Franklin James Fisher performs with Algiers at Black Cat on June 28, 2018.
You’ll believe in the effectiveness of soul music as a form of protest when you see Algiers, the experimental rock quartet from Atlanta.
Frontman Franklin James Fisher has a powerful voice that goes low or hits high when called upon to do so, but mostly it booms gracefully through a room as it did at Black Cat on Thursday.
Algiers (Photo courtesy Ticketfly)
Post-punk-meets-gospel band Algiers released their second album, The Underside of Power, in 2017 via Matador Records. The quartet has been touring a lot, and they return to Black Cat on Thursday, June 28. You can win tickets to go with Parklife DC.
Bettye LaVette performs at the Burnaby Blues & Roots Festival on Aug. 9, 2014. (Photo by Leilah Thiel)
R&B singer Bettye LaVette graced The Hamilton with her divine presence on Saturday. Looking much younger than her 72 years, fit and trim, Bettye performed with bountiful energy and flawless style.
Bettye LaVette (Photo by Marina Chavez)
Legendary soul singer Bettye LaVette released Things Have Changed, her 10th studio album, on March 30. On the new record, Bettye tackles the songs of Bob Dylan as only she can. And now, she will perform them live in a show at The Hamilton on Saturday, May 19.
Dru Hill (Photo courtesy Howard Theatre)
R&B and soul vocalists Dru Hill have reported working on a new album, which would be their fifth overall and their first since 2010’s InDRUpendence Day, released on Kedar Massenburg’s label Kedar Entertainment Group. While the gents are hard at work, they also are hitting the road with a date at the Howard Theatre on Friday, Aug. 18.
Franklin James Fisher fronts Algiers at Black Cat on Monday, July 24, 2017. (Photo by David LaMason)
I have to admit that I’ve been waiting for this moment for the past two years, having last seen Algiers in DC in September 2015 to a small but enthusiastic audience. In a Venn diagram where you have brilliant albums in one circle and commanding live shows on the other, Algiers would be that perfect middle where the power of tracks such as The Underside of Power and Animals take on a visceral intensity on stage as demonstrated on a steamy Monday night at Black Cat’s backstage.
Algiers (Photo courtesy Matador Records)
Experimental rock band Algiers released their sophomore album The Underside of Power via Matador Records on June 23, and they visit Black Cat in DC with their powerful mix of post-punk and gospel music on Monday, July 24.
