Not too many bands could take off seven years between releases and still have a big fan base. But Garbage—Shirley Manson, Butch Vig, Duke Erikson, and Steve Marker—are mostly playing as tight as they ever did, and they were rewarded with a sold-out crowd last night at the 9:30 Club. With the arch of an [...]
Last Thursday, Fishbone stormed the State Theater, playing their celebrated mix of funk, punk, pop, and ska for nearly two hours. The band showed love for Chuck Brown with a shout-out from the stage (and gave one to Donna Summer, as well), and even brought out H.R. of the Bad Brains for singing duties on [...]
Ted Leo & the Pharmacists played the second of two sold-out shows on Sunday to commemorate the 10th—well, 11th—anniversary 2001's The Tyranny of Distance. The concerts were recorded by a who's-who of the D.C. music videography, with Jim Saah and Brendan Canty's TrixieFilm recording the show. After breaking a string on his guitar—and declaring he'd rather not waste [...]
The attendees of Sweetgreen's Sweetlife Festival at Merriweather Post Pavilion on Saturday were not daunted by the threat of rain. With a lineup that included Fitz and the Tantrums' blue-eyed soul, Explosions in the Sky's hypnotic post-rock, U.S. Royalty's cock-rock, Kid Cudi's sensitive-dude hip-hop, and Avicii's glittery EDM, there was a little something for everyone across the [...]
I always walk away from a Lucero show thinking how the Memphis band is able to make every gig feel like a house party full of friends. I've seen them in small places like Ottobar, on outdoor stages at South by Southwest, and the Black Cat. And while the 9:30 Club feels a bit more [...]
Hometown punk legends Bad Brains played Friday and Saturday at the newly opened Howard Theatre. If the pairing felt out of place—hardcore legends don't usually play in venues with polished mahogany walls, sparkling clean bathrooms, and ads for upcoming Michael Bolton shows—well, Bad Brains have never been typical. Frontman H.R.'s voice hypnotized during reggae-flavored songs like [...]
Thanks to Bailey's Crossroads hardcore legends Scream, I went to punk-rock church Saturday evening. The band, on a bill that included Beasts of No Nation, Mobius Strip, and Outlook, closed out a Positive Force benefit for DC Jobs with Justice at St. Stephen's Church. Scream's set was a mix of old and new—with the latter coming from [...]
As promised, everyone partied like it was 1992 Friday and Saturday night at Artisphere for the 20th anniversary of chickfactor, the indie-pop zine founded in D.C.—in fact, by Washington City Paper staffers—back when indie didn't connote NPR adoration and Billboard placements. Erica Bruce took some pictures. And this is what we learned.
Between most songs in [...]
On Sunday, video evidence came out that Wild Flag had included a cover of Fugazi's "Margin Walker" in its set in Boston. Covering Fugazi in Boston is one thing, but covering the band within D.C. limits and not bringing your A-game is a riskier proposition. "Maybe 5 percent of you will know this song," said singer/guitarist [...]
D.C. bands that attended the musical segment of South by Southwest in Austin, Texas spanned musical genres. The annual DC does TX day party provided a nice array, including the intelligent indie rock of Dischord artist Soccer Team and the ecstatic, psychedelic post-punk of Kid Congo Powers & the Pink Monkey Birds. I was also happy [...]
