Ashe (photo courtesy Mom+Pop)
Northern California singer/songwriter Ashe has released well-received singles, including her latest, the grungy “Girl Who Cried Wolf,” via Mom+Pop. Ashe is visiting 9:30 Club on Tuesday, Feb. 6 to open for Lauv. Get there early to catch her show!
Eric Benét (Photo courtesy Primary Wave Entertainment)
The Love Song Is Here to Stay: Eric Benét
A standard English dictionary likely defines “singing” as the ability to create musical notes and sounds with the use of the human voice. Meanwhile, the soulful current of barbershops, hair salons and R&B-dedicated forums gladly define “sangin’” as the ability to sing but with mandatory diaphragm use, grit, passion, and pure confidence! R&B veteran Eric Benét provided The Birchmere with a dose of sangin’ on Jan. 17, in the first of two crowded shows, with seated couples and live videos aplenty.
Alejandro Escovedo performs at The Hamilton on Jan. 16, 2018. (Photo by Mark Caicedo)
Alejandro Escovedo plays like his life depends on it. That most artists feel that existence-affirming drive to create is a given; for Escovedo the sentiment is literal. Alejandro opened the East coast leg of his “A Man Under the Influence/Think About the Link Tour, presented by Prevent Cancer Foundation” at The Hamilton Live on Jan. 16 to an enthusiastic and adoring crowd.
Bat Fangs (Photo courtesy Don Giovanni Records)
Betsy Wright is the bassist for DC power pop trio Ex Hex. Laura King is drummer for North Carolina garage rockers Flesh Wounds. Together, they are also Bat Fangs! The band releases its debut self-titled album on Friday, Feb. 2 via Don Giovanni Records. One week later, Sasha Lord presents Bat Fangs playing that new album at Comet Ping Pong on Friday, Feb. 9!
Silo Halo (Photo by Adam de Boer and Julie Goett)
Etxe Records, named for the word for “shelter” or “home” in Basque, celebrates its 10th anniversary in 2018. To mark the occasion, the label released Etxe Records at 10 Years: A Compilation on Thursday, Jan. 18. Bands from Etxe Records also will perform in a Etxe Records 10th Anniversary Showcase at Capital Fringe (Logan Fringe Arts Space, 1358 Florida Ave. NE, DC) on Saturday, Jan. 20.
To explore the label and its bands in its 10th year, Parklife DC chatted via email with Chris Goett of Silo Halo and Avy Mallik of Near Northeast, the first of whom also is a co-founder of Etxe Records. Near Northeast and Silo Halo will be joined by fellow labelmates The Red Fetish and Teething Veils for the anniversary showcase concert.
Steve Aoki (Photo courtesy Girlie Action Media, Marketing, and Management)
Steve Aoki released Steve Aoki Presents Kolony, his fourth studio album and a #1 debut on the Electronic Album charts, last summer via Dim Mak Records and Ultra Records. Now, the Grammy-nominated DJ and producer will launch his North American Kolony Tour here in DC at Echostage on Saturday, Feb. 10!
Collie Buddz performs at 9:30 Club on Jan. 15, 2018. (Photo by Chris Castillo)
Collie Buddz arrived on his Good Life Tour for a show at 9:30 Club on Monday, delivering reggae tunes and good vibes to an eager crowd.
Enter Shikari (Photo by Jennifer McCord)
English rockers Enter Shikari released The Spark, their fifth studio album, via Ambush Reality and PIAS Recordings last fall. The quartet are touring North America, and they play at 9:30 Club on Sunday, Jan. 28.
Kimbra (Photo by Micaiah Carter)
Art pop chanteuse Kimbra, born Kimbra Lee Johnson, will perform at 9:30 Club on Tuesday, Jan. 30. Thrilled about the New Zealand native’s return to DC, Parklife DC caught her for a telephone interview recently, and we chatted about the importance of albums, artistic inspirations, and her future ambitions!
Dorothy Martin fronts Dorothy at 9:30 Club on Jan. 14, 2018. (Photo by Paivi)
Dorothy, the Los Angeles band named for its singer Dorothy Martin, dropped by 9:30 Club on Sunday, Jan. 14 for a show that rocked hard.
