Parklife DC

John “Gaoler” Sterry sings in Gang of Four (as Andy Gill plays behind him) at the 9:30 Club on Saturday, Oct. 8, 2016. (Photo by Theresa Sanchez)

#FBF – it’s internet slang for what some “kids” today refer to as “Flashback Friday” and is a way for people of all walks of life and interest to transport themselves back in time in an audio/visual manner.

#GoF is another acronym of sorts for a British punk band that was ahead of their time with regards to politic activism and social criticism in the late 1970s. You’d be hard-pressed to find many of rock music’s classic bands — R.E.M., the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Rage Against the Machine, and Nirvana to name a few — who haven’t called them an influence over the years. 2016 couldn’t be a more appropriate time then to tour given the contentious political climate and one of them most memorable elections underway in most recent history.

The latest version of the band visited the 9:30 Club on Oct. 8 to open for The Faint. (Read our Parklife DC review of The Faint that night — ed.) While the band has had many iterations since officially forming in 1977, they managed to retain guitarist Andy Gill is the sole original member.

Snapshots: Violent Femmes @ Rams Head Live! (Baltimore) — 9/30/16

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regardingtess

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November 4, 2016

The Violent Femmes perform at Rams Head Live! in Baltimore, Maryland on Sept. 30, 2016. (Photo by Theresa Sanchez)

The Violent Femmes played to a sold out show at Baltimore’s Rams Head Live, Saturday, September 30, 2016. It was the 5th stop on their 12-city Fall 2016 tour, which promoted their ninth studio album “We Can Do Anything.” It was released 16 years after the trio’s eighth album, “Freak Magnets” — which was published in Feburary 2000.

Bassist Brian Ritchie and drummer Victor DeLorenzo formed the band in 1981 in Wisconsin. Gordon Gano serves as lead singer, guitarist, violinist, and songwriter. Ritchie can be seen playing the xylophone, while a member of the group’s longtime back up band Horns of Dilemma hops on bass. John Sparrow is on drums. Blaise Garza manned the brass.

Music Park: Dan Croll @ 9:30 Club — 10/31/16

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November 3, 2016

Dan Croll performs at the 9:30 Club on Monday, Oct. 31, 2016. (Photo by Mickey McCarter)

Liverpudlian Dan Croll recalled the first time he performed in DC — more than three years ago in the basement of Sixth & I Historic Synagogue.

Around Town: The Emporiyum @ Union Market, 11/12 & 11/13/16

By

Jeremy Bailey

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November 3, 2016

The Emporiyum is tasty (Photo from http://theemporiyum.com/)

It’s that time once again to start focusing on food. Amazing, delicious food. Cookies, cakes and pies, ramen burgers (yes, it exists), lobster, dumplings, cheese, bacon, beignets, buns, beer and more!

Don’t worry, I’ll give you a moment to take all that in.

All good? On November 12th and 13th the Emporiyum returns to Union Market with over 90 purveyors of food, artisans and vendors.

A ticket gets you into the marketplace, where you can sample, sip, shop and generally be immersed in all things food-inspired.

There will also be a DJ and hand-crafted items to browse and buy.

Make a day of it or just go for a couple of hours – the ticket options are flexible.

Buy your tickets here.

The Emporiyum DC
Union Market & Dock 5 (1309 5th St NE)
Saturday, November 12 and Sunday, November 13, 2016
10:00am-3:00pm (depending on ticket)
$15 (Entry: 1:30pm), $25 (Early Entry: 11:00am Entry), $40 (VIP Entry: 10:00am)
All ages (12 and under are free)

Don’t Miss: Burn It Up @ Villain & Saint, 11/11/16

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November 3, 2016

Tickets are available online.

Burn It Up (Photo courtesy the band)

Ska rock band Burn It Up mix it up with hard rock refrains and ska melodies. These six high energy guys from Rochester, NY, have released a new album, Toys, in October.

Now they have joined the Get Amped Tour, which is visiting Villain & Saint in Bethesda, Md., on Friday, Nov. 11.

Vocalist Joe Harmon summed up the band: “We spend a lot of time trying to explore the boundaries of what genres like ska, reggae, rock and punk can do, mixing in elements of jazz, funk, and classic and progressive rock. We all have a wide range of tastes and influences, and bring those influences in to the writing process and our performances.”

Burn It Up certainly succeed in exploring those boundaries! Hear for yourself as you listen to Toys by Burn It Up on Bandcamp:

[bandcamp width=100% height=120 album=684927146 size=large bgcol=ffffff linkcol=0687f5 tracklist=false artwork=small]

In addition to Joe, the band includes Mike Frederick (guitar), Justin Lloyd (trumpet), Dan Carter (bass), Evan Dobbins (trombone), and Alex Bochetto (drums).

