Legends, distant memories and old friends fill a very busy week here in D.C. Shows abound and genres be damned, with Milkman's Union, The Who, Mirah and The Magnetic Fields, to name a few.
It was all over: four shows in 24 hours. There's a lot to experience in our city. If you don't mind temporary exhaustion you just might be able to do it all.
I'll be missing out on our wonderful area's musical events this weekend in favor of a Pearl Jam show benefiting the campaign of Senator Jon Tester (D-MT). Sincerest apologies to Crystal Castles, Crocodiles, David Byrne and St. Vincent -- Missoula calls.
This weekend will not be devoted to live music, but rather celebrating the nuptials of my dear friends Mary Beth and Cristine. This is noteworthy, because the inability to go to shows on Friday and Saturday has turned my world on its ear.
Now that you have hopefully, and properly, celebrated the contributions of the labor movement to American society by enjoying a long weekend, it's time to get to work. But not work exactly. Actually, not work at all...
The lure of Phish takes me away from the 15th through the 20th. And while I take comfort in knowing that Family of the Year and Charli XCX also await me in San Francisco, I must acknowledge that there will be plenty happening here without me.
It's a week in the D.C.-area of familiar faces, old friends, and those who waited too long to visit. There aren't any headline-grabbing shows or tough tickets.
It certainly would appear that under no circumstances does my week of concerts end the way it begins. Those in attendance on Monday and Sunday nights will likely have little in common by way of musical taste.
Serving as a purveyor of the age-old adage of forgoing that which isn't nice in favor of nothing at all, you will not find a single word about the biggest shows in the D.C. area this week.
Since we don't get to bring people back from the dead, the Beach Boys' roster isn't perfect, but like with so many things, we take what we can get. And seeing the remaining members play together again is just about the best we can get.
Overall, it's a generally light week for me, but between Miranda Lambert and Big Freedia, you'll at least see a nice cross section of what makes this country of ours so great.
Joshua Tillman takes everything he learned from being in Fleet Foxes and makes it a whole lot less boring. As Father John Misty, Tillman doesn't stray far from what made his band so popular, but picks up the pace just enough.
Hurry Up, We're Dreaming may not be Anthony Gonzalez's strongest effort, but M83 is where they belong in D.C. -- at the 9:30 Club. There will be a guaranteed dance party on Saturday. In fact, there will be two of them.
Marilyn Manson will likely not be the strangest show of the week. These acts run the gamut from the incredibly beautiful to the slightly bizarre. There will be voices and sounds on display that might even have a touch of both.
They come from all around the globe to play in D.C. this week. There are those who are returning to a place they once called home, newcomers selling out this city's best club, and smaller shows. If you have a ticket, you can hear it all.
Back to nearly a full week of music in D.C. for me. Cheyenne Marie Mize at Black Cat, Möbius Strip and The Andalusians at Crooked Beat Records, Shpongle at the 9:30 Cluband and the list goes on...
One more night with Bruce and a rare evening with Pulp keep me away from the District for a couple of nights this week. The Magnetic Fields will be at the 9:30 Club on Monday.
They want you to to think that anyone with an ounce of musical creativity will be in Austin this week. Never fear, those who have been left behind. There will be music outside Texas. In fact, some of that music will be in D.C.
Oberhofer falls into the multitude of indie bands churning out lo-fi music. Thankfully for the listener, and the audience on Tuesday night, this group favors a rock and roll influence more than obtuse haze.
There will be comfort to be had in the various music venues across D.C. Whether it's pop, hip-hop, rock, or rockabilly that makes you feel at home, there's somewhere for you to be this week.
The most notable shows of the week may be the ones I am choosing not to attend. It's not that the concerts that I will attend are entirely unknown, but just that much more reliable than the big names.
Taking a few nights off this week, and unless I'm missing something, the alternative is not entirely tempting. The weekend is surprisingly bare, but there's also the Super Bowl with which to contend.
The Bangles played to a close to sold-out show at the famous/infamous 9:30 club. It's pretty cool seeing three women rocking it like they do on the stage... sadly I don't see that too often.
