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.
• Most readers of this blog probably aren’t really into opera, but I still urge you to read Anne Midgette’s thoughtful column Peter and the Press [Washington Post], about how Peter Gelb, general manager of the Metropolitan Opera, deals with negative press: namely, bullying radio station WQXR to remove a blog post containing a negative review and pressuring Opera News to stop reviewing the Met. Fascinating food for thought about criticism in the modern era (when internet postings can just disappear on a whim) and censorship in general.
• Preserve this: Chris Richards on the 25 recordings being added to the Library of Congress’s National Recording Registry [Washington Post]. This year’s additions include Parliament’s 1975 album Mothership Connection, a collection of news reports from Edward R. Murrow, Leonard Bernstein’s debut performance with the New York Philharmonic, Donna Summer’s “I Feel Love”, and hip-hop Magna Carta “Rapper’s Delight” by Sugarhill Gang.
• Heading to Maryland DeathFest this weekend? Even if you’re not, NPR’s DeathFest Preview will give you plenty of new metal tunes to check out.
• Local listening: Hometown Sounds DC’s local video of the day is Lenorable‘s “Ligeia”.
• Local band news: Remember how we keep telling you that local power metal band Division is adding old members back into its lineup? Well, their recently reinstated vocalist Scott Stewart recently checked in on the band’s blog.
• The show was last night, but you still might be interested in reading an article/interview with Crystal Fighters [DCist].
• Interview/Preview: Gioanni Russonello talks to Michael Bowie [Capital Bop], whose Sine Qua Non performs at U Street’s Bohemian Caverns every Tuesday this month.
• Interview/Preview: Nancy Dunham talks to Chuck Prophet [Washington Examiner], who performs tonight at the Rams Head Tavern in Annapolis and Friday at IOTA.
To celebrate the first full year of show listings here on ShowlistDC.com, we’re giving away a pair of tickets to see the Drive-By Truckers and Booker T at the 9:30 Club on 31 December. All you have to do is leave a comment on this post telling me your favorite album released in 2011, and I’ll pick a winner at random on Thursday, 29 December at 6 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).
A little bit about the show: the Drive-By Truckers are a Southern rock band with a 15-year history (and an even longer pedigree: co-founder/songwriter Patterson Hood is the son of Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section bassist David Hood). They’re known for their excellent songwriting and booming three-guitar sound. They released their 9th studio album, Go-Go Boots, earlier this year, and they’re capping off a three-night stand at the 9:30 Club with this special New Years Eve show, where they’ll be performing with Booker T. Booker T is a longtime Memphis soul performer, whose band Booker T & the M.G.’s served as the Stax Records house band as well as scoring its own hits. Also performing will be the Alabama Shakes. This should be an awesome show with both old and new Southern bands– and there’s even a champagne toast at midnight.
If you’re still not convinced, here are some tunes you can listen to: the Drive-By Truckers’ “Working This Job“, the new Booker T song “Representing Memphis” (with Matt Berninger of The National and Sharon Jones), and the classic Booker T & the M.G.’s tune “Green Onions“. And there’s also this great article published last year in the Village Voice about the Truckers. But just trust us, this is going to be a fun night!
So leave a comment below telling me your favorite album released this year, and I’ll select a winner at random (via random.org) at 6 PM Eastern on Thursday, 29 December for this pair of tickets. I’ll contact you via email if you win, so be sure to use an email address you check regularly! (and again: it won’t be posted publicly when you comment below.)
And if you just can’t wait until then, note that tickets are available via ticketfly.com for $55 plus a $8.80 service fee and a $4 order processing fee, for a total of $67.80. Tickets can also be purchased at the 9:30 Club box office for a total of $56 (the club charges a $1 fee, even when purchasing with cash at the box office), any time the box office is open (12-7 PM M-F OR on show nights: 12-11 PM M-F, 6-11 PM Sat, and 6-10:30 PM Sunday).
Contest is now closed! Congratulations to our winner, Debbie!
