Music Park: Jessie’s Girl @ Howard Theatre — 10/16/15

Posted on 10/19/2015 by Mickey McCarter in Live Review and tagged '80s music, cover band, hard rock, Howard Theatre, Jessie's Girl, Le Poisson Rouge, new wave, New York City, power pop.

Jenna O’Gara leads the girls on stage for “Girls Just Want to Have Fun” at the Howard on Oct. 16, 2015.

“Jessie is a band/
Yeah, I know it’s been a good 80s cover band.”

Usually closely held by denizens of New York City, Jessie’s Girl brought its brightly lit guitar solos to the Howard Theatre on Friday night to an ardent audience happy to dance their hearts out.

The seven-person ensemble rocks out with a wide variety of tunes from the ’80s, ranging from artists like Prince, Madonna, Cyndi Lauper, A-ha, Loverboy, and more. Friday, they bound onto the stage with intro music borrowed from “The Final Countdown” by Europe and then proceeded to dive headlong into kinetic tributes to musicians who defined a decade.

Early in the show, the band jumps into “Working for the Weekend” by Loverboy, encouraging the crowd to hop around the room, hands raised in celebration. Singers Jenna O’Gara and Mark Rinzel trade off vocal duties for the song, pumping up the shamelessly lyrical fun of the song’s mission statement: Take a few days off to party!

Don’t Miss: Dave Davies of The Kinks @ Howard Theatre, 10/20/15

Posted on 10/16/2015 by Mickey McCarter in Live Review and tagged British Invasion, Dave Davies, Howard Theatre, mod, rock and roll, The Kinks.

Dave Davies of The Kinks (Photo courtesy of the artist)

Dave Davies, the legendary lead guitarist and vocalist of The Kinks, has been a busy man lately. He released a solo album in 2013 (I Will Be Me) and another in 2014 (Rippin’ Up Time), and he toured in support of them all the while holding a lens to his past work, which defined guitars for a generation.

On his recent albums, Dave’s voice is distinctly recognizable, and while his guitar may play at a slower pace on occasion, his riffs are still unmistakably those of the man who formed the trendsetting ’60s band with his brother Ray. You very much hear the sound of “The British Invasion” in his songs today.

Watch a video, filmed by Dave’s son Martin, for “Through My Window” from Dave’s latest solo album on YouTube:

Dave is bringing it all — his solo material and his remarkable songs from The Kinks — to a performance at the Howard Theatre on Tuesday, Oct. 20. It’s a rare DC opportunity to see a UK guitar legend in an intimate setting. A look at Dave’s recent US setlists suggest he’s been stacking his concerts heavily with songs by The Kinks, including “I’m Not Like Everybody Else,” “Where Have All the Good Times Gone,” “All Day and All of the Night,” and “You Really Got Me.”

Watch Dave play a bit of “You Really Got Me” live in a promo video for the 50th anniverary of The Kinks in 2014 on YouTube (from an upcoming documentary, Dave Davies Rock ‘n Roll Journey):

Tickets are available online.

Dave Davies of The Kinks
w/ Edward Rogers
Howard Theatre
Tuesday, Oct. 20
Show @730pm
$39.40-$65
All ages

Don’t Miss: Back to the 80s Show w/ Jessie’s Girl and Rob Base @ Howard Theatre, 10/16/15

Posted on 10/15/2015 by Mickey McCarter in Live Review and tagged '80s music, cover band, hard rock, hip hop, Howard Theatre, Jessie's Girl, new wave, New York City, pop, power pop, Rob Base.

Jenna O’Gara of Jessie’s Girl killing it at the Canal Room in New York City (Photo by Manish Gosalia)

If there’s one thing my old friends know about me, it’s that I like an ’80s dance party. (Check out my Parklife DC list of 80s parties if you want some evidence!)

And that’s one reason why I absolutely must check out a performance by New York City’s biggest ’80s cover band, Jessie’s Girl, who are visiting DC to perform at the Howard Theatre in a late show tomorrow night, Friday, Oct. 16.

And they are bringing along with them Rob Base, the hip hop artist perhaps best known for the ’80s hit “It Takes Two” with the late DJ E-Z Rock. In concert with Jessie’s Girl, Rob Base has performed his signature songs “It Takes Two” and “Joy & Pain” (…are like sunshine and rain)!

Watch Jessie’s Girl get a little new wave with their cover of “Take on Me” by A-ha on YouTube:

And lest you make the mistake of thinking that Jessie’s Girl are heavy on flash and light on talent, watch this charming acoustic studio cover of “Time After Time” by Cyndi Lauper:

Tickets are available online. This is a great opportunity for all of us to see this fun cover band in our own backyard. See you there for a totally awesome time!

Back to the 80s
Jessie’s Girl
Special Performance by Rob Base
Howard Theatre
Friday, Oct. 16
Show @10pm
$20
21+