ShowlistDC Music Notes: Friday 04-20-12



Notes from Last Night


Last night was a concert double-header for me. I started out at the Hamilton in Penn Quarter– it was my first time there, and that place is seriously cool. The obvious comparison is that it’s most similar to the Birchmere, because both venues are seated with tables and you can order food. The Hamilton is wider, though, and the stage is curved so the tables all come out like rays instead of being perpendicular or parallel to it. There’s an entire restaurant attached to the venue, but the venue is downstairs, so there’s no interference between the two. I was also surprised that the menu was different in the venue than it was in the restaurant– you can see the venue menu here and the restaurant menu here. There’s some overlap between the two, but I was disappointed that the venue menu didn’t have the falafel sandwich that the restaurant menu had, as I generally tend to keep vegan when I can, and there didn’t seem to be any vegan options at the venue. I had the wild mushroom pizza instead, which was also quite good. (Note that the venue charges for refills of things like lemonade!). The sound was good and the stage was really pro– there was quite the lighting display during the bands. Opening the show was Baltimore’s Cris Jacobs Band, who mentioned that they’d just finished recording a new CD, so that should be out “in a few weeks”(!), they said. The headliners were Sister Sparrow & the Dirty Birds, a 9-piece funk/soul band from Brooklyn that features siblings Arleigh Kincheloe (voice) and Jackson Kincheloe (harmonica) alongside a 4-piece horn section. They were a lot of fun– you could tell that the crowd really wanted to dance, but there wasn’t a lot of space for that.

Then, since that show got out early (10:30), I hopped in my car and headed out to Fat Tuesday’s in Fairfax where there was a metal show going on. There was a ton of traffic because the Caps game got out at the same time– plus the inevitable construction on 66– but I got there in time to see stoner metal band Caltrop who were great live. Bizarre to see them playing in that New Orleans themed dive bar, but with the Corpse Fortress gone now, there are fewer DIY spaces for metal bands like that to play. You can download a free song on their Facebook page if you’d like to hear what they sound like.



Weekend/Week-Ahead Planner


Planning Guides
• Washington CityPaper’s Jazz Setlist.
• Washingtonian’s Music Picks.

Tonght – Friday 20 April
• Interview: Chris Porter talks to GZA [Express]. Tonight at the Howard Theatre.
• Preview: Ally Schweitzer on Tim Sweeney [Washington CityPaper]. Performing at the U St Music Hall.
• CD Review: Trampled By Turtles: Stars and Satellites – Reviewed by Christopher Kompanek [Washington Post]. At the 9:30 Club.

Saturday 21 April
• It’s Record Store Day! The Washington CityPaper has an overview of what DC-area stores are doing to celebrate the day.
• Preview: All Our Noise on Sun Wolf, who’s performign at Montserrat House.
• CD Review: Screen Vinyl Image: Strange Behavior – Reviewed by Catherine P Lewis [Washington Post]. At St. Stephen’s.

Sunday 22 April
• Preview: Sriram Gopal on True Blues [DCist]. At the Howard Theatre.
• Preview: Jonathan L Fischer on Zarjaz [Washington CityPaper]. At CD Cellar [2607 Wilson Blvd, Arlington].
• CD Review: the Lumineers: the Lumineers – Reviewed by Geoffrey Himes [Washington Post]. At Jammin’ Java.

Wednesday 25 April
• Preview: Christopher Porter talks about the Forward Festival [Washington CityPaper]. Check out the festival’s entire lineup here.
• CD Review: Lucero: Women & Work – Reviewed by Mark Jenkins [Washington Post]. At the 9:30 Club.

Thursday 26 April
• Preview/interview: Jess Righthand on Nellie McKay [Washington Post]. Performing at the Birchmere.
• CD Review: Allo Darlin’: Europe – Reviewed by Catherine P Lewis [Washington Post]. At the Black Cat.



Articles

• Happy Birthday: Jazz Samba turns 50 [Washington Post]. The album was recorded at All Souls Church on the corner of 16th and Harvard Streets NW.

• Listen: Teen Mom‘s Mean Tom EP [Washington CityPaper].

