Music Park: Emily Haines and The Soft Skeleton @ Sixth and I — 12/2/17

Posted on 12/05/2017 by Mickey McCarter in Live Review and tagged Emily Haines, Emily Haines and The Soft Skeleton, Metric, piano, Sixth & I, The Soft Skeleton, Toronto.

Emily Haines performs as Emily Haines and The Soft Skeleton at Sixth and I Historic Synagogue on Dec. 2. 2017.

Scene: Birds chirped, signifying the arrival of morning. Emily Haines stumbled into stage and put down a suitcase. She changed into a dressing gown and goes to sleep, only to be woken moments later by her alarm clock.

She began an internal monologue, which admonished her for not getting enough sleep. The monologue in her head continued for a spell as Emily got up to play some songs solo at a piano. She appeared to be struggling with some questions: Is this where she wants to be? Is there some place or time to which she would like to return? Or has she never truly moved forward?

Don’t Miss: Emily Haines and The Soft Skeleton @ Sixth and I, 12/2/17

Posted on 12/01/2017 by Mickey McCarter in Live Review and tagged Emily Haines, indie rock, piano, Sixth & I, The Soft Skeleton, Toronto.

Emily Haines (Photo by Justin Broadbent)

Emily Haines, the always melodic lead singer of Metric, released Choir of the Mind, a solo album with her project The Soft Skeleton, in September via Last Gang Records/eOne. Emily launched a solo tour that arrives at Sixth and I Historic Synagogue on Saturday, Dec. 2.

Ticket Giveaway: Crystal Castles @ 9:30 Club, 9/30/17

Posted on 09/13/2017 by Mickey McCarter in Live Review and tagged 9:30 Club, Crystal Castles, electronica, free tickets, house, synthpop, ticket giveaway, Toronto.

Crystal Castles (Photo courtesy Ticketfly)

A little over a year ago, Crystal Castles released Amnesty (I), its fourth studio album, via Fiction Records and Casablanca Records. The record debuted the new team of founder Christopher Chartrand and vocalist Edith Frances, who have been touring since the album’s release. Crystal Castles arrive at 9:30 Club on Saturday, Sept. 30, and you can win tickets to go with Parklife DC.

Don’t Miss: Alvvays @ Rock and Roll Hotel, 10/7/17

Posted on 09/07/2017 by Mickey McCarter in Live Review and tagged Alvvays, dreampop, Molly Rankin, noise pop, Toronto.

Alvvays (Photo courtesy Grandstand Media)

Alvvays release their sophomore album Antisocialites tomorrow, Sept. 8, and one month from today, the band performs at Rock and Roll Hotel on Saturday, Oct. 7.

Ticket Giveaway: Broken Social Scene @ 9:30 Club, 9/20/17

Posted on 09/06/2017 by Mickey McCarter in Live Review and tagged 9:30 Club, Broken Social Scene, Emily Haines, free tickets, noise pop, post-rock, psychedelic, soul, ticket giveaway, Toronto.

Broken Social Scene (Photo courtesy Ticketfly)

Experimental Canadian rock band Broken Social Scene released Hug of Thunder, its fifth studio album, via Arts & Crafts in July. The 17-person collective then launched a world tour that included a stop at 9:30 Club on Sept. 19. That night quickly sold out, and the band added a second show at 9:30 Club on Wednesday, Sept. 20. You can win tickets to attend that show with Parklife DC.

DJ Park: Deadmau5 @ Merriweather Post Pavilion — 4/8/17

Posted on 04/17/2017 by EDMit it in Live Review and tagged Deadmau5, EDM, house, Merriweather Post Pavilion, progressive house, Toronto.

Deadmau5 atop his technologically advanced 2.1 Cube at Hammerstein Ballroom in New York City on March 29, 2017. (Photo by Charles Kang.)

The spring night began in anticipation as fans awaited from high in the lawn to deep in the pit for Joel Zimmerman’s performance. And Joel, better known as Deadmau5, delivered a performance I’ll always remember at Merriweather Post Pavilion on April 8.

Ticket Giveaway: Deadmau5 @ Merriweather Post Pavilion, 4/8/17

Posted on 03/16/2017 by Mickey McCarter in Live Review and tagged Deadmau5, EDM, house, Merriweather Post Pavilion, progressive house, Toronto.

Deadmau5 (Photo by Matt Barnes)

Electronic music superstar deadmau5 is going to tour 21 dates with his “lots of shows in a row” tour! He visits Merriweather Post Pavilion in nearby Columbia, Maryland, on Saturday, April 8, and you can win tickets to go see him.

Music Park: Austra @ Black Cat — 1/28/17

Posted on 02/01/2017 by Mickey McCarter in Live Review and tagged Austra, Black Cat, dark wave, Katie Stelmanis, new wave, synthpop, Toronto.

Katie Stelmanis of Austra sings at Vida Festival 2014 in Barcelona on July 5, 2014. (Photo by scannerFM)

“This is an appropriate place to play this song,” suggested Katie Stelmanis at the Black Cat in DC on Saturday.

Don’t Miss: Austra @ Black Cat — 1/28/17

Posted on 12/21/2016 by Mickey McCarter in Live Review and tagged Austra, Black Cat, dark wave, dreampop, Katie Stelmanis, new wave, synthpop, Toronto.

Katie Stelmanis of Austra (Photo by Renata Raksha)

Canadian vocalist and producer Katie Stelmanis has been receiving praise with the upcoming third album by her band Austra, which is visiting the Black Cat on Saturday, Jan. 28.

“Stelmanis’ personal satisfaction derives from artistic validation… and having a voice… and with ‘Utopia’” she’s found both in the form of a steely cold and cascading swirl of a track. One that’s anthemic, too, in a way that encourages you to find your own resolve, as well,” said Stereogum in praising the song “Utopia” from the upcoming album, Future Politics, due Jan. 20 via Domino.

Watch the official music video for “Utopia” by Austra via YouTube:

In a statement, Katie said the new album has a point: “a commitment to replace the approaching dystopia.”

The goal then is to inspire hope and thus spur individual people to make the right decisions (and while offering good dance music, of course). “Not just hope in the future, but the idea that everyone is required to help write it,” she said.

Tickets are available online.

Austra
w/ Lafawndah
Black Cat
Saturday, Jan. 28
Doors @8pm
$18/$20
All ages

Music Park: Dragonette @ U Street Music Hall — 12/9/16

Posted on 12/12/2016 by Mickey McCarter in Live Review and tagged Dragonette, house, new wave, synthpop, Toronto, U Street Music Hall.

Martina Sorbara of Dragonette shines literally and figuratively in her disco jacket at U Street Music Hall on Dec. 9, 2016.

New wave trio Dragonette kicked off a show at U Street Music Hall on Friday with some new songs — and they were really rather good tunes as well!

After the release of their fourth studio album Royal Blues in November, Dragonette launched a US tour that brought them to DC. The band started their show with the title track from the new album — a sweetly sad song that has really great synth melodies. Immediately, I’m reminded of the impressive partnership between vocalist Martina Sorbara and her synthesizer player husband Dan Kurtz. They write and perform together in a way that simply flows in a very natural way, and in performance her voice and his synthesizer dovetail in a way that truly augments the other.