Preview: Rod Stewart @ Merriweather Post Pavilion, 8/27/22

Posted on August 5, 2022 by Parklifer in Preview and tagged blue-eyed soul, blues, England, London, Merriweather Post Pavilion, Rod Stewart, soft rock, soul.

Rod Stewart performs live at Caesars Palace Colosseum in Las Vegas on Sept. 30, 2019. (Photo by Denise Truscello)

Sir Rod Stewart, the legendary two-time Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inducted singer-songwriter, earlier this year announced a slew of dates for his highly anticipated 2022 North American summer tour with special guests Cheap Trick, including a stop at Merriweather Post Pavilion on Saturday, Aug. 27.

Produced by Live Nation the tour will be Stewart’s first in four years and promises an unprecedented night of iconic hit songs from one of the best-selling music artists of all time.

Preview: Elvis Costello & The Imposters w/ Nick Lowe & Los Straitjackets @ Wolf Trap, 8/18/22

Posted on July 27, 2022 by Parklifer in Preview and tagged Elvis Costello, Elvis Costello & The Imposters, England, London, Los Straitjackets, Nick Lowe, power pop, Wolf Trap.

Elvis Costello (Photo by Mark Seliger)

Elvis Costello & The Imposters celebrate the release of their widely acclaimed new album, The Boy Named If, with summer tour titled The Boy Named If & Other Favourites. The band appear at the Filene Center at Wolf Trap on Thursday, Aug. 18.

The show includes an opening set by Nick Lowe & Los Straitjackets, marking the first time since 1989 that Elvis and Nick have toured together.

Preview: The Psychedelic Furs w/ X @ The Fillmore Silver Spring, 7/17/22

Posted on July 15, 2022 by Parklifer in Preview and tagged England, London, neo-psychedelia, new wave, post-punk, The Fillmore Silver Spring, The Psychedelic Furs.

The Psychedelic Furs (Photo courtesy Sonic PR)

The Psychedelic Furs, English neo-psychedelic legends, released Made in Rain, their first album of original material in nearly 30 years in 2020. Since then, the band have hit the road as the touring force of nature they remain in support of their Maid in Rain 2022 Tour.

With special guests X, The Psychedelic Furs headline The Fillmore Silver Spring on Sunday, July 17!

Live Review: The Who @ Capital One Arena — 5/23/22

Posted on May 25, 2022 by Jason Nicholson "Le Mouton Flâneur" in Live Review and tagged Capital One Arena, England, hard rock, London, Pete Townshend, power pop, Roger Daltrey, The Who.

The Who perform at Capital One Arena on May 23, 2022. (Photo by Jason Nicholson)

The Who were in top form at the Capital One Arena in DC, capturing some of their best-known hits spanning their nearly 60-year career during their The Who Hits Back! Tour.

On Monday, the storied English band opened with the Overture from the rock opera Tommy and finished with the magnum opus “Baba O’Riley” from Who’s Next.

Live Review: Dry Cleaning @ Ottobar — 5/19/22

Posted on May 23, 2022 by David LaMason in Live Review and tagged Dry Cleaning, England, London, Ottobar, post-punk.

***Dry Cleaning mesmerizes a packed crowd at the Ottobar on May 19, 2022. (Photo by David LaMason)***

The South London band Dry Cleaning are a bit of a mystery. They seem to have appeared suddenly, out of nowhere, but that’s not quite true. In 2019 alone, they released two fantastic EPs and then followed those up last year with the band’s first LP, New Long Leg — a brilliant record that’s hard to not listen to constantly. And in that short time they’ve created a buzz that’s hard to ignore.

On their first full US tour, Dry Cleaning recently made its way to a completely sold-out Ottobar. (Right before the pandemic, the band did play a short swing through the states.)

Snapshots: Steve Hackett @ Warner Theatre — 4/13/22

Posted on April 18, 2022 by Jason Nicholson "Le Mouton Flâneur" in Live Review and tagged England, Genesis, London, progressive rock, Steve Hackett, Warner Theatre, worldbeat.

Steve Hackett performs at Warner Theatre on April 13, 2022. (Photo by Jason Nicholson)

What a concert! In a recent performance that lasted roughly three hours, Steve Hackett couldn’t have sounded better at the Warner Theatre.

Live Review: black midi @ Black Cat — 4/5/22

Posted on April 11, 2022 by Casey Vock in Live Review and tagged art rock, Black Cat, Black Midi, England, London, math rock, noise rock.

Geordie Greep leads black midi in a performance at Black Cat on April 5, 2022. (Photo by Casey Vock)

Once in a while, there comes a band with a presentation so volatile, so unruly that it almost becomes an endeavor to be navigated by its members.

Since forming in 2017, the London-based group known as black midi has experienced a gigantic leap in popularity. That popularity resulted in a smashing turnout for their most recent appearance at the Black Cat in DC.

Following a period that included the release of two singles, a residency at Brixton’s popular venue The Windmill, and then a key live (and recorded) performance during the Iceland Airwaves festival, black midi was signed to Rough Trade Records in 2019 leading up to its premiere studio album, Schlagenheim, which went on to earn a nomination for that year’s Mercury Prize.

Preview: black midi @ Black Cat, 4/5/22

Posted on March 23, 2022 by Parklifer in Preview and tagged art rock, Black Cat, Black Midi, England, London, math rock, noise rock.

black midi (Photo by Yis Kid)

black midi recently released Cavalcovers, an EP featuring covers of Taylor Swift, King Crimson, and Captain Beefheart, via Rough Trade. The band launched a tour this week, and they arrive locally to perform at Black Cat on Tuesday, April 5.

Preview: Vivien Goldman @ Marx Cafe, 4/1/22

Posted on March 23, 2022 by Parklifer in Preview and tagged England, London, Marx Cafe, post-punk, Vivien Goldman, We Fought the Big One.

Vivien Goldman (Photo by Alexesie Pinnock)

Our friend Rick Taylor likes to say he follows in the footsteps of legendary radio host John Peel in creating the traditions of his monthly DC post-punk, garage, and indie left-of-the-dial night, We Fought the Big One.

Well, Rick and his collaborator Brandon Grover add another layer to their storied party when they host punk professor Vivien Goldman, a true indie-rock original, at Marx Cafe on Friday, April 1, in honor of the 18th anniversary of We Fought the Big One.

Live Review: Puma Blue @ The Miracle Theater — 11/20/21

Posted on November 24, 2021 by Casey Vock in Live Review and tagged England, lo-fi, London, Puma Blue, R&B, soul, The Miracle Theatre.

Jacob Allen leads Puma Blue in a performance at the Miracle Theater in DC on Nov. 20, 2021. (Photo by Casey Vock)

Musicians have such an arsenal of effective ways to reach potential supporters these days that genres and categorization become afterthoughts. And today’s resources are empowering a tremendous wave of artists who set out with no intention of adhering to any sort of conventions in the pursuit of their own organic sound.

London-bred singer songwriter Jacob Allen found his through making recordings in his bedroom, and he didn’t even need to leave the comfortable space to create a following. Since cutting and sharing a track called “Only Trying 2 Tell U” on SoundCloud back in 2014, he’s been able to steadily build that fanbase via his musical vehicle known as Puma Blue.