• Metallomusikum continues her countdown to Maryland DeathFest with profiles of Looking For an Answer and Haemorrhage.



Live Reviews


• Dave McKenna on Glen Campbell at the Birchmere [Washington Post].

• Charles T. Downey on the NSO‘s British-flavored program at the Kennedy Center [Washington Post].

• Stephen Bradley on Loma Prieta at DC9 [Washington Times]. The band was opening for Converge.



Contests


• The Vinyl District is giving away a pair of tickets to see Fiona Apple at the Warner Theatre on 6/26 (contest ends today at 9 AM)
• DCHeavyMetal.com is giving away a pair of tickets to Mayhem Festival at Jiffy Lube Live on 7/29. The winner plus four runners-up will get copies of Heavy Metal Picnic on DVD (contest ends today at 5 PM)
• The Vinyl District is giving away a copy of Hume‘s Inverse Fireworks 7″ to three winners. Winners must have a North American mailing address (contest ends today)
• DC101 is giving away a pair of tickets to Nickelback at the Verizon Center on 4/30 (contest ends Monday 4/23).
• The Vinyl District is giving away a copy of the Naked and Famous‘s Passive Me, Aggressive You on vinyl. Winner must have a North American mailing address (contest ends Monday 4/23).
NEW The Vinyl District is giving away a copy of Ben Kweller‘s Go Fly a Kite on vinyl. Winner must have a North American mailing address (contest ends Wednesday 4/25).
NEW The Vinyl District is giving away a copy of the Domino Records Zine and Flexidisc set, Smuggler’s Way. Winner must have a North American mailing address (contest ends Thursday 4/26).
• DC101 is giving away a pair of tickets to the sold-out Radiohead show at the Verizon Center on 6/3 (contest ends Sunday 5/27).
• DC101 is giving away a pair of tickets to Dave Matthews Band at Jiffy Lube Live on 6/16 (contest ends Sunday 6/3).
NEW DC101 is giving away a pair of tickets to see 311 and Slightly Stoopid at Jiffy Lube Live on 7/28 (contest ends Sunday 7/22).
NEW DC101 is giving away a pair of tickets to see OAR at Merriweather Post Pavilion on 8/10 (contest ends Sunday 7/29).

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ShowlistDC Music Notes: Friday 04-13-12



Weekend/Week-Ahead Planner


General planning guides
• Washingtonian’s Music Picks.
• Washington CityPaper’s Jazz Setlist.
• TBD wonders if you recognize any of these bands, who contain musicians you’ve probably seen before.
• We Love DC loves weekends.
• The Rogers Revue on this weekend’s performances at the Barns at Wolf Trap.

Tonight (Friday 13 April)
• Lots of press on Endangered Blood performs at the Atlas: Interview with Trevor Dunn by Luke Stewart [Capital Bop]. Preview by Michael J West [Washington CityPaper].
• Preview/interview: Siriam Gopal talks to Anoushka Shankar [DCist]. Performing at Lisner Auditorium.
• Preview/interview: Stephen M Deusner talks to Richard Edwards of Margot & the Nuclear So and So’s [Express]. Performing at the Rock & Roll Hotel.
• Preview/interview: Emily Cary on violinst Rachel Barton Pine [Washington Examiner]. Performing tonight at the Barns of Wolf Trap.
• CD Review: Catherine Russell: Strictly Romancin’ – Reviewed by Mike Joyce [Washington Post]. Performing at Kennedy Center’s KC Jazz Club.

Saturday 14 April
• CD Review: Silo Halo: Night and the City – Reviewed by Mark Jenkins [Washington Post]. The Washington CityPaper reviews the track “Which Wire Do I Choose?“. Performing at Comet Ping Pong.
• CD Review: Lost in the Trees: A Church That Fits Our Needs – Reviewed by Catherine P Lewis (yup, that’s me!) [Washington Post]. There’s also a preview by Amanda Erickson [Express]. Performing at the Black Cat.
• Preview/interview: Marie Gullard on the BSO‘s Evening of Russian Orchestral Showpieces [Washington Examiner]. Performing at Strathmore.

