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Jack Johnson (Photo courtesy Partisan Arts PR)
(EDITOR’S NOTE): Jack Johnson has caught COVID, and he has rescheduled this show to July 15, 2022. Get well soon, Jack!
Jack Johnson and his band hit the road this summer for The Meet The Moonlight Tour, which takes them across the continental US and Canada, including an early date at Merriweather Post Pavilion on Friday, July 15.
Christopher Vanderkooy shreds on the electric guitar during a Peach Pit performance at 9:30 Club on April 2, 2022. (Photo by Casey Vock)
Though naturally some of a band’s recorded material is going to create some expectations of its in-person sound, a musical act doesn’t have to let its studio work define its live presentation.
But whether it’s by foresight or luck, the bulk of some artists’ songbooks turns out to be scalable thanks to either a set trajectory or built-in room for improvisation to expand and amplify the sound.
Peach Pit, a red-hot indie pop-rock outfit out of Vancouver, has experienced a rapid rise to popularity since its two founding members graduated high school. As students, Neil Smith and Christopher Vanderkooy teamed up in 2014 to create what began as a possible one-off music project.
Surfer Blood performs at DC9 on Nov. 13, 2021. (Photo by Ben Eisendrath; Words adapted from press materials.)
Over a year ago, Surfer Blood released Carefree Theatre, their fifth studio album, and returned to their first label, Kanine Records. Surfer Blood finally toured behind the record and also returned to DC in a sold-out show at DC9 on Saturday. Ben Eisendrath was there to shoot the show.
Dentist (Photo courtesy the band)
Dentist, our new favorite surf-garage band, recently released a Christmas song, covering “Mele Kalikimaka,” written by Robert Alex Anderson and famously covered by Bing Crosby and the Andrews Sisters.
Give it a listen below!
Los Straitjackets (Photo courtesy Yep Roc Records)
Asked about the humor in his music, Frank Zappa said that music is supposed to be entertaining. I imagine that the members of Los Straitjackets would say the same thing. Los Straitjackets, who played the Pearl Street Warehouse recently, lean all the way into their gimmick of luchadores-turned-instrumental rockers. Dressed in matching suits and Mexican wrestling masks, they address the audience only in Spanish.
Dentist performs at DC9 on Sept. 29, 2019. (Photo by Mickey McCarter)
When a band is named “Dentist,” you may well be tempted to make remarks about the members’ teeth as a way to ease into a review. Well, we are going to chat a little about their eyes instead.
New Jersey surf rockers Dentist dropped by DC9 recently to open Brick + Mortar, and these folks have some damn expressive eyes to accompany their truly catchy tunes.
Tacocat performs at U Street Music Hall on May 18, 2019. (Photos by Katherine Gaines/AmbientEye.com; Words by Juliet Van Wagenen)
Glitter-adorned indie punk rock quartet Tacocat lit up U Street Music Hall recently for a bevy of fans that may have been the only people in the city not glued to their TVs for the Game of Thrones series finale.
Jonny Pierce of The Drums (Photo by Nicholas Moore)
Indie crooner Jonny Pierce led The Drums to a performance high with his irresistible new wave hooks at Black Cat recently. The resulting concert was so damn good that the audience was struck giddy to witness it.
Tacocat (Photo by Helen Moga)
Seattle surf punks Tacocat recently released This Place Is a Mess, the band’s fourth studio album, via SubPop! The quartet arrive to perform the new songs at U Street Music Hall on Sunday, May 19.
Jonny Pierce (Photo by Nicholas Moore)
The Drums released Brutalism, the fifth studio album by the Jonny Pierce-fronted project, last month via Anti- Records. Jonny is on tour with a stop at the Black Cat on Saturday, May 11.