The Hush Sound, Hockey, and River City Extension are coming to the U Street Music Hall next Friday, May 17th, and ShowlistDC is giving away a pair of tickets! The Hush Sound hasn’t released a full-length album in 5 years, so all you have to do to enter is leave a comment on this post telling me another band that’s left you waiting for new music for years! I’ll pick a winner at random (using random.org) next Tuesday, May 14th, at midnight Eastern. Be sure to use a valid email address when you enter, so I can contact you if you win (and don’t worry: your email address won’t be posted publicly when you comment on this entry and won’t be added to any sort of mailing list). If you’re a hotmail user, please add showlistdc@gmail.com to your address book or no-spam list, as other hotmail users have had problems with emails from us not getting through. Also note that we ask winners to respond within 24 hours, or else we have to pick another winner, so make sure to check your email regularly!
The Hush Sound is an alternative pop-rock band that formed in Illinois and released its first album, So Sudden, in 2005. They released two others, Like Vines (2006) and Goodbye Blues (2008), before going on hiatus for four years. For most bands, a hiatus longer than the band was around in the first place would mean that the band was actually breaking up, but the Hush Sound’s tunes were too catchy even for the band to ignore. They came back together to release two new songs this year on an EP called Forty Five, which can be downloaded (for a “name-your-own-price”) via the band’s web site. The lead single from their last album, “Honey”, is instantly catchy and got a lot of television air play, so you’ve probably heard it even if you think you’re not familiar with the Hush Sound– check it out via the video below.
It seems fitting to see a band named Hockey during the NHL playoffs (and note: this is an early show– doors at 5:30– so whatever happens with the Caps, you can catch the end of whatever NHL/NBA playoff game[s] you fancy, after the show is done). Hockey is an indie-rock band from Portland, Oregon, whose 2nd full-length album, Wyeth Is, came out this week. The opening band is River City Extension, a New Jersey indie-folk band whose Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on Your Anger came out last year. There are videos for both Hockey and River City Extension below for you to check out.
Hey, if you’re new to ShowlistDC and wondering what this site is all about, check out our extensive calendar of upcoming events in the greater DC area (including Northern VA and Baltimore) and our concert recommendations. You can also follow us on twitter @showlistdc or like us on Facebook! While you’re checking all that out, check out the videos below and let us know which band you’re most excited about seeing!
If you come across this post after the contest has closed, or if you’re not the lucky winner, then you can pick up tickets for $18 plus fees via ticketfly.com. Good luck and enjoy the music!
The contest has ended and the winner has been contacted!
Bob Dylan, Wilco, and My Morning Jacket are coming to Merriweather Post Pavilion on Tuesday, 23 July, and ShowlistDC is giving away a pair of lawn seats– before they go on sale to the public! All you have to do to enter is leave a comment on this post telling me which of these three great bands you’re most excited to see, and I’ll pick the winners at random (using random.org) on Thursday, 2 May at midnight Eastern. Be sure to use a valid email address when you enter, so I can contact you if you win (and don’t worry: your email address won’t be posted publicly when you comment on this entry and won’t be added to any sort of mailing list). If you’re a hotmail user, please add showlistdc@gmail.com to your address book or no-spam list, as other hotmail users have had problems with emails from us not getting through. Also note that we ask winners to respond within 24 hours, or else we have to pick another winner, so make sure to check your email regularly! Tickets go on sale on Friday, 3 May at 10 AM, so we’ll be sure to let the winner know before then!
These bands almost need no introduction at all. Bob Dylan (who will be performing with a band at this show) released his first album, Bob Dylan in 1962, and he’s been steadily releasing albums all the way up to last year’s Tempest (that’s his 35th studio album, for those keeping track at home). Chicago’s Wilco formed from the ashes of alt-country band Uncle Tupelo in 1994; its most famous album is probably 2002′s Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, which Wilco streamed for months on its web site before releasing it officially on Nonesuch (the album was rejected by Wilco’s previous label, Reprise Records, who then dropped the band but gave it the rights to the album). Their most recent album is 2011′s The Whole Love, and we’ve included a video from their song “Born Alone” from that album below. My Morning Jacket is a psychedelic rock band that formed in Louisville, Kentucky, in 1998 and has been steadily releasing albums ever since; its most recent is 2011′s Circuital. It looks like you can stream all of MMJ’s albums on their web site; just click on the album’s cover and then hit “Play” next to any song.
