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

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Duran Duran
Duran Duran performs at CFG Bank Arena on Oct. 28, 2024. (Photo by Mickey McCarter)

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

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Ronnie Baker Brooks
Ronnie Baker Brooks (Photo by Jim Summaria)

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

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The Struts
The Struts perform at XL Live on Oct. 29, 2024. (Photo by Michael Sprouse)

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

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T Bone Burnett
T Bone Burnett (Photo by Jason Myers)

“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

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Pokey LaFarge
Pokey LaFarge performs at The Atlantis on Oct. 27, 2024. (Photo by James Todd Miller)

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

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On The Bus
On The Bus performs at The Alley at Bethesda Boards on Oct. 26, 2024. (Photo by Mark Raker)

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.

Snapshots: Dehd @ Howard Theater — 10/23/24

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Dehd @ Howard Theater Washington DC 10.23.24 Photo by Casey Ryan Vock
Chicago-based indie rock trio Dehd performs at the Howard Theater on Oct. 23, 2024. (Photo by Casey Ryan Vock)

A delayed tour to promote an album release might not be the ideal way for a band to keep its momentum going. But then again it does allow for the record to soak into listeners, and by the time the songwriters get on stage, fans could very well have the tunes down pat.

Dehd released its latest LP, Poetry, back in early May, but the Chicago-born indie rock trio is just now getting around to toot the horn of 14 tracks that devotees have had on repeat for months.

Live Review: Robyn Hitchcock w/ Imogen Clark @ The Atlantis — 10/25/24

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Robyn Hitchcock
Robyn Hitchcock performs at The Atlantis on Oct. 25, 2024. (Photo by Marc Shea)

Robyn Hitchcock has described his songs as “paintings you can listen to.” They’re typically surreal, but also, often, quite beautiful. His stage banter is equally off the beaten path, and his recent performance at The Atlantis was full of charming, eccentric asides.

Over a long career, Hitchcock’s influence has far outstripped his commercial success. Beginning with the Soft Boys, his ability to mix pop song craftsmanship, melodicism, and an off-kilter sensibility left its mark on generations of alternative rockers, especially REM. Over the course of his solo career, he’s embraced a more acoustic sound, and he’s even worked with beloved roots duo Gillian Welch and David Rawlings on the album Spooked.

Live Review: Ben Folds w/ National Symphony Orchestra @ The Kennedy Center — 10/25/24

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Ben Folds
Ben Folds performs with the National Symphony Orchestra at the Kennedy Center for a live recording of his greatest hits in symphonic arrangement, Oct. 25, 2024. (Photo by Ari Strauss)

Ben Folds fans gathered at The Kennedy Center on two recent October evenings to witness a unique milestone in the indie icon’s career. Known for his decades-long contribution to indie and pop music, Ben partnered with the National Symphony Orchestra in a one-of-a-kind concert to record a live album of symphonic versions of his greatest hits along with some new material.

Snapshots: Dale Hollow @ DC9 — 10/21/24

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Dale Hollow @ DC9 Washington DC 10.21.24 35mm Film Photo by Casey Ryan Vock
Dale Hollow performs at DC9 on Oct. 21, 2024. (35mm film photo by Casey Ryan Vock)

It can’t be easy to truly multi-task on a stage. In the most thinkable examples, an artist can, say, just barely monitor the weather at an outdoor show, or perhaps keep an eye on a dog that’s been brought on tour and stays close to the band.

But in a marvelous display of balance, Dale Hollow recently cranked up a packed DC9 in the nation’s capital and simultaneously participated in an untimely but requisite online fantasy basketball league draft, building a pretend squad he’d named “The Hollow-Headed Hoopers.”

Hollow comes from Nashville and is now based in New York City. Just last month he released his first full-length album, Hack of the Year, but he led up to it with a bunch of explosive EPs and singles to introduce a powerful, appealing voice that can croon, growl, howl and even yodel.