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Public Figures (Photo by Marcela Morales)
DC post-punk duo Public Figures today release “Shark Song,” their debut number, and they play a livestream show at Rhizome DC as well!
If you’re like us, you’ll be pleased to see Van Hillard (drums/vox) and Chad McCall (bass/vox/theremin) reunite in this new project after the dissolution of Park Snakes, formerly one of DC’s best indie rock bands.
The Pleasure Curses, DC’s premier disco dance duo, Tuesday released a new song, “Concrete.”
Here it is!
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It’s one of their best, in my opinion. It starts out with a crunchier, blockier sound, but the song gets more sparkly as the band, and we, get more invested in it.
They lyrics also serve as a wonderfully polite snub to the subject of the song:
“everyone is something to someone/
nobody is nothing to no one/
but hanging out with you seems like no fun/
hanging out with you seems like no fun, no”
Essentially, some experiences can be as grey and lifeless as concrete.
Jahn Alexander and Evan Maxwell are certain to play the song live at their next gig on Thursday, April 2, at the Martin Lurther King DC Public Library.
After that, their next scheduled show, at the moment, is apparently part of an event at the Smithsonian American Art Museum on Friday, May 22 (Memorial Day weekend!).
Outside the Newseum
We’ve been remiss in mentioning that the DC Public Library has an interesting 10-day series of events on government transparency and personal privacy, Orwellian America, being held in municipal libraries and other locations.
On Saturday, Jan. 24 at 2pm, the DC Public Library hosts the next event in the series at the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library (901 G St. NW, DC)
From the DC Public Library: “Join Frontline producer Mike Wiser for a special screening and discussion of United States of Secrets, Part 1. Learn about the evolution of “The Program”: a top secret surveillance operation that began in the Bush administration and continued at the National Security Agency until Edward Snowden’s revelations in 2013. The screening will be followed by a discussion with Wiser.” (This program is made possible thanks to a grant from the Institute for Museum and Library Studies.)
Another event is scheduled for Saturday, Jan. 31 at 2pm: Orwellian America: Government Transparency vs. National Security. This event is hosted by the Newseum (555 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, DC) in its Knight Studio.
From the DC Public Library: “Join us at the Newseum’s Knight Studio as representatives from the International Spy Museum and the Newseum Institute discuss issues of government transparency and national security, moderated by the Newseum. Voice your opinion afterwards with our electronic voting system. See a TV studio in action as the conversation is live streamed to the DC Public Library, Newseum and International Spy Museum websites.” (This project was made possible in part by the Institute of Museum and Library Services.)
For more information on other events in the Orwellian America series, visit http://dclibrary.org/1984.