Hey, if you’re new to ShowlistDC and wondering what this site is all about, check out our extensive calendar of upcoming events in the greater DC area (including Northern VA and Baltimore) and our concert recommendations. You can also follow us on twitter @showlistdc or like us on Facebook! While you’re checking all that out, check out the videos below and let us know which band you’re most excited about seeing!
If you come across this post after the contest has closed, or if you’re not the lucky winner, then you can pick up tickets for $45.50 to $215 via ticketfly.com after 10 AM on Friday, 3 May. Good luck and enjoy the music!
The contest has ended and the winner has been notified!
The Futurebirds are coming to the 9:30 Club on Thursday, 23 May, and ShowlistDC is giving away a pair of tickets! All you have to do to enter is leave a comment on this post telling me why you want to go to this concert, and I’ll pick the winners at random (using random.org) on Friday, 19 April at 3 PM Eastern. Be sure to use a valid email address when you enter, so I can contact you if you win (and don’t worry: your email address won’t be posted publicly when you comment on this entry and won’t be added to any sort of mailing list). If you’re a hotmail user, please add showlistdc@gmail.com to your address book or no-spam list, as other hotmail users have had problems with emails from us not getting through. Also note that we ask winners to respond within 24 hours, or else we have to pick another winner, so make sure to check your email regularly!
The Futurebirds are an indie-rock/Americana band that hails from Athens, Georgia; this 6-piece band is known for its harmonies and high-energy live show. If you like bands like My Morning Jacket, then you will definitely dig this band. They’re still young– the group formed in 2008, and its second album, Baba Yaga, is due out this week. The bar is set high, since its previous album Hampton’s Lullaby was lovely. If you haven’t heard the band before, check out the video for their new song “Virginia Slims”, which is at the bottom of this post….as is their cover of Chris Isaak’s “Wicked Game”. You can also hear more of their music via their bandcamp page. While you’re taking a listen, tell us why you’re most excited for this show: are you a fan of their first album? have you seen them live before? do you just like to check out new bands? Tell us why you want to go see the band on 5/23 at the 9:30 Club!
Hey, if you’re new to ShowlistDC and wondering what this site is all about, check out our extensive calendar of upcoming events in the greater DC area (including Northern VA and Baltimore) and our concert recommendations. You can also follow us on twitter @showlistdc or like us on Facebook!
If you come across this post after the contest has closed, or if you’re not the lucky winner, then you can pick up tickets for $20, plus service fees, via ticketfly.com.
The giveaway has now closed and the winner has been contacted!
We love DC’s rich local music scene, and we’re particularly excited about local stoner rock/metal band Borracho‘s 7-inch release party for “Mob Gathering“, which is happening at the Velvet Lounge on U Street on Thursday, 28 March 2013. Luckily for all of you, ShowlistDC is giving away two pairs of tickets AND two copies of this new 7″– that’s right, there will be TWO winners for this giveaway, and each of them will be able to check out this show (with a guest) and take home a piece of Borracho vinyl for free. What a great deal!
All you have to do to enter is leave a comment on this post telling me what you’d be doing on this Thursday night if you don’t go out to the show– we know it’s March Madness, and there are probably some so-called “must-see” TV shows that you’ll probably DVR anyway, but let’s hear what you’d be up to if you don’t go check out this show! I’ll pick the TWO winners at random (using random.org) on Wednesday, 20 March at midnight Eastern. Be sure to use a valid email address when you enter, so I can contact you if you win (and don’t worry: your email address won’t be posted publicly when you comment on this entry and won’t be added to any sort of mailing list). If you’re a hotmail user, please add showlistdc@gmail.com to your address book or no-spam list, as other hotmail users have had problems with emails from us not getting through. Also note that we ask winners to respond within 24 hours, or else we will pick another winner, so make sure to check your email regularly!
