Tee Grizzley and Sada Baby rap together at The Fillmore Silver Spring on Oct. 26, 2017. (Photo by Chris Castillo)
Earlier this month, Tee Grizzley released “Win,” his latest single, via 300 Entertainment. He then took his posse on tour to The Fillmore Silver Spring, where they won the crowd and won the day on Wednesday, Oct. 26.
Iggy Pop at the Old Waldorf, San Francisco, 1977, by Chester Simpson (also found on Page 79 of Smithsonian Rock and Roll: Live and Unseen).
On Oct. 24, Smithsonian Books published a vivid collection of rock photos titled Smithsonian Rock and Roll: Live and Unseen by Bill Bentley. Bill may have written the book, but it pools photographs from many sources, including our own Chester Simpson, who contributed seven of the 350 pictures to the project.
Health perform at Cloak and Dagger Festival in Los Angeles on Oct. 20, 2017. (Photo by Paivi)
Parklife DC faves HEALTH gained a lot of attention with their recent cover of “Blue Monday” by New Order, which was used to soundtrack Atomic Blonde starring Charlize Theron over the summer. The fall finds the noise rock trio in good form indeed, and we were excited to see them perform at the Cloak and Dagger Festival in Los Angeles on Oct. 20.
Ho99o9 perform at Cloak and Dagger Festival in Los Angeles on Oct. 20, 2017. (Photo by Paivi)
On Friday, Los Angeles-based rap-punk duo Ho99o9 surprised us with their latest track “Neighborhood Watch,” a spooky number just in time for Halloween. But shortly prior to that, Parklife DC photographer Paivi Salonen traveled to Los Angeles to see Ho99o9 throw down at the Cloak and Dagger Festival – From Dusk Till Dawn on Oct. 20.
Chris Lake performs live (Photo courtesy Good Question)
Here we go as we shuffle along with the Grammy nominated house DJ Chris Lake! This time we ventured out to one of our favorite frequents in U-Street Music Hall on Friday, Oct. 20! As one of the minds behind several of dance music’s biggest productions, it was no surprise that the crowd was sold out in anticipation of the Englishman.
Charly Bliss brings boatloads of energy to the Black Cat on Oct. 22, 2017. (Photo by David LaMason)
There are certainly bands that make great records but when you see them live there’s something missing, and then there are bands that make great records and their live show takes those already-great songs and transforms them. They become the catalyst for an amazing experience, and you can’t help but get drawn in.
In this latter category, you will find the manic, organized chaos of New York-based band Charly Bliss. And on Sunday night, whether the squeals of guitarist and frontwoman Eva Hendricks were of pure energy or pure joy — that feeling was palpable!
The Pietasters (Photo courtesy Ticketfly)
The last album by DC ska legends The Pietasters may be All Day, released 10 years ago, but the rocksteady collective continues to tour regularly. (Parklife DC saw them recently at Snallygaster beer festival!) As part of their annual routine, The Pietasters perform a holiday show at 9:30 Club, and you can win a pair of tickets to see their next one on Friday, Nov. 24.
The Shins (Photo courtesy Columbia Records)
Beloved indie rockers The Shins returned with Heartworms, their fifth studio album, on Columbia Records in March. James Mercer and his bandmates are now touring to commemorate the new album with a stop at The Anthem on Thursday, Nov. 2.
Al Jourgensen fronts Ministry at The Fillmore Silver Spring on Oct. 19, 2017. (Photo by Paivi)
In the run-up to releasing new album AmeriKKKant via Nuclear Blast in March 2018, industrial metal giants Ministry destroyed The Fillmore Silver Spring on Thursday, Oct. 19 while on tour with Death Grips. Paivi was there to shoot the show.
Peter Zaremba sings with The Fleshtones at U Street Music Hall on Oct. 20, 2017. (Photo by Ben Eisendrath /Instagram+Twitter: Insomnigraphic/GrillworksBen)
Lower Manhattan long will be regarded as one of the epicenters of great American rock music, in particular for the bands that came out of New York in the mid-to-late ’70s. The likes of Blondie, the Talking Heads, and the Ramones burst from CBGBs and Max’s Kansas City, putting Manhattan on the musical map.
While many of Blondie’s contemporaries have faded, it came as some small surprise to me that one of the better groups of the era never took a break and still tour strong today. The Fleshtones performed at U Street Music Hall to correct my oversight on Oct. 20, and I was easily won over by their ear for really great tunes and their eye for smart stagecraft.
