Dangermuffin Returns to Its Roots
When Dangermuffin last visited Washington in 2018, the South Carolina band was touring behind Heritage and performing as an expanded ensemble.
A great deal has changed since then.
Legendary drummer, composer, and producer Stewart Copeland brought his Have I Said Too Much? tour to a sold-out Rams Head On Stage in Annapolis on July 21. Rather than a concert, the evening offered an engaging onstage conversation that traced Copeland’s remarkable career, from his childhood abroad and the birth of The Police to his work as a film composer and producer. Fans also had the opportunity to purchase copies of his memoir, Stewart Copeland’s Police Diaries.
It was a day of celebration around the world; futbol fans from nations across the globe raising their voices as one, regardless of native language, celebrated the conclusion of what is arguably, the greatest sports tournament in the world. In Vancouver, BC, where several matches had been held over the previous weeks, crowds thronged the streets and as I made my way through the sea of humanity, it felt appropriate that I was joining another celebration: Nation of Language performing at Vancouver’s Commodore Ballroom.
Trombone Shorty: Igniting the Fire
Words by Rahsaan “Wordslave” Eldridge
Photos by Steve Satzberg
Opening Trombone Shorty recently, The War and Treaty exploded onto the stage at Wolf Trap’s Filene Center with their opening number, “Litty.” Husband-and-wife duo Michael Trotter Jr. and Tanya Trotter immediately took the audience to church with a pounding backbeat, gospel shouts, and an emphatic call-and-response of “nah nah nah.”
Tame Impala – aka “it’s just one guy” Australian psychedelic/techno vocalist & multi-instrumentalist Kevin Parker – took Baltimore by storm on July 18 at CFG Bank Arena, the first of two WAY sold-out nights. Charm City was equally fortunate to see support stunners Djo (the music creative outlet of actor Joe Keery) along for the ride!
Thomas Dolby Never Stands Still
For more than four decades, Thomas Dolby has refused to stand still.
Although many fans first discovered him through the MTV era and hits such as “She Blinded Me with Science,” Dolby has spent much of his career pursuing new creative challenges. Along the way he’s become a producer, film composer, novelist, entrepreneur, and educator, always seeming more interested in exploring the next idea than revisiting the last one.
That spirit of curiosity continues today. Dolby has called Baltimore home for more than a decade while teaching at the Peabody Institute of The Johns Hopkins University, making him a familiar face to music fans throughout the Washington-Baltimore region. On August 7, Thomas performs live at the Warner Theatre to headline the Totally Tubular Festival, this time with something longtime fans haven’t seen in decades: a reunion of the Lost Toy People, the band behind his 1988 album, Aliens Ate My Buick.
Ahead of the tour, Parklife DC Editor Mickey McCarter caught up with Dolby to talk about Baltimore, revisiting one of the most exuberant chapters of his career, and why he’s always happiest venturing into unfamiliar territory.
WILLIS recently delivered their Live 2026 Tour to Washington DC and brought the house down in a way that nobody else can last Saturday. The warm, genre-bending indie-blues band from Nashville is on an extensive mid-summer tour, and if you have the chance, this author absolutely recommends catching them the next time they’re around the DMV.
Train’s Drops of Jupiter Tour: Confetti and Choruses
Words by Liz Wyatt
Pictures by Steve Satzberg
Train recently headlined a stacked summer bill at Merriweather Post Pavilion for their Drops of Jupiter Tour, with Matt Nathanson and Barenaked Ladies setting an energetic, good-humored tone that perfectly prepared the audience for the main event.
“You can’t get that with AI,” Taj Mahal told the audience after his opening instrumental number with the Phantom Blues Band in their recent appearance at The Birchmere. And he’s right: no machine can produce the kind of authentic, heartfelt music he’s been making since the ’60s. Nor can it replicate his charm and warmth.
Alejandro Escovedo has lived many lives, both musically and personally, from being a member of the punk band the Nuns and cowpunk pioneers Rank & File to a respected pillar and elder statesman of Austin’s singer-songwriter scene. His songs, whether they’re full of loud, distorted, noise, or they’re intimate, acoustic ballads, chronicle both his personal journey and the long, complicated story of his family. In his recent appearance at The Hamilton Live, Escovedo showed off the full range of his talents as a guitarist, songwriter, and storyteller.
