DC’s top blog for live concert reviews
A photo from Beck’s summer concert at Merriweather Post Pavilion ranked among Rashad Polk’s Top 10 Photos of 2019 (but not this photo). (Photo by Rashad Polk)
Editor’s Note: This year, we asked our bloggers to name their Top 10 shows of 2019 or choose their Top 10 photos of the year. We will run them over the course of mid-December as our Best of the Year posts.
Editor (again): The very skillful Rashad Polk picked 10 of his photos as the best of 2019 — take it away, Rashad!
Rising Appalachia performs in front of a sold-out audience at DC’s The Hamilton, Nov. 20, 2019. (Photo by Ari Strauss)
When sisters Leah and Chloe Smith formed Rising Appalachia over a decade ago, they created a unique folk sound that is equally influenced by their Southern upbringing in Atlanta and their vast experience traveling the world and experiencing diverse cultures. The band brought that unique sound to The Hamilton Live recently where they played to a sold-out crowd and promoted their newest album, Leylines, which released independently earlier this year.
Leah and Chloe Smith of Rising Appalachia (Photo courtesy of Rising Appalachia)
Rising Appalachia is a self-made success story. Sisters Leah and Chloe Smith — each world travelers for nearly two decades — merge multiple global music influences with their own Southern roots to create a unique world folk sound. The band has built a legion of listeners through relentless touring, tireless activism, and no small degree of stubborn independence.
After self-producing their first six albums, Leah and Chloe opted for the first time to team up with someone outside the band, legendary singer-songwriter/producer Joe Henry, to produce their seventh album, Leylines.
Parklife DC’s Ari Strauss emailed Chloe to ask about the new album and what is in store for the band’s upcoming show at The Hamilton Live on Wednesday, Nov. 20.
Con Brio performs at The Hamilton Live on Oct. 10, 2019. (Photo by Rashad Polk)
The stage at The Hamilton was recently host to one of the funkiest bands to come out of the San Francisco Bay area — Con Brio. While Con Brio can easily be compared to other legendary groups from the same area such as Sly and the Family Stone or Tower of Power, another group that comes to mind is Metallica. Though there isn’t too much in common on the surface, both bands seem to continually deliver on the promise of their respective band names.
John Mayall (Photo by David Gomez)
The Hamilton introduced John Mayall on Thursday evening as “the godfather of British Blues.” In his sixth decade as a professional musician, the 85-year-old Mayall still appears pretty spry, and he remained on his feet for his entire performance. John is just as well-preserved mentally, and he filled the transitions between songs with informative context and droll British wit.
Amanda Shires performs at The Hamilton Live in DC on Aug. 17, 2019. (Photo by Ari Strauss)
A strong crowd turned out for Amanda Shires’s “music show,” as she put it, at The Hamilton recently. At the beginning of her set, the lights dimmed and Leonard Cohen’s “You Want It Darker” played as Amanda and her band took the stage. Amanda began with material from the critically acclaimed album she released last year, To the Sunset, slinging her electric guitar, appropriately enough, on “Break Out the Champagne.”
Teddy Scott (left) and Paul Gregg (right) of Bencoolen perform at The Hamilton Live, Aug. 10, 2019. (Photo by Ari Strauss/ aristrauss.com)
DC-based Bencoolen performed an opening set at The Hamilton Live recently, delivering an energized 45-minute set to warm the crowd for the jazz/funk sextet Naughty Professor from New Orleans.
Angel K
AJ Waugh
ambienteye
Ari Strauss
Andy Jillson
Brenda Reyes
Chester Simpson
chriscastilloweb
Chris R. Smyth
crvock
Daniel Webb
David LaMason
EDMit it
Shantel M Breen
isaiahhattix
Jason Nicholson "Le Mouton Flâneur"
jesternate
julesontheroadphotos
jwillview
kristiechua
Mark Caicedo
Mark Engleson
Mathew Harkins
Corey Paterson
mdxpc
Mickey McCarter
Miyun Park
Neal Keller
Parklifer
Kyle Gustafson
paivi
Rebecca
regardingtess
Robert Smith
shedrickpelt
theeternalname
Matt Ruppert
Will Colbert
Andrew Goodwin
wefoughtthebigone