DC’s top blog for live concert reviews
Welles (Photo courtesy No Big Deal PR)
Welles is opening for Dead Sara at Black Cat on Tuesday, Sept. 18. The show is sold out, but Welles has given Parklife DC a pair of tickets to give away! You can win tickets to see Welles and Dead Sara with Parklife DC.
Chris Isaak performs at The Birchmere on Aug. 27, 2018. (Photo by Chester Simpson)
Chris Isaak’s fans are in love with him, and he loved them right back at The Birchmere on Monday!
Iggy Pop at the Old Waldorf, San Francisco, 1977, by Chester Simpson (also found on Page 79 of Smithsonian Rock and Roll: Live and Unseen).
On Oct. 24, Smithsonian Books published a vivid collection of rock photos titled Smithsonian Rock and Roll: Live and Unseen by Bill Bentley. Bill may have written the book, but it pools photographs from many sources, including our own Chester Simpson, who contributed seven of the 350 pictures to the project.
Throwing Plates perform at 9:30 Club on Sept. 2, 2017. (Photo by Mark Caicedo)
The 9:30 Club transformed Saturday into a showcase for some of the finest local bands DC has to offer. The brainchild of local DJ and musician Brian Nelson-Palmer, the first annual (one hopes) DC Music Rocks Festival presented five bands, each with distinct musical pedigrees.
Chris Robinson performs at the 9:30 Club on November 20, 2016. (Photo by Theresa C. Sanchez)
“Rock on, roll on, get off, get it on / Be one, be two, be all, be you…”
The Chris Robinson Brotherhood share these guiding words of encouragement on “New Cannonball Rag,” the first single of their latest EP If You Lived Here, You Would Be Home Now, released last November.
David Jonathan DiSarro sings at Ram’s Head on Stage in Annapolis, Md., on August 23, 2016.
Rock trio Cardiac recently were sitting around with the Bangles, discussing music they loved, and an idea took root.
“Susanna [Hoffs] suggested that we cover The Rolling Stones,” vocalist David Jonathon DiSarro told his audience at Ram’s Head On Stage in Annapolis Tuesday. “So here’s our cover of ‘Jumpin’ Jack Flash.'”
Joined by the Bangles’ touring bassist, Cardiac ripped through a fun cover version of the famous blues number, delighting the sold-out room with the familiar tune while also giving some insight into the band’s own inner workings. Opening for the Bangles on the girl group’s tour, Cardiac continued to hold the attention of the room with classic rock and roll delivered by David’s heartfelt voice. He’s capably complemented by soaring guitar by Jarod Woznik and rolling drums from Don Bish.
Terry Bozzio (Photo courtesy Glass Onyon PR)
In an interview with “The Idiot” many years ago, Terry Bozzio recalled how he came to audition for Frank Zappa in 1975 and approached the audition a bit differently than most drummers playing for Frank.
“The one thing I’d noticed was a lot of the drummers were sort of flaunting their chops,” Terry recalled. “I thought the least I could do was go up there and listen and try and play with the guy. So I did the best I could; sight-reading a very difficult piece, memorizing a very difficult piece, jamming with a very odd time signature — like 19 — and then playing a blues shuffle.”
Frank was impressed and Terry went on to work with him on 26 albums! But Terry got involved in many other projects as well, including the new wave outfit Missing Persons, most notably to us here at Parklife DC.
The legendary drummer does not keep still, always touring, always recording, and always innovating. In late 2015, Terry published the Terry Bozzio Composer Series via Ward Records in Japan, and this year, he launched “An Evening With Terry Bozzio” US tour. That tour comes to DC when Terry plays at The Hamilton Live on Tuesday, Sept. 20.
Watch the hypnotic trailer for Terry’s “Composer Series Box Set” on YouTube:
The “Composer Series” contains 59 individual pieces of music with a painting by Terri in a booklet for each title, along with detailed liner notes for each piece, explaining the process and concept for each piece. On tour, Terry is taking an equally expansive approach.
“I’m looking forward to this extensive US tour in August to November 2016. I’ll have some new pieces to play on my big kit and hopefully some surprises for you in this new show,” Terry said in a press release.
What are you waiting for? Tickets are available online!
Terry Bozzio
The Hamilton Live
Tuesday, Sept. 20
Doors @6:30pm
$20-25
All ages
Chad America, your host, appears on the left as a Simpsons cartoon on this cool flyer along with the other folks who make this party happen.
Looking for a place to be on Valentine’s Day? A place that is fun, laidback, and carefree?
Do you like rock ‘n’ roll? And rhythm-and-blues?
Then you have to come hang out with us at Chad America’s 17th Annual Valentine’s Day Rock & Roll Dance Party on Sunday, Feb. 14, at the Black Cat.
Your host Chad America, the legendary Black Cat bartender, takes over the Red Room of the Black Cat for a high-spirited but low-hassle dance party as he gets out from behind the bar and in behind the turntables. He is joined by DJs from popular events such as Shout Bamalama (Baby Alcatraz), Party Lights (Mad Squirrel), and Big Bad City (Soul Call Paul)!
“We strive for a party that’s equally fun for everyone. It’s a good time if you’re solo, with a group of friends, or with a date,” Chad told Parklife DC.
Watch James Brown perform “I Feel Good,” which certainly sets the tone for Chad America’s Valentine’s Day Rock & Roll Dance Party, in this seasonally appropriate clip from the 1965 movie “Ski Party” — and get in the mood:
So come alone or bring a date for this event, which is always a guaranteed good time. As a bonus, federal employees are off work Monday, Feb. 15, for Washington’s Birthday, so you can keep the celebration going late or drop by after dinner.
You can RSVP for the event on Facebook if you like (but it’s not necessary).
Chad America’s 17th Annual Valentine’s Day Rock & Roll Dance Party
Black Cat (Red Room)
Sunday, Feb. 14
Show @7pm
Free
All ages
Dave Davies (Photo by Rebecca G. Wilson)
Dave Davies is a weathered soul, but one who has been through the storm to soak up the rays of sunshine that emerge afterward.
And the positively sunny Dave played host to a very full house at the Howard Theatre on Tuesday night, when he charmed the crowd with some solo material but largely with some top selections from the vast catalog of his trendsetting band The Kinks.
Some 50 years ago, Dave and his brother Ray began a rock journey that inspired thousands of musicians and spawned even more imitators. But all of that seemed far behind the man with the guitar Tuesday, who repeatedly called for the spotlight to be shined upon his dinner-crowd audience so that they too shared the limelight as they sang along to their favorite songs by 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):
Dave Davies of The Kinks
w/ Edward Rogers
Howard Theatre
Tuesday, Oct. 20
Show @730pm
$39.40-$65
All ages
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