psychedelic

Live Review: Temples @ U Street Music Hall — 1/20/20

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Temples perform at U Street Music Hall.
Temples perform at U Street Music Hall on Jan. 20, 2020. (Photo by Kyle Gustafson)

Sometimes when it’s cold as hell out, the best thing to do is pack into a small crowded room and watch a killer rock show. That’s exactly what I did on Monday, catching a brilliant show from Temples at U Street Music Hall.

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Live Review: Camper Van Beethoven and Cracker @ 9:30 Club — 1/18/20

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CamperVan4 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.

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Preview: Cracker and Camper Van Beethoven @ 9:30 Club, 1/18/20

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Cracker1
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.

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Live Review: Time Is Fire @ Pie Shop — 1/3/20

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TimeIsFire32 Time Is Fire performs at Pie Shop on Jan. 3, 2020. (Photo by Mickey McCarter)

Have you ever seen a performance so unexpected that you were immediately inspired to share what you saw with anyone who will listen? I felt that way about DC psych rockers Time Is Fire when first I saw them at Black Cat several years ago. The arresting quintet was unlike any local band ever I imagined: Fronted by an Iranian singer, the gents burst with lively fire and joyful life.

Time Is Fire appeared at Pie Shop recently, and I had the opportunity to catch them again on an energetic bill, where three bands drew a big crowd to the buzzy upstairs music hall within Dangerously Delicious Pies.

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