Salome, one of the few metal bands that performed at this year’s CMJ.

For D.C. bands, the takeaway from CMJ seems to have been this: It will not pluck you from obscurity, but it can’t hurt. Also: Don’t believe the hype.

“The myth that you can land the perfect agent or manager at a place like that—I don’t think it pays attention to the reality that you’ve been talking to that person for seven months already,” said Jesse Elliott, whose polymathic alt-country band These United States played a handful of shows during this year’s College Music Journal Music Marathon. The annual industry gathering featured over 1,000 artists, close to 100 venues, and around a dozen acts from the D.C. area.

Elliott’s got a point: Most of the young bands I heard chatter about during the festival—like Florida’s Surfer Blood, New York’s Freelance Whales, and London’s Golden Silvers and Mumford and Sons—had recording contracts, significant blog buzz, or both going in, not to mention full management teams in place. These are not bands whose success lives or dies according to an industry festival.

“Most of the bands at these festivals are already signed,” wrote Todd Hyman, who runs the District-based labels Carpark and Paw Tracks and hosted CMJ showcases for both, in an e-mail. “Though this year there seemed to be a preponderance of unsigned blog bands. Seems folks were complaining about that.”

Read More “At CMJ, No Fast Track to Fame, but Plenty of IRLing” »

Friday

• The Fabulous Thunderbirds, Lil Ronnie & the Grand Dukes. Birchmere. $25.
• Orquesta Ashe, Ocho de Bastos. Black Cat. $12/$15. All ages.
• Van Morrison. DAR Constitution Hall. $95-$350.
• Keith Secola & His Wild Band of Indians. Kennedy Center Millennium Stage. Free.
• O.A.R., Matt Nathanson. Merriweather Post Pavilion. $30–$38.
• The Start, Normandie, The Perfects, Skydivers. The Red & The Black. $10. +21.
• The Tennis System, Paperhaus, Loose Lips, No Dice. Rock and Roll Hotel. $10. All ages.
• Sunsets with a Soundtrack: The U.S. Army Concert Band. West Steps U.S. Capitol. Free.
• FFFever, Exactly, Smarts, Raccoon Fighter. Velvet Lounge. $8. +21.
• Wolf Trap Opera Company: “La Boheme.” Filene Center at Wolf Trap. $10–$60.

Read More “Weekend Music Round-Up” »

Friday

• The Dance Party, Ra Ra Rasputin, Tigercity, Casper Bangs. 9:30 club. $15. All ages.
• Deja Blue, Clarence “Bluesman” Turner. Bangkok Blues. Call for price.
• Handsome Furs, Dri, The Cinnamon Band. Black Cat. $12. All ages.
• Lynne Fiddmont. Blues Alley. $25.
• Atheist, The Faceless, Psyopus, The Agonist, Gnostic, Condemn the Infected, A Bloodbath in Boston. Jaxx. $20/$23.
• Alex Brown Quartet (Fri. & Sat. show). Twins Jazz. $15.
• Sunsets with a Soundtrack: The U.S. Army Concert Band. West Steps U.S. Capitol. Free.
• Video Games Live! Filene Center at Wolf Trap. $20–$48.
• Samantha Crain & the Midnight Shivers. Kennedy Center Millennium Stage. Free.
• Chopteeth, DJ Thick. Rock and Roll Hotel. $15. All ages.
• Chance Gardner, Molehill, Gist. The Red & The Black. $8. +21.

Read More “Weekend Music Round-Up” »

Saturday

• Dead Rock West. 8 X 10. $14–$17.
• The Bakerton Group, The Wino Band, King Giant, Earthride. 9:30 Club. $15. All ages.
• Sängerfest. The National Building Museum. $25.
• The Ruins, Farmdoubt. Bangkok Blues. $7.
• Bonnie Prince Billy, Ned Oldham. Birchmere. SOLD OUT!
• Juan Maclean, The Field. Black Cat. $13. All ages.
• Tommy Cecil (Bass). Blues Alley. $25.
• Hank Williams, Jr. Calvert Marine Museum. $45-$55.
• Buster Brown and The Get Down. Cowboy Café. Call for price.
• Ra Ra Rasputin, The Spiritual Machine, Loxsly. DC9. $8. +18.
• Pre Summer 70’s Bash: Music by Mr. Marcus Young Featuring Blaze’, Won Beast, Lady Alize on the 1 & 2. Gee’s Night Club & Bar. $20.
• Bliss FM, DJ Maf, RA the MC, Lyriciss, Nando McFlyy. Jammin’ Java. $10.
• Jukebox the Ghost, Jenny Owen Youngs, The Winter Sounds. Rock and Roll Hotel. $14. All ages.
• The Bangles. The State Theatre. $30.
• 2009 West Virginia Wine & Arts Festival: Rolling Coyotes, Arnold Smith, the Grape Stompers, Sam Felker, the Giants of Tiny Town, Treehouse. The Martinsburg Arts Center. $15.
• Nihlitia, Domino Team, Qualms, DJs Stereofaith & Neil. Velvet Lounge. $8. +21.
• Food Will Win the War, Frau Eva, Freelance Whales. The Red & The Black. $6. +21.

