w/ Arty @ Echostage 7/30/16

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SF15 - W&W
W&W DJ at the Summer Festival 2015 in Antwerp, Belgium (Photo by S. Camelot)

At the end of July,the nation’s capital welcomed two of Hollands greatest exports Willem van Hanegem & Wardt van der Harst (W&W) with support from the russian talent Arty.

The Arty party was a great time for all! He started the night off with a melodic string of songs flirting with the trance lovers and then warming up the hearts for the house hopefuls. Check out the  begininning of his set in this clip below

[wpvideo JELZjWHG]EDMit it review: 7.6/10

Don’t Miss: Careless Memories @ Dodge City, 8/11/16

Memorie dell'adolescenza: c'era una volta MTV
MTV turned 35 on August 1. (Thanks to Televisione Streaming for the photo!)

Come to Dodge City, and celebrate the early songs of MTV, with our Careless Memories New Wave Party on August 11!

This past Monday marked the 35th anniversary of MTV. Of course, MTV was a very different animal in 1981 than it is today. So it’s a bit easy to forget its cultural impact — which at the time was tremendous!

To celebrate the animal MTV once was, Careless Memories: A New Wave Party, brought to you by Parklife DC, will present selections that helped define an era. In the middle of 1982, the second British Invasion hit US airwaves, and with the help of early MTV, America fell in love with a host of new wave artists. Of course, the underground scenes of US cities like New York and Los Angeles already saw a great deal of guitar-heavy new wave bands bubble up in their clubs. It wasn’t long before the rest of the world caught up!

Watch “Video Killed the Radio Star” by The Buggles (the first video ever played on MTV!):
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iwuy4hHO3YQ]

So come out and listen to MTV staples like The Buggles, The Vapors, The Talking Heads, David Bowie, Split Enz, The Cars, Blondie, The Pretenders, Duran Duran, Spandau Ballet, Tears for Fears, Echo and the Bunnymen, the Psychedelic Furs, Adam Ant, and more more more.

Also, this Friday, August 5 at the Warner Theatre, the Go-Gos play their final DC show as Belinda Carlisle and company embark on a farewell tour. So we will have a special salute to the California sweethearts, who also saw MTV embrace their first three albums and their spunky videos.

Watch “Our Lips Are Sealed” by the Go-Go’s:
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r3kQlzOi27M]

Alas, we may not show the videos ourselves, but we have plenty of the timeless tunes that put the M into MTV!

RSVP on Facebook, or simply show up and join us. Admission is free.

Careless Memories: A New Wave Party
Celebrates MTV
Dodge City
Thursday, August 11
Show @8pm
Free admission
21+

Music Park: Broods @ 9:30 Club — 8/1/16

Broods 22 Georgia Nott of Broods puts her heart into song at the 9:30 Club on Monday, August 1, 2016. (Photo by Mickey McCarter)

At about a third through their set on Monday, siblings Georgia Nott and Caleb Nott moved from their stations to chairs at the edge of the stage.

The duo, who perform under their band name Broods, got their start playing covers around clubs in their native New Zealand, Georgia explained to the sold-out crowd at the 9:30 Club. And they wanted to dedicate a few songs to replicating such an intimate experience as much as possible, albeit with their own original songs and to an audience of 1,200 people or so.

Don’t Miss: Garbage @ Lincoln Theatre, 8/3/16

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GarbageGarbage (Photo Credit: Joseph Cultice)

Garbage returns to DC on Wednesday, August 3rd at the Lincoln Theatre!

Only a short 10 months has passed since they graced the 9:30 Club in October of 2015 with their two-month long, 20 Years Queer Tour (celebrating the release of their debut album). I attended that show, but only wrote a review for the opener, Torres.

I’ll somewhat correct that now, by saying it was a great performance. I was initially intrigued because I had yet to see Garbage play live.

Now Garbage is touring for their latest album, Strange Little Birds, their first since 2012 and second in a decade. Last year’s show started with great anticipation, much like waiting for their new album, when thick, black curtains hung in front of the whole 9:30 Club stage. The music started to slowly build and the minutes passed – something was happening behind the curtains. Finally, just at the perfect moment, the curtains fell dramatically and Shirley Manson and co. exploded into a crushing rendition of “Subhuman”. They went on to play 22 songs, ending with “Why Don’t You Love Me”.

Although I haven’t heard the entire new album, many of the new songs are strong entries to their catalog.

“Even Though Our Love Is Doomed” is a languid, introspective song, with spare instruments, focusing mostly on Shirley’s vocals. It builds slowly at the end, but never really tries for a rock climax.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1lpcdAR9ij0]

“Empty” is the opposite. It soars to reach the epic hooks of their best early songs like “Stupid Girl” or “Only Happy When It Rains”. It doesn’t quite get to that level, but it is still a pretty good effort.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hSa_hbutFt0]

I’ll have to pick up Strange Little Birds after I witness Garbage play the new songs live.

Opening is Kristin Kontrol (Kristin Gundred of Dum Dum Girls).

Garbage
w/ Kristin Kontrol
Lincoln Theatre
Wednesday, August 3, 2016
Doors 6:30pm (Show 8:00pm)
$75
All ages

Don’t Miss: Culture Club @ Strathmore, 9/11/16

cultureclubpromo
Culture Club (Photo courtesy the band)

Culture Club eyed releasing a new album in 2016, but they seem to have cooled off on it for the time being.

That said, the soulful UK quartet has been hard at work on touring! The original members — including bassist Mikey Craig, guitarist Roy Hay, drummer Jon Moss, and vocalist Boy George — have been traveling the world together in the last few years, and they appear to be having the time of their lives.

As evidence of how good touring has been for the group, Parklife DC gave their live show a very positive review when it stopped by Wolf Trap in 2015, and Boy George himself came around again with his friend Cyndi Lauper (again at Wolf Trap) in June. But the local touring doesn’t end there! The restless band now are planning to hit the Music Center at Strathmore on Sunday, Sept. 11.

Watch Culture Club perform their classic hit “Miss Me Blind” for Jimmy Kimmel Live! on June 28, 2016:

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Ez6dOsMg0I]

Last year, we wrote, “It’s a miracle — that we were able to witness the reformation of these remarkable musicians, and I say that because Culture Club doesn’t work when it’s just the Boy George show. Surely, the flamboyant vocalist is a key ingredient of the act, but he needs his compatriots to pull it off. For their part, the other three were in remarkably good spirits, waving, shaking hands, smiling along with the audience. Their high spirits buoyed a strong performance and fed into making the band seem like a band.”

Tonight, Culture Club perform in San Antonio, Texas, hitting the road on the journey to their DC-area show. Don’t miss them blind — go see them in concert!

Tickets for the DC show are available online. (Check out the VIP package as well for a meet and greet with Culture Club!)

Culture Club
Strathmore Music Center
Sunday, Sept. 11
Show @8pm
$65-$165
All ages