Jack Tatum of Wild Nothing performs at the Black Cat on Wednesday, May 11, 2016.
Jack Tatum had a homecoming of sorts when Wild Nothing played at the Black Cat on Wednesday. The dreampop crooner formed his band in Blacksburg, Va., during his time at nearby Virginia Tech, and the very full mainstage was swamped with folks who came to see Jack’s friendly, familiar face as he toured in support of the third Wild Nothing album, Life of Pause.
Caravan Palace (Photo by Antoine Delaporte)
Electro-swing septet Caravan Palace will launch a North American tour, visiting from Paris, this week in support of their third full-length album, <|°_°|> (also known as Robot Face), released last year via Le Plan Recordings.
PopMatters hailed the album as the #2 pop record of 2015, and it hit #3 on the Billboard Electronic/Dance Album chart. The band officially released two singles from the album so far, including the high-energy “Lone Digger,” which came with a smartly animated video (viewed more than 12 million times!) that reminds us perhaps why natural enemies in the animal kingdom shouldn’t drink together.
Watch the official music video for “Lone Digger” by Caravan Place on YouTube:
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UbQgXeY_zi4]
During their tour, Caravan Palace stops locally at the 9:30 Club on Thursday, May 26 — a perfect place and a perfect time to get out and party.
Caravan Palace consists of vocalist Zoé Colotis and founding members Hugues Payen (violin), Charles Delaporte (upright bass) and Arnaud Vial (guitar) alongside Antoine Toustou (trombone, machines). They take their cues from influences as diverse as Cab Calloway and Daft Punk. All in all, Caravan Palace are a high-energy, upbeat dance machine with a refreshing sound built around horns and keyboards. Check them out!
Caravan Palace
9:30 Club
Thursday, May 26
Doors @7pm
$35
All ages
Go inside the heart of 28 different embassies this Saturday, May 14th.
The annual open house gives you the chance to visit Europe without the plane ticket. At least the spirit of Europe.
Find the participating embassies and locations here.
This year they also offer a Scavenger Hunt. Check-in, answer questions and do feats of strength! (Not really, just feats of photo taking). The more you do, the better the prize. The top point getters get ‘Swag Bags’ which may include, but not limited to: alcohol, mugs and books. Find details here.
Download the App or check out the Open House Brochure for details and embassy locations.
European Union Embassies’ Open House
Multiple Locations in the NW
May 14
10:00am-4:00pm
Free Admission (some embassies may charge fees for samples of food and drinks)
All ages
Jess Dye sings with High Waisted at the Black Cat on Sunday, April 17. (Photo by Ben Eisendrath /Instagram+Twitter: GrillworksBen)
Back in April, Manhattan surf rockers High Waisted dropped by the Black Cat to open for Har Mar Superstar.
I went to that show and wrote up a review. And our friend Ben also went to the show and took some digital shots that you can see in that review.
But he also brought along a prized Hasselblad camera and shot some pix of High Waisted singer Jess Dye on Delta 3200 black and white film.
So we are running this little Snapshots as the film has been developed and the results were pretty spectacular. In a few days, High Waisted are performing at Shea Stadium on May 18. Check them out when you get a chance!
Here are a few more pix of Jessica Dye singing and playing guitar with High Waisted at the Black Cat on Sunday, April 17, 2016.
Priests perform at the Black Cat on Tuesday, May 10, 2016. (Photo by Mickey McCarter)
Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you know DC has an awesome young punk band called Priests.
And, man, can they pack a house! As they did the backstage of the Black Cat on Tuesday opening for post-punk quartet Ought.
Ought perform at the Black Cat on Tuesday, May 10, 2016. (Photo by Mickey McCarter)
The first notes are a foreboding bassline. Drums drop in line. A guitar hums. Synths flare softly.
Sings Tim Darcy in his distinctive drawl: With the light coming down over your shoulders, saying, “What is that sensation?”
As “Beautiful Blue Sky” unfurls, it becomes more frenetic and the band scatter pieces of a life across the audience like a hyper-montage from a forgotten movie — war plane! condo! How’s the church? How’s the job?
Beer is coming to H Street NE!
Update (7/26/16): The store on H Street will have it’s grand opening on August 6th from 10am to 10pm. There will be on-site tastings by DC Brau, Union Craft Brewing and Adroit Theory. Plus the first 50 customers will receive giveaways.
We like beer. And we like when new spaces open in DC to offer us even more beer.
Craft Beer Cellar is opening a new location on H Street (301 H St NE, Ste A). The chain, a brick and mortar beer delivery system, opened their first store five years ago, and are expanding rapidly across the country.
There are over 4,400 breweries in the US now, and the numbers just keep growing. There will be no dearth of beers to sell, now let’s hope the prices stay reasonable. Say no to DC beer prices!
Target date for opening is early to mid-July!
The new building is complete. The DCRA has approved their plans. Now they can work on the interior. The sign is beckoning. Now we wait…
The DC store is active on Twitter: @cbc_dc
Cyndi Lauper and Boy George (Photo courtesy the artists)
Fans of Cyndi Lauper know the alt-diva released a new album of country covers, titled Detour, last Friday. And they may know she’s on tour now and coming to Wolf Trap on Wednesday, June 1. (Read our Parklife DC transcript of a press roundtable about the album and tour with Cyndi!)
But you may not know you have a chance to win tickets to the show and dinner with Cyndi Lauper and to meet her tourmate –- the one and only Boy George!
You can win this amazing prize by donating to Cyndi Lauper’s True Colors Fund. In addition to dinner with Cyndi backstage at the Wolf Trap show, you can win other prizes:
You read that correctly: The auction ends in only two days -– on May 13.
The True Colors Fund, an organization co-founded by Cyndi, works to end homelessness among lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender youth. To donate and enter for chances to win exclusives, click here.
Additional packages include:
Regular seating for the concert is sold out, but you now have this once in a lifetime opportunity to go in style. Donate and win today!
Cyndi Lauper and Boy George
Filene Center at Wolf Trap
Wednesday, June 1
Show @8pm
Contest open!
All ages
Jon Batiste leads Stay Human in a march across Yards Park during VinoFest on Saturday, May 7, 2016.
Jon Batiste saw an opportunity, and he took it.
The natural-born band leader leapt from the stage and onto the field at VinoFest 2016, after he and his band Stay Human performed a full set of originals and classics. And they began to jam out in a spot first at stage right, but then they took advantage of the layout of the space around them.
Winding around the stage and between pavilions serving wine tastings, Jon Batiste and Stay Human led a merry parade across the field and back again, playing music all along.
For those who know Jon and Stay Human, this comes as no surprise as the band are famous for their “love riots” where they take their show to the streets or even the subways. All the same, the audience at VinoFest were delighted and enthusiastic at the prospect of interacting with Jon as he played his famous melodica and the band kept pace, playing right alongside him, in a little whirlwind of zippy musical activity.
Every week, starting June 1st, and continuing for 13 weeks, feel free to head down to Storey Park in NoMa and catch an outdoor movie.
The first film will be the epic tale, Raiders of the Lost Ark. If only I was free that day.
Prince Tribute Alert! There will be a special summer screening of Purple Rain on June 7th (the only screening held on a Tuesday).
Movies start as sunset, but get there early with chairs or blankets, because it gets very busy! Doors at 7:00pm.
What movies can you see?
NoMa Summer Screen Film Series
Storey Park (1005 First Street, NE)
Begins June 1 (through August 17) (Wednesdays)
7:00pm doors (Movie at sunset – around 8:30pm)
Free Admission (pay for food trucks)
All ages