Borracho has been around since 2007, and they have that stoner metal/Southern rock sound that’s in the same vein as bands like Clutch, Down, and Fu Manchu. They released their first album, Splitting Sky in 2011, and it’s full of killer riffs, catchy hooks, and urgent vocals (I reviewed the album for the Washington Post; you can read my review here). Borracho has been working on recordings for their next album, but in the meantime, they dusted off two early recordings from 2009 and polished them off for this 7″. They don’t sound at all like demos, though– they’re as good as the rest of the band’s material, and you can take a listen via the player below!
As if that weren’t enough, this show features two other great stoner metal bands, Austria’s Been Obscene (this is their FIRST time in the US!) and Pittsburgh’s stoner/doom band SuperVoid. If you’re at all into stoner rock/metal, this show is not to be missed! So let me know what you’re usually up to on a Thursday night if you’re not out catching some live music, and I’ll pick TWO winners, each of whom will get a pair of tickets for the show AND a copy of Borracho’s shiny new 7″.
Hey, if you’re new to ShowlistDC and wondering what this site is all about, check out our extensive calendar of upcoming events in the greater DC area (including Northern VA and Baltimore) and our concert recommendations. You can also follow us on twitter @showlistdc or like us on Facebook!
If you come across this post after the contest has closed, or if you’re not the lucky winner, then you can pick up tickets for $8 at the Velvet Lounge on the day of the show, and Borracho will have copies of their 7″ (plus other merch, of course!) for sale at the show.
The Postal Service is coming to Merriweather Post Pavilion on Tuesday, 18 June, and ShowlistDC is giving away a pair of lawn seats– before they go on sale to the public! All you have to do to enter is leave a comment on this post telling me if you got the chance to see the Postal Service the first time around, and I’ll pick the winners at random (using random.org) on Thursday, 7 March at midnight Eastern. Be sure to use a valid email address when you enter, so I can contact you if you win (and don’t worry: your email address won’t be posted publicly when you comment on this entry and won’t be added to any sort of mailing list). If you’re a hotmail user, please add showlistdc@gmail.com to your address book or no-spam list, as other hotmail users have had problems with emails from us not getting through. Also note that we ask winners to respond within 24 hours, or else we have to pick another winner, so make sure to check your email regularly! Tickets go on sale on Friday, 8 March at 10 AM, so we’ll be sure to let the winner know before then!
The Postal Service is a collaboration between vocalist Ben Gibbard of Death Cab for Cutie and producer Jimmy Tamborello of Dntel and Headset. They will be joined on this show by Rilo Kiley’s Jenny Lewis on background vocals and keyboards. They released only one album, 2003′s Give Up, which is getting a deluxe 10th anniversary reissue with rarities and new songs. This is their first tour since 2003 (and even back in 2003, they didn’t play all that many shows!), so this is a rare treat to see this group perform! If you think you know the Postal Service but just aren’t sure, then check out the video to their single “Such Great Heights” below, because that’ll surely jog your memory — or think back to the soundtrack of the 2004 film Garden State. The Postal Service was everywhere for a while, and some people even blame the group for influencing the band Owl City (remember “Fireflies“?).
Hey, if you’re new to ShowlistDC and wondering what this site is all about, check out our extensive calendar of upcoming events in the greater DC area (including Northern VA and Baltimore) and our concert recommendations. You can also follow us on twitter @showlistdc or like us on Facebook! While you’re checking all that out, think back to 2003 and let us know if you got to see the Postal Service live– stories are always welcome!
If you come across this post after the contest has closed, or if you’re not the lucky winner, then you can pick up tickets for $30-40, plus service fees, via ticketfly.com after 10 AM on Friday, 8 March.
The contest is closed and the winner has been notified!
The xx and Grizzly Bear are coming to Merriweather Post Pavilion on Sunday, 16 June, and ShowlistDC is giving away a pair of lawn seats– before they go on sale to the public! All you have to do to enter is leave a comment on this post telling me which song (by either of those two bands) you most want to hear at the concert, and I’ll pick the winners at random (using random.org) on Thursday, 14 February at midnight Eastern. Be sure to use a valid email address when you enter, so I can contact you if you win (and don’t worry: your email address won’t be posted publicly when you comment on this entry and won’t be added to any sort of mailing list). If you’re a hotmail user, please add showlistdc@gmail.com to your address book or no-spam list, as other hotmail users have had problems with emails from us not getting through. Also note that we ask winners to respond within 24 hours, or else we have to pick another winner, so make sure to check your email regularly! Tickets go on sale on Friday, 15 February at 10 AM, so we’ll be sure to let the winner know before then!