Burn It Up was formed by members of Mrs. Skannotto, which released three full-length albums and toured with names like Less Than Jake, Mad Caddies, Reel Big Fish, The Toasters, Flatfoot 56, and A Wilhelm Scream. They are sure to be entertaining at Villain & Saint, where they are joined on the Get Amped Tour by We Were Sharks and North 11.

Get Amped Tour
Burn It Up
w/ We Were Sharks and North 11
Villain & Saint
Friday, Nov. 11
Show @9pm
$10-$12
All ages

Music Park: Aurora @ 9:30 Club — 10/31/16

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November 3, 2016

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Aurora performs at the 9:30 Club on Monday, Oct. 31, 2016. (Photo by Mickey McCarter)

Aurora Aksnes was fighting a cold. But she was feeling scrappy, and her voice sounded strong, so she barreled ahead at the 9:30 Club Monday night.

At one point, the petite but determined Norwegian songstress shook her fist in defiance, as if to rally against her cold although she was truly rallying against emotional distress, as depicted in many of the songs from her debut album, All of My Demons Greeting Me as a Friend, released by Glassnote Records earlier this year.

Don’t Miss: Careless Memories @ Dodge City — 11/10/16

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November 2, 2016

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Peter Hook, formerly of New Order and Joy Division (Photo by Mark McNulty)

Peter Hook and The Light are coming to the Howard Theatre on Wednesday, Nov. 23, to play a lot of great songs by Hooky’s former bands New Order and Joy Division. So we at Parklife DC are dedicating our monthly party Careless Memories to Hooky, New Order, Joy Division, and Factory Records and calling it Factory Records 202. (Read more about the upcoming live show by Peter Hook.)

Celebrate with Careless Memories as we give away *five* pairs of tickets to see Peter Hook and The Light live at the Howard Theatre. You can win these tickets by showing up between 8pm and midnight to the next Careless Memories on Thursday, Nov. 10, at Dodge City (917 U St. NW, DC).

I’ll give away a pair of tickets every hour during Careless Memories — likely at 8:30pm, 9:30pm, 10:30pm, and 11:30pm.

Watch Peter Hook and The Light, accompanied by a 16-piece choir, perform “Love Will Tear Us Apart” by Joy Division at Manchester Cathedral on Nov. 15, 2011:

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U08U2RbqFi8]

Thankfully for your Careless Memories host, the following day (Nov. 11) is a Veterans Day federal holiday. So perhaps you too can stay a little later and request your favorite New Order or Joy Division song?

At our Factory Records 202 evening, we’ll play tunes mostly by New Order and Joy Division, but we will also give some love to a few of their Factory Records labelmates — like Section 25, The Wake, The Durutti Column, A Certain Ratio, and others — as well as their fellow Manchester UK bands that set the scene — such as The Buzzcocks, The Chameleons, The Fall, and yes even The Smiths.

RSVP for Careless Memories on Facebook, or simply come out that night! Admission is free. Don’t miss your chance to win a pair of tix to see Peter Hook and The Light at the Howard Theatre on Nov. 23!

Factory Records 202
Careless Memories: A New Wave Party
Dodge City
Thursday, Nov. 10
Show @8pm
Free
21+

Don’t Miss: Swallow the Sun @ The Fillmore Silver Spring, 11/7/16

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November 2, 2016

Tickets are available online.

Swallow the Sun (Photo by Jussi Ratilainen)

About a year ago, Finnish doom metal band Swallow the Sun released their sixth studio album, Songs from the North I, II & III, via Century Media. It was extremely well received! Metacritic aggregated its overall critic score at 78/100 and AllMusic rated it 4.5/5 stars.

“Each disc is a separate album, though all were conceived, written, and recorded as a single project with the band exploring different aspects of its sound. What unites them musically is a pervasive melodic sensibility, no matter the setting,” said AllMusic critic Thom Jurek.

Swallow the Sun produced a music video for “Rooms and Shadows,” a song from the first of the three discs (a disc subtitled “Gloom”). Watch it on YouTube:

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0_veG-Hv4I8]

Vocalist Mikko Kotamäki really growls with gusto in this epic song of loss! And his bandmates guitarists Juha Raivio and Markus Jämsen, bassist Matti Honkonen, keyboardist Aleksi Munter, and drummer Juuso Raatikainen, trully fill your very blood with their roiling, dynamic melodies. Kerrang! rated Swallow the Sun’s latest effort 5 stars (or 5 “K”), hailing it as “one of doom metal’s finest moments to date.”

You can see how the six men come together so well yourself, as Swallow the Sun are on tour, opening for fellow Finnish metalmen Sonata Arctica, who released a brand new album last month. The tour comes to the Fillmore Silver Spring on Monday, Nov. 7 with a very full bill, but you’ll want to pace yourself to make it there for Swallow the Sun!

Swallow the Sun
Opening for Sonata Arctica
Fillmore Silver Spring
Monday, Nov. 7
Doors @5pm
$30-60
All ages

Ticket Giveaway: Two Door Cinema Club (w/ Broods) @ Echostage, 11/17/16

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