Home Blog Page 6

Live Review: TR/ST @ The Atlantis — 10/31/24

0

The music of TR/ST is well-crafted, multifaceted synthpop that draws the ear and engages the brain. But TR/ST melodies weren’t the first thing to immediately provoke a reaction in a recent sold-out stage at The Atlantis in DC.

Rather, the audience may have looked onward in curiosity at the sparse stage setting. It seemed particularly stark with a blank white backdrop that bore nothing other than the word “FAG” (in red letters), place in a high lonely place.

Live Review: The Dip @ 9:30 Club — 10/29/24

0

The Dip loves Washington DC, and the nation’s capital most certainly reciprocates the sentiment.

It was clear in February of last year when the Seattle-based group filled the 9:30 Club, and it was even more obvious as The Dip returned recently for another sold-out and sensational night at the popular venue.

With its previous visit bumped back due to the pandemic, the band made it to DC in early 2023 between album releases. But The Dip’s current tour sees it out in promotion of its fourth studio record, Love Direction, unveiled in July.

Live Review: The SteelDrivers w/ Wood Box Heroes @ The Birchmere — 11/1/24

0

I can be hot or cold when it comes to bluegrass. A lot of it sounds the same to me, and the bands tend to cover a lot of the same core tunes. But The SteelDrivers are different: They place a lot of emphasis on their songwriting, and, as fiddle player and frontwoman Tammy Rogers said, they don’t play “Rocky Top.” I always enjoy their shows, and their recent appearance at The Birchmere — their last in a run of shows for this year — was a special delight, as the band was loose and having a good time.

Live Review: MJ Lenderman @ 9:30 Club — 10/30/24

0

MJ Lenderman knows why we get fucked up. The Asheville, NC singer-songwriter has taken the indie world by storm this year with his scuzzy country rock anthems. In a sold-out show at the 9:30 Club on the night before Halloween, he wowed the assembled hipsters and indie boys of the DMV with a set loud and dextrous enough to restore your faith in guitar music.

Live Review: Duran Duran @ CFG Bank Arena — 10/28/24

0

In recent years, Duran Duran have become Masters of Halloween. Inspired by a smash Vegas concert that occurred days before they were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2022, Duran Duran released a new album, Danse Macabre in 2023 and followed up with an expanded edition only weeks ago. Along the way, they also released that Vegas show as a concert film, Secret Oktober, available for streaming.

This remarkable output reached its apex with a thrilling sold-out Halloween concert at Madison Square Garden in New York City a few days ago. And along the way, Duran Duran played some Halloween-week dates including a recent show at CFG Bank Arena in Baltimore. The Baltimore concert was absolutely amazing, a testament to the band’s musical prowess for long-time admirers and curious onlookers alike.

Preview: Ronnie Baker Brooks @ Jammin’ Java, 11/17/24

0

As the the son of Lonnie Brooks, Ronnie Baker Brooks has Blues In My DNA, as he’s titled his latest album. On Sunday, November 17, he brings style, full of reverence for tradition but with a modern spin, to Jammin, Java.

Live Review: The Struts @ XL Live (Harrisburg, PA) — 10/29/24

0

The Struts recently closed out their Pretty Vicious Tour in spectacular fashion at XL Live in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. The electrifying band delivered a memorable final show packed with crowd favorites and powered by their trademark intense stage energy.

Live Review: T Bone Burnett @ Wolf Trap — 10/28/24

0

“I can tell how hard you’re listening,” T Bone Burnett recently said on the first of two evenings at The Barns of Wolf Trap. “It’s a great honor to be listened to.”

Live Review: Pokey LaFarge w/ The Tailspins @ The Atlantis — 10/27/24

0

Pokey LaFarge and his band recently transported the audience at The Atlantis to the past, taking them for an enchanted riverboat ride down the Mississippi with his eclectic style drawn from a diverse range of American musical traditions.

A native of Bloomington in central Illinois, Pokey’s music combines old-school rock, swinging blues, and Americana into something unique and powerful. Over the last 20 years, he’s gone from being an independent artist self-releasing his first albums (which are not available on streaming services) to being signed to the prestigious New West label.

Live Review: On The Bus @ The Alley at Bethesda Boards — 10/26/24

On The Bus Brings DC’s Deadhead Community Together for Halloween Bash at Bethesda Boards
Words by Dan Rozman
Photos by Mark Raker

On The Bus, a premier local Grateful Dead tribute band, rocked The Alley at Bethesda Boards recently with a special Halloween show. The timing was particularly meaningful, as it came just one day after former Grateful Dead bass player Phil Lesh passed away at age 84. The skateboard shop turned music venue was full of fans in costumes, with many showing off their Dead-inspired outfits in the costume contest. The BYO format allowed people to bring drinks and snacks, which added to the night’s fun, relaxed vibe.