DC’s top blog for live concert reviews
Frank Turner and Jon Snodgrass (Photo courtesy of Xtra Mile Recordings)
Xtra Mile Recordings and songwriters Frank Turner and Jon Snodgrass are excited to present “The Fleas,” the latest track to be lifted from the Friday, Nov. 13 release of the duo’s new collaborative album, Buddies II: Still Buddies.
As a fan of live music, going from seeing a show at least twice weekly to no shows at all for about eight months has been rough, but it’s nothing compared to what venues and artists have gone through in that time. It’s been a year of live-streaming, fundraisers, and trying to find new ways of keeping the making of music and the creation of these unique communal experiences alive through these difficult times.
One of those ways that have emerged in recent months is the advent of drive-in concerts.
Eli Lev (Photo courtesy Rebel Coast Media)
DC-based singer/songwriter Eli Lev has released a new acoustic video for his single “Walking Away.” The track is the first of three stripped down releases to come from the troubadour to close out 2020.
The Front Bottoms (Photo courtesy Baltimore Soundstage)
In August, The Front Bottoms released In Sickness & In Flames, the band’s fifth full-length studio album. Now, guitarist Brian Sella and drummer Mat Uychich are playing socially distanced drive-in shows, with a date at the Frederick Fairgrounds on Wednesday, Oct. 28, presented by Baltimore Soundstage!
Midge Ure (Photo courtesy Erika Tooker)
The brilliantly talented Midge Ure inaugurated his Backstage Lockdown Club — a series of live performances, presentations, and chat — via his Patreon site over the last few months. The gregarious singer-songwriter takes requests, performs acoustically, shares tales, greets guests, and more several times a month for a very reasonable subscription fee! In a time of very few concerts due to the pandemic, Midge has thrown us a live music lifeline, and it’s an absolute pleasure to be greeted in song or story by his distinctive Scottish vocal.
During the concert series, Midge performs songs from his solo back catalogue as well as covers and selections from his other bands, including of course Ultravox, the influential New Romantic band he fronted from 1979-1988 (and again circa 2008-2013). Parklife DC’s Mickey McCarter caught up with Midge via Skype to chat about Backstage Lockdown Club, the 40th anniversary of Ultravox’s breakthrough album Vienna, and more.
Andy Shauf (Photo by Colin Medley)
Andy Shauf released The Neon Skyline earlier this year via ANTI_, and he next performs in a livestream to benefit Encampment Support Network Toronto via Noon Chorus on Sunday, Oct. 18.
The Weather Station (Photo by Daniel Doors)
The Weather Station — project of Tamara Lindeman — marks her bold return with a new single/video, “Robber,” and an accompanying self-directed video. It’s her first release on her new label, Fat Possum, and her first new music since her acclaimed 2017 self-titled album, “that sounds as fleshed-out and powerful as the world it contains” (Pitchfork).
Joseph (Photo by Louis Browne)
Pop-rock sister trio Joseph “use harmony like an emotional conveyor belt” (so says Paste), and they are sure to fill your home with harmony during a three-show run via NoonChorus on Thursday, Oct. 8, Friday, Oct. 9, and Saturday, Oct. 10, with each night dedicated to a different album by the band.
Jeff Tweedy (Photo by Sammy Tweedy)
Wilco frontman Jeff Tweedy releases his new solo album, Love Is the King, on Oct. 23 via dBpm Records, with the physical release following on Jan. 15. Today, Jeff gives another taste of the record with new single/video “Gwendolyn.”
James Mercer of The Shins (Photo by Marisa Kula)
The Shins break an extended silence with the viscerally beautiful new song “The Great Divide.” The first official release from the band in over two and a half years, “The Great Divide” is available now via James Mercer’s own label Aural Apothecary and Monotone Records across all digital platforms.
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