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The Reverend Peyton fronts his Big Damn Band at The Hamilton Live on Nov. 17, 2021. (Photo by Ari Strauss)
Reverend Peyton’s Big Damn Band recently played The Hamilton in DC, and the church of the electric country blues was in session. This was gritty, authentic music with, as the good Reverend declared, “human hands playing real instruments.” It was American roots music at its finest, steeped in traditions brought forward with a modern sensibility, performed with skill and passion.
Durand Jones and the Indications play to a sold-out crowd at 9:30 Club on Sept. 11, 2021. (Photo by Casey Vock.)
The line stretched around the corner and down the block from 9:30 Club the night of Sept. 11, and for good reason, as Durand Jones and the Indications came to town for one of the first major shows at the nationally recognized club since it recently began hosting shows in earnest and with safety protocols in place.
Adrianne Lenker (Photo by Genesis Baez)
Last fall via 4AD, Big Thief’s Adrianne Lenker released two new albums, songs and instrumentals. The albums, which Pitchfork praised as “some of the most vivid songwriting of her career,” received an incredible reception, appearing on many year-end lists and propelling Lenker to make her solo television debut on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert last week.
Today, she shares a new, self-directed video for “Forwards Beckon Rebound,” a track off of songs.
Umphrey’s McGee (Photo courtesy IVPR)
Not unlike the rest of the country and the world, improv-rock gurus Umphrey’s McGee have found themselves with an empty-for-now itinerary and, in isolation, the strange daily balance of making sense of it all and making use of the extra time. Today, UM released “Easter in Quarantine.”
John Hiatt (Photo by Jim McGuire)
In a solo acoustic performance, John Hiatt used his substantial charm to engage the sold-out crowd at The Birchmere Tuesday. And, of course, the songs. John played songs that have been covered by Buddy Guy (“Feels Like Rain”), Bonnie Raitt (“Thing Called Love”), and I’m With Her (“Crossing Muddy Waters”).
The Reverend Peyton’s Big Damn Band (photo courtesy the Big Damn Band)
The Reverend Peyton’s Big Damn Band put on an authentic blues performance at The Hamilton Live recently. The good Reverend and his wife, who plays the washboard, and his drummer are “real people playing real instruments.” The Reverend derided the use of taped tracks, which, he said, even some blues bands have come to practice. Not only is it phoney, “it still sounds like shit,” he said.
The Reverend Peyton’s Big Damn Band with Rev’s Cadillac (Photo courtesy the band)
The Reverend Peyton’s Big Damn Band released Poor Until Payday, the band’s ninth studio album, last fall, and the trio has been on the road ever since. The Reverend and his bandmates perform at The Hamilton Live on Sunday, July 21, and you can win tickets to go with Parklife DC!
Freddie Gibbs performs at U Street Music Hall on Nov. 27, 2018. (Photo by Victoria Ford/Sneakshot Photography, www.sneakshot.net)
Pressure makes diamonds — and as far as hip-hop goes, Freddie Gibbs is a cut above the rest. The versatile emcee dug deep into his discography during a recent performance at DC’s U Street Music Hall. The Gary, Indiana rhymer’s performance catered to both his gangster rap fans and underground hip-hop aficionados.
Freddie Gibbs (Photo courtesy Ticketfly)
Rapper Freddie Gibbs released a self-titled fourth album in June, and he’s sliding into U Street Music Hall for a show on Tuesday, Nov. 27.
Lauren Sanderson performs at the Rock and Roll Hotel on Nov. 17, 2018. (Photo by Ari Strauss)
Twenty-two-year-old alternative hip-hop artist Lauren Sanderson performed to a room of exuberant young fans over the weekend at the Rock and Roll Hotel. She recently signed a record deal with Epic Records, and she is touring in support of her recent EP release, Don’t Panic.