The xx is an English indie-pop band that formed in 2005 but didn’t release its first album until 2009 (the self-titled xx). They followed that up last year with the excellent Coexist, and over the past few years, they’ve played at a bunch of festivals (and their music has been on a ton of TV shows), so it’ll be awesome to have them headline a big space like MPP! If you’ve already heard a lot of the xx’s music, you might be interested in Jamie xx (aka Jamie Smith)’s remix of the group’s song “Sunset”, which we’ve linked to below.
Brooklyn indie-rock band Grizzly Bear formed over a decade ago and has released a number of great albums; 2006′s Yellow House is what first put them on the map, thanks in no small part to a Best New Music note from Pitchfork, but its two subsequent albums– 2009′s Veckatimest and 2012′s Shields– each received that “Best New Music” nod as well. They’ve got a new video out for their song “Gun-Shy” which we’ve linked to below, so have a listen!
Hey, if you’re new to ShowlistDC and wondering what this site is all about, check out our extensive calendar of upcoming events in the greater DC area (including Northern VA and Baltimore) and our concert recommendations. You can also follow us on twitter @showlistdc or like us on Facebook! While you’re checking all that out, listen to the two songs below and let us know which song from these bands’ catalogues you’d most like to hear live!
If you come across this post after the contest has closed, or if you’re not the lucky winner, then you can pick up tickets for $30-40, plus service fees, via ticketfly.com after 10 AM on Friday, 15 February.
The contest hsa closed and the winner has been notified!
The Joy Formidable is coming to the 9:30 Club on Sunday, 21 April, and ShowlistDC is giving away a pair of tickets! All you have to do to enter is leave a comment on this post telling me why you want to go to this concert, and I’ll pick the winners at random (using random.org) on Tuesday, 12 February at 5 PM Eastern. Be sure to use a valid email address when you enter, so I can contact you if you win (and don’t worry: your email address won’t be posted publicly when you comment on this entry and won’t be added to any sort of mailing list). If you’re a hotmail user, please add showlistdc@gmail.com to your address book or no-spam list, as other hotmail users have had problems with emails from us not getting through. Also note that we ask winners to respond within 24 hours, or else we have to pick another winner, so make sure to check your email regularly!
There’s a lot to like about The Joy Formidable: big hooks, catchy songs, a charismatic frontwoman, and a fun live show; the Welsh band formed in 2007 and just released its second album Wolf’s Law. The album’s been getting some great reviews– an A- from the AV club, a 7.2 from Pitchfork, and 3.5 stars from Rolling Stone. It’s full of hooky guitar anthems that could fill booming spaces (it’s probably not that surprising that they opened for the Foo Fighters at the Verizon Center in 2011), so the 9:30 Club should be a great venue to see them at! They most recently played locally at St. Stephen’s Church last November, and you can see a review of that show and some photos of the band here.
If all the press buzz isn’t enough to convince you, then have a listen for yourself: they’ve got a video out for their new song “This Ladder is Ours” which we’ve linked below, and they’ve also got the audio for all of Wolf’s Law streaming on their youtube page. And if that’s not reason enough to go to the show, then check out the two opening bands, Brighton alt-rock duo Blood Red Shoes and Massachusetts band You Won’t, and tell us why you’re most excited for this show: is it the new songs? an old favorite from TJF’s first album The Big Roar? Did you miss out on tickets to their last show before it sold out? Tell us why you want to go see the band on 4/21 at the 9:30 Club!
Hey, if you’re new to ShowlistDC and wondering what this site is all about, check out our extensive calendar of upcoming events in the greater DC area (including Northern VA and Baltimore) and our concert recommendations. You can also follow us on twitter @showlistdc or like us on Facebook!
