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David Lowery fronts Camper Van Beethoven at 9:30 Club on Jan. 18, 2020 (Photo by David LaMason)
As I was listening to Camper Van Beethoven at the 9:30 Club recently, I was reminded of the title of a Spotify playlist of ’80s alternative rock: Left of the Dial. To the crowd’s delight, the band opened with their delightfully odd cult hit “Take the Skinheads Bowling,” from their 1985 debut LP, Telephone Free Landslide Victory.
Cracker’s David Lowery and Johnny Hickman (Photo by Bradford Jones)
Why front one band when you can front two? That’s surely the philosophy of David Lowery — guitarist, vocalist, songwriter, and mathematician — who heads both Cracker and Camper Van Beethoven. As is David’s habit in the past several years, he’s bringing both bands to 9:30 Club for a double bill on Saturday, Jan. 18.
Art Alexakis performs at City Winery in DC on Jan. 10, 2020. (Photo by Chris Smyth)
“Don’t you feel old being at a dinner theater and listening to ’90s rock?” the affable Art Alexakis quipped during his recent performance at City Winery DC. In the small, quiet venue, Art appeared comfortable on stage all by himself, regularly joking and telling stories to the fans in attendance.
The Almost (Photo courtesy Fearless Records)
The Almost, the brainchild of Underoath drummer/vocalist Aaron Gillespie, released Fear Caller on Fearless Records in October after a six-year break. The band performs at Union Stage on Friday, Jan. 10.
Brian Aubert fronts Silversun Pickups at Rams Head Live on Dec. 6, 2019. (Photo by Katherine Gaines/ ambienteye.com)
Silversun Pickups released Widow’s Weeds, the band’s fifth studio album, over the summer via their own New Machine Recordings. In support of the record, the indie rockers toured through Rams Head Live recently, and Katherine Gaines shot the show!
Blue October (Photo by Chris Barber)
A must-see on the fall festival circuit? The upcoming music documentary Get Back Up, which centers on Justin Furstenfeld of Blue October and his struggle with addiction.
Meanwhile, catch Blue October, back and reinvigorated onstage, in performance at Baltimore Soundstage on Thursday, Nov. 14.
Brent Smith of Shinedown participates in the Out of the Darkness Walk on Nov. 2, 2019. (Photo by Chris Smyth)
An hour before sunset on Saturday, more than 2,500 people disembarked from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial for a long trek around the tidal basin. The walk was part of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention’s Out of the Darkness Walk.
Leading the walk for the second straight year was Brent Smith, lead singer of Shinedown. Invited by radio station DC 101, and walking as part of their One More Light team, Brent took the time to talk with many of the participants, and to lend a compassionate ear to those who told him of the reasons why they were walking.
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