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Don’t Miss: Switchfoot @ The Fillmore Silver Spring, 10/26/16

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Switchfoot
Switchfoot (Photo by Robbie Jeffers)

Over the summer, San Diego rock quintet Switchfoot returned with their 10th studio album, Where the Light Shines Through, via Vanguard Records. Like LeBron James dashing down the court to a basket, Switchfoot slam dunked that album into the Billboard charts, where it reached #3 on the Rock, Alternative and Overall Digital Albums charts and #10 on the Billboard Top 200.

Well, of course, that called for a tour, and to sweeten the pot, Switchfoot teamed up with Relient K to launch the “Looking for America” tour. That tour has been underway, and it is set to hit the Fillmore Silver Spring on Wednesday, Oct. 26.

Watch the official music video for “Float,” the lead single from Where the Light Shines Through, by Switchfoot on YouTube:

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Euf3uk0QIaY]

Switchfoot have been remarkably consistent for the past 20 years, since its establishment by the brothers Jon and Tim Foreman. They are of course joined by Jerome Fontamillas (keys, guitar), Drew Shirley (guitar), and Chad Butler (drums), as they continue to produce uplifting power pop.

Switchfoot have found very appropriate tour partners in Relient K, who recently released their eighth record, Air for Free.

Tickets are available online.

Switchfoot
w/ Relient K
Fillmore Silver Spring
Wednesday, Oct. 26, 2016
Doors @7pm
$33
All ages

Live Review: Midge Ure @ Bethesda Blues & Jazz Supper Club — 10/4/16

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Midge Ure performs at Bethesda Blues and Jazz on Tuesday, Oct. 4, 2016.

The magnificent Midge Ure brought passion and pathos to Bethesda Blues and Jazz Supper Club on Tuesday, performing locally with a backing band for the first time in quite some time!

Early last year, Midge warmed our hearts in Bethesda on his Fragile Troubadour Tour, where he came only with an acoustic guitar in hand and songs in his heart. This time around, he was “Live and Electric” with the able assistance of drummer BC Taylor and guitarist Tony Solis, who also played keyboards.

Midge shined in a 75-minute set that covered highlights from his years as lead singer of Ultravox, as well as some of his solo hits and the ever-remarkable “Fade to Grey,” the famed UK #1 hit he wrote for his former band Visage. Midge’s voice soared with rich liveliness as he roared or whispered the words to the amazing, powerful songs that have become his signature.

DJ Park: Little Boots @ U Street Music Hall — 10/5/16

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LITTLE BOOTS 2015 PRESS SHOT Little Boots (Photo courtesy High Rise PR)

English chanteuse Little Boots made a rare visit to DC this week, launching a DJ tour that keeps her in the United States for the rest of the month.

Despite her proclivity for pink, Little Boots is more than a pretty face! I have come to admire her ambition and her interest in all aspects of music production. Outside of three very smart full-length albums, the lady, born Victoria Hesketh, tours regularly as a deejay, and she owns her own label, On Repeat Records. And she’s a master of the synthesizer.

Sports Park: The Nationals’ Playoffs vs. the Dodgers, 10/7 & 10/8/16

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Trea TurnerTrea Turner can hit! (Photo Credit: Keith Allison)

Your Washington Nationals are in the Big Dance! The Major League Baseball playoffs got underway on Tuesday, October 4th with the Toronto Blue Jays beating the Baltimore Orioles (sorry, no bird puns today).

Now it’s time for the Nationals to show us what they’re made of, as they take on the Los Angeles Dodgers Friday, October 7th for Game 1 of the NL Division Series.

After six months of consistently good baseball, and a NL East Division crown, your Nationals are poised to actually do more good things in the post-season. They excelled despite a down year for Bryce Harper (.243 BA and 24 HRs after hitting .330/40 HRs in his MVP 2015 season) and late season injuries to Stephen Strasburg.

The stories of contributors are many, but Daniel Murphy (2B) put up a MVP-like season (.347 BA and 104 RBIs). Trea Turner (OF) came in and dominated at the plate the second half of the season (he helped me win my fantasy league…). While Max Scherzer could be the favorite to win another Cy Young Award with his 20-7 record, 2.96 ERA and 284 SOs.

Go Nats!

Division Series Schedule
10/7/16 – Dodgers @ Nationals (5:30pm)
10/8/16 – Dodgers @ Nationals (5:30pm)
10/10/16 – Nationals @ Dodgers (Time TBD)
10/11/16 – Nationals @ Dodgers (Time TBD) – if necessary
10/13/16 – Dodgers @ Nationals (Time TBD) – if necessary

Check for home tickets here, or look for resale options.

Snapshots: Warpaint @ 9:30 Club — 10/4/16

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Warpaint @ 9:30 Club, 04/10/2016
Warpaint performs at 9:30 Club on Oct. 4, 2016. (Photo by Paivi)

Warpaint returned to DC Tuesday to perform at the 9:30 Club on the heels of releasing their third full-length album, Heads Up, a few days earlier via RoughTrade.