If you come across this post after the contest has closed, or if you’re not the lucky winner, then you can pick up tickets for $25, plus service fees, via ticketfly.com.
The contest hsa closed and the winner has been notified!
Sunday 20 January
• Catharsis at the Warehouse: Preview by Leor Galil [Washington CityPaper].
• the Soft Moon at the Black Cat: CD review of Zeros by Mark Jenkins [Washington Post].
Monday 21 January
• Iris DeMent at the Birchmere: Preview/interview by Geoffrey Himes [Washington Post].
Tuesday 22 January
• the Menzingers at the 9:30 Club: Preview by Matt Siblo [Washington CityPaper].
• Folger Consort and Cathedra at the Washington National Cathedral, 1/11/13: Reviewed by Patrick Rucker [Washington Post].
• the Gin Blossoms at the Barns of Wolf Trap, 1/16/13: Reviewed by Alan Duckworth [the Rogers Revue].
• Morrissey and Kristeen Young at Strathmore, 1/16/13: Reviewed by David Hintz [DC Rock Live] and photos by Erica Bruce [Washington CityPaper].
• David Murray Big Band with Macy Gray at the Howard Theatre, 1/10/13: Reviewed by David Hintz [DC Rock Live].
• Niki and the Dove with Vacationer at the Rock & Roll Hotel, 1/11/12: Reviewed by David Hintz [DC Rock Live].
• Paint Branch at Red Onion Records, 1/12/13: Photos by Erica Bruce [Washington CityPaper].
• Quicksilver at Dumbarton Oaks, 1/13/13: Reviewed by Charles T. Downey [Washington Post].
• Robert Egger’s Tribute Show at the Hamilton, 1/7/13: Reviewed by Stephanie Williams [DC Music Download].
• Sóley at the 9:30 Club, 11/25/12: Video by All Our Noise.
• Ugly Purple Sweater, Kingsley Flood, and Kindlewood at the Black Cat, 1/12/13: Reviewed by David Hintz [DC Rock Live] and by Kevin Hill [Chunky Glasses].
Saturday 12 January
• the Highballers at IOTA: album Soft Music and Hard Liquor reviewed by Catherine P Lewis (that’s me!) [Washington Post].
• Honor By August at the Howard Theatre: album Monuments to Progress reviewed by Mark Jenkins [Washington Post].
• Ugly Purple Sweater at the Black Cat: Two interviews with Sam McCormally – by Caroline Jones [Washington CityPaper] and by Gregory Ayers [DCMusicDownload.com].
• Ricky Skaggs at the Birchmere: interview by Nancy Dunham [Washington Examiner].
• Gerald Albright at Blues Alley: interview by Marie Gullard [Washington Examiner].
• BSO and Baltimore Choral Arts Society present “Alexander Nevsky” at Strathmore: interview by Marie Gullard [Washington Examiner].
Sunday 13 January
• DC Jazz Loft featuring Tedd Baker, J.S. Williams, and Joseph Howell: Preview [CapitalBop].
• Hooray For Earth at the black Cat: interview by Stephen M Deusner [Washington Post Express].
• Gerald Albright at Blues Alley: interview by Marie Gullard [Washington Examiner].
Last night, I decided that the only way to cope with the Redskins loss was to head up to Baltimore for a doom metal show. I had never been to Club K before, but it’s a tiny room attached to the back of a Korean restaurant, about halfway between the Ottobar and the Wind-Up Space. It was a totally trippy space, decked out in black lights(!), with paintings of zebras(!!) and diamonds on the wall– honestly, it felt more like a space for a rave than for a metal/hardcore show. There were four bands performing: Baltimore atmospheric black metal band Barbelith, Philly hardcore band Congenital Death, Maine doom band Swaath, and Baltimore doom band Ophidian. Swaath were awesome and well worth the trip up, even though they only played for about 25 minutes. Actually, all of the bands played short sets– the first band started around 9, and all four bands were done before midnight; fairly impressively quick, since each band had to load all of their equipment from the outside since there was no backstage area. Anyway, it was a fun show and I’ll definitely be keeping an eye on Club K’s schedule coming up; it looks like they’re posting shows on their facebook page as well.
