Nicole Atkins (Photo courtesy Girlie Action)
Nicole Atkins released Goodnight Rhonda Lee, her fourth full-length album, via Single Lock Records last year. She’s been touring a lot, and next she comes to Wolf Trap on Saturday, Aug. 18, to open The Avett Brothers. The show is sold out, but arrive early to catch Nicole if you’re going!
New Order (Photo courtesy Ticketfly)
New Order will play only four North American dates in August, and the only one on the US east coast is at The Anthem! And only a handful of tickets remain for that show on Tuesday, Aug. 28. Act fast to buy yours now.
The Blasters (Photo courtesy Ticketfly)
Known for their bend of rockabilly, punk, R&B, and blues, The Blasters took their place in musical history with their first four albums from 1980-85. Led by vocalist Phil Alvin, the gents returned in 2012 for a new album, Fun on Saturday Night. They are touring still as original members Bill Bateman (drums) and John Bazz (bass), as well as longtime bandmate Keith Wyatt (guitar), join Phil for a show at Hill Country Live on Saturday, Aug. 18.
Black Dog Prowl (Photo courtesy DC Music Rocks)
DC Music Rocks exists to promote music in the DMV, and the syndicated FM radio show/podcast produces the DC Music Rocks Festival, a showcase of local music, at 9:30 Club on Saturday, Aug. 18.
This year’s festival features five bands and two singer-songwriters on one big bill! Experience hip hop and funk with Allthebestkids, blues and grunge with Fellowcraft, hard rock with Black Dog Prowl, R&B and funk with Pebble to Pearl, and indie folk with Kid Brother.
And of course enjoy the work of singer-songwriters MaryJo Mattea and Justin Shapiro, both talented guitar players.
Sol Roots performs at The Soundry on Aug. 9, 2018. (Photo by Ari Strauss)
Sol Roots and his band gave a hot performance recently at The Soundry in Columbia, Maryland, putting in a 45-miute opening set before New Orleans-great Jon Cleary took the stage.
Jon Cleary performs at The Soundry on Aug. 9, 2018. (Photo by Ari Strauss)
Fresh off a European tour with Bonnie Raitt’s band, Grammy Award winner and New Orleans funkmaster Jon Cleary paid a visit to The Soundry in Columbia, Maryland, recently to deliver a smokin’ hot, 90-minute R&B/funk/soul performance. Jon is currently touring in support his newest album, Dyna-Mite, published by Thirty Tigers in July.
Joe Ely (Photo by Barbara FG)
Genre-busting singer-songwriter Joe Ely has released a lot of material — solo and as a member of The Flatlanders and Los Super Seven — since his 1977 self-titled debut album. The legendary guitar slinger will perform with the equally eclectic Alejandro Escovedo at City Winery in DC on Tuesday, Aug. 21.
Cake (Photo courtesy The Umbrella Group)
On Aug. 3, Cake released “Sinking Ship,” the lead single from their upcoming seventh studio studio album, and the band is now on tour. Vocalist John McCrea and his bandmates headline Merriweather Post Pavilion in a show with Ben Folds on Saturday, Aug. 18.
Rhiannon Giddens performs at Wolf Trap on Aug. 11, 2018. (Photo by Ari Strauss)
On Saturday, I was really excited to see Rhiannon Giddens at Wolf Trap as the opening act for Mary Chapin Carpenter. Rhiannon and I both attended Oberlin College, a liberal arts college and music conservatory in smalltown Ohio, about 40 mins southwest of Cleveland. Rhiannon was classically trained at Oberlin as a opera singer. I, on the other hand, have exactly one musical bone in my body — my right tibia, which is not an especially useful bone for music — and was in the liberal arts college.
Lyle Lovett performs at Wolf Trap on Aug. 10, 2018. (Photo by Ari Strauss)
“Choke My Chicken.” So goes the refrain of “Farmer Brown/Chicken Reel” from Lyle Lovett’s album Natural Forces (2009/Lost Highway). Lyle and His Large Band played the song early in their set Friday during their annual appearance at Wolf Trap. If anyone in the audience didn’t already know that Lyle is a bit, shall we say, unconventional, this song certainly tipped them off.