Emily Kokal (vocals guitars), Theresa Wayman (vocals, guitars), Jenny Lee Lindberg (bassist), and Stella Mozgawa (drums) performed 18 songs, representing a healthy mix of tracks from across their career, according to Setlist.fm.

Around Town: Smithsonian Food History Weekend, 10/27-10/29/16

Chocolate Chip Cinnamon Cookies
Kick the Food History Festival off right with “Cookies and Kindness with Dorie Greenspan” (Photo Credit: thethrillstheyyield)

The Smithsonian hosts its annual Food History Festival on Saturday, October 29th at the National Museum of American History, while also offering other pre-events to get you in the mood. Plus an after hours beer event on ‘The Great History of American Brewing’.

Thursday, October 27th
The Food History Gala: A seated dinner and fundraiser.

Friday, October 28th
Roundtables: A day of moderated discussions on the ‘politics’ of food and health.

Dine Out: Afterwards, almost 30 restaurants in DC and VA will offer a special dish inspired by American food history. Learn more here.

Saturday, October 29th
Food History Festival: Live demonstrations, talks, book signings and other ways to learn about food and its history in our country. Find the full schedule of the Food History Festival here.

The Great History of American Brewing ($40): Taste beers, try food and learn a bit of history over four historical tales. Breweries include Alewerks, Heavy Seas and Bluejacket, along with New Columbia Distillers. Get tickets here.

Smithsonian Food History Weekend
Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History
Thursday-Saturday, October 27-29, 2016
Festival: October 29 (10am-5:30pm)
Free (The Great History of American Brewing and the Gala require tickets)
All ages

Music Park: Electric Six @ Black Cat — 10/2/16

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Dick Valentine fronts the Electric Six at the Black Cat on Sunday, Oct. 2, 2016. (Photo by Ben Eisendrath /Instagram+Twitter: GrillworksBen)

The Electric Six are a band that gets straight to the point.

“Buy our new album so the Electric Six can continue touring,” said Electric Six frontman Dick Valentine at the Black Cat on Sunday night. “Buy our new album so that we can buy gas and pay tolls on our way to Philadelphia — including that one expensive toll over that bridge in Maryland where you don’t know why you have to pay a toll.”

Snapshots: In the Whale @ Black Cat — 10/2/16

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In the Whale perform at the Black Cat on Sunday, Oct. 2, 2016. (Photo by Ben Eisendrath /Instagram+Twitter: GrillworksBen)

In the Whale, a punk rock duo from Denver, Colorado, performed at the Black Cat on Sunday night as the opening act for the Electric Six. They played loud and fast, and they left a good impression on folks who turned up for the main act.

Don’t Miss: Sansyou @ Black Cat, 10/06/16

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Sansyou
Sansyou (Photo by Greg Svitil)

I often find myself referring to Sansyou as DC’s answer to The Durutti Column.

That’s not to say that this talented instrumental trio from our nation’s capital evokes the same virtuoso style of Vini Reilly, one of the greatest and most singular guitarists of the new wave/post-punk era. But as Sansyou’s debut album “The Glistening One” demonstrates, both artists share a similar philosophy when it comes to creating atmosphere.

Don’t Miss: Careless Memories @ Dodge City, 10/13/16

actually_1987

The Pet Shop Boys recently released a new album, Super — and it lives up to its name! Thanks in part to some catchy synths and some keen insights from Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe but also thanks to the golden touch of superproducer Stuart Price (that man knows his stuff!).

As you may know, the Pet Shop Boys will visit DC to perform at the Warner Theater on Nov. 11… and the show is super sold-out. Well, we cannot help you with that. But we can toast the arrival of the Pet Shop Boys with a special edition of our Careless Memories: A New Wave Party.

Join Parklife DC on Thursday, Oct. 13 at Dodge City for a Toast to the Pet Shop Boys to celebrate the hits of the Pet Shop Boys and to hear some of that new album as well. While we’re at it, we will use the Pet Shop Boys as a reference point to explore the intersections of new wave, disco, house, techno, and more! (Okay, we won’t have a lot of techno per se, but you’ll be surprised how some of our wave artists lean into techno on occasion, no?)

Enjoy the classic music video for “Opportunities” by the Pet Shop Boys on YouTube:

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=di60NYGu03Y]

Be prepared for a night of listening to the Pet Shop Boys, The Human League, ABC, Frankie Goes to Hollywood, Marc Almond, New Order, the Associates, Saint Etienne, Giorgio Moroder, Bronski Beat (*and* The Communards), Wham!, and probably quite a bit of various projects by Vince Clarke. Oh, and some David Bowie. It’s a night of very literate disco!

You can RSVP on Facebook or simply show up — admission is free!

A Toast to the Pet Shop Boys
Careless Memories: New Wave Party
Dodge City
Thursday, Oct. 13
Show @8pm
Free admission
21+