Sunday

• The National (Sun.-Mon.). 9:30 club. SOLD OUT!
• Blues Jam with the Idle Americans. Bangkok Blues.
• Elliott Yamin. Birchmere. $29.50. All ages.
• John Eaton (Piano). Blues Alley. $25.
• King Soul, Colonel Josh’s Honkey Tonk. IOTA Club & Cafe. $15. +21.
• The San Francisco Conservatory of Music. Kennedy Center Terrace Theater. Free.
• 2009 West Virginia Wine & Arts Festival: Todd Coyle Band, Cam Miller Trio, Lisa Lafferty. The Martinsburg Arts Center. $15.
• Dirty Dozen Brass Band. The State Theatre. $13.
• Meeting of Important People, Lohio, March To The Arctic, Stripmall Ballads. The Red & The Black. $6. +21.
• Danny Greenwald, Caleb Stine. Velvet Lounge. $7. +18.
• NSO: Memorial Day Concert. U.S. Capitol Building. Free.

St. Vincent photo by Annabel Mehran, via MySpace.

Friday

• Justin Jones & the Driving Rain, The Jackfields, Mother. Rock and Roll Hotel. $10. All ages.
• Thao with The Get Down Stay Down, Sister Suvi, David Schultz & the Skyline. Black Cat. $13. All ages.
• Lily Allen, Natalie Portman’s Shaved Head. 9:30 club. SOLD OUT! All ages.
• Andy Zipf, Damion Suomi, Tiny Animals, The Empties. The Red & The Black. $8. +21.
• Troll Tax, Meow vs. Meow, Polite Sleeper, Jurojin. Velvet Lounge. $8. +21.
• Orange Blossom. Lisner Auditorium. $15-$35. All ages.
• Tokyo String Quartet w/ Lynn Harrell, cello. Strathmore. $25-$75. All ages.
• Barrage. The Barns at Wolf Trap. $27. All ages.
• DJ Thomas Blondet, guest DJ Kostas. 18th Street Lounge. +21.
• FunkDC presents DJ Moose. Cafe Saint Ex. +21.
• NSO Prelude. Kennedy Center Millennium Stage. FREE. All ages.

Read More “Weekend Music Round-Up” »

Saturday

• Deleted Scenes, The Drones, Pretty & Nice (mainstage); 100th BLISS Dance Party w/ DJ Will Eastman (backstage). Black Cat. $12/$7. All ages.
• WVAU presents Capitol Punishment VI w/ Ponytail, Screaming Females, Mittenfields. American University Kay Spiritual Life Center. FREE. All ages.
• Honor By August CD Release w/ The Alternate Routes, The Ruse, Melodime. 9:30 club. $15. All ages.
• Asobi Seksu, Tyvjk, Detox Retox. Rock and Roll Hotel. $12. All ages.
• TK Webb & the Visions, Appomatox, Gods & Queens. DC9. $8. +18.
• The Jaguar Club, Loose Lips, Paperhaus, Mary Bragg. The Red & The Black. $8. +21.
• Garotas Suecas, DJ Neville Chamberlain. Comet Ping Pong. FREE. All ages.
• Middle Distance Runner, Eulogies, Payola Reserve. IOTA Club & Cafe. $12. +21.
• Chanticleer. Strathmore. $28-$68. All ages.
• John Eaton. The Barns at Wolf Trap. $25. All ages.
• Christian Tamburr Quartet. Kennedy Center Millennium Stage. Free. All ages.

Read More “Weekend Music Round-Up” »

Friday

• The Blue Line, Jo Henley Band, Stella Schindler. The Red & The Black. $8. +21.
• No Second Troy, Olivia Mancini & the Terrible Two, Meredith Bragg. Black Cat. $10. All ages.
• Drive-By Truckers, Bloodkin. 9:30 club (Friday & Saturday). $25. All ages.
• EARLY SHOW: Ludo, Sing It Loud, This Providence, The Morning Light. $12. LATE SHOW: P.O.S., Doomtree, SIMS, Hand Over Fist, Plain Ole Bill. $14. Rock and Roll Hotel. All ages.
• Screen Vinyl Image, The Payola Reserve, SikSik Nation, Nerd Parade. Velvet Lounge. $8. +21.
• DJ Will Eastman. Cafe Saint Ex. Free. +21.
• Donvonte McCoy Quartet, DJ Thomas Blondet. 18th Street Lounge. Free. +21.
• The Young Lions. Bohemian Caverns (Friday & Saturday). $20. All ages.
• The Ahn Trio. Strathmore. $18-$45. All ages.

Read More “Weekend Music Round-Up” »