Sunday 15 April
• Preview/interview: David Malitz talks to Lambchop [Washington Post]. At IOTA.
• Preview/interview: Nancy Dunham talks to the All-American Rejects [Washington Examiner]. At the 9:30 Club.

Wednesday 18 April
• Preview: Ally Schweitzer on Morton Subotnick [Washington CityPaper]. At the Clarice Smith Center at UMD.

Thursday 19 April
• CD Review: Sister Sparrow & the Dirty Birds: Pound of Dirt – Reviewed by Mike Joyce [Washington Post]. Performing at the Hamilton. Remember that we’re giving away tickets to this show too!
• CD Review: Hospitality: Hospitality – Reviewed by Moira E McLaughlin [Washington Post]. Performing at Black Cat with Eleanor Friedberger.



Articles


• DC’s used record stores are catching a break this week [Washington CityPaper]. While record stores with some used inventory, used book stores, and vintage and antique shops do have to obtain a secondhand business license—as opposed to the less restrictive general business license—they’ll have more than seven days to do it. And regulators at DCRA are taking a close look at the secondhand business license’s more onerous requirements.

• DC writer Marc Masters and NC writer Grayson Currin have written another edition of their column The Out Door [Pitchfork]. In this edition of our monthly experimental music column, “The Out Door,” we discuss the storied career of Swans and Rhys Chatham-collaborator Jonathan Kane of the band February, look at the inventive, underrated legacy of San Francisco band rRope and provide you with an alternative Record Store Day shopping list. But first we explore recent diverse experiments in spoken word.

• Listen: Novalima stopped by NPR’s DC office for a Tiny Desk Concert.

• Listen: Local music blog (and festival organizer) Sweet Tea Pumpkin Pie is celebrating its one-year anniversary…. by giving us songs from 20 of the bands that are performing at this year’s STPPFest. The fest will be October 5, 6, and 7.

• For Sale: King Giant guitarist Todd Ingram is selling the Flying V he played in the band’s “Appomatox” video. It’s got classic 57 pickups and an ebony fret board and was purchased specifically for the video. Check the link for how to contact TI if you’re interested in this piece of DC metal history.

• Metallomusikum continues her countdown to Maryland DeathFest with a profile of Bloody Phoenix.

• Trisha Yearwood will be following in Lisa Loeb’s footsteps with a cooking show on the Food Network [Washington Examiner]. “For me, cooking is very connected to my family and friends,” said Yearwood. “Every recipe on the show carries wonderful memories with my loved ones. … I really see this as a tribute to my mom [Gwen Yearwood] who passed away last year.”



Live Reviews


• Emily Yahr on Hot Chelle Rae at the 9:30 Club [Washington Post].

• David Malitz on Tanlines at DC9 [Washington Post].

• Joe Banno on soprano Anna Caterina Antonacci at the Kennedy Center’s Terrace Theater [Washington Post].

• Metal Chris on Onslaught and M-Pire of Evil at the U St Music Hall [DCHeavyMetal.com].

• Valerie Paschall on Nada Surf and An Horse at the 9:30 Club [DCist].

• David Turner on Yellow Ostrich at the Black Cat [All Things Go].

• Metallomusikum reminisces about last year’s Anthrax, Testament, and Death Angel show at the Fillmore.



Contests


• ShowlistDC is giving away two pair of tickets to Sister Sparrow & the Dirty Birds at the Hamilton on 4/19 (contest ends tonight at midnight).
• DC101 is giving away a pair of tickets to Creed at the Warner Theatre on 4/24 (contest ends Sunday 4/15).
NEW The Vinyl District is giving away a pair of tickets to see Mayer Hawthorne and the County at the 9:30 Club on 4/17 (contest ends Monday 4/16).
• The Vinyl District is giving away a copy of Neil Nathan‘s The Distance Calls on vinyl. Winner must have a North American mailing list (contest ends Tuesday 4/17).
• The Vinyl District is giving away a copy of Imperial Teen‘s Feel the Sound on vinyl. Winner must have a North American mailing address (contest ends Wednesday 4/18).
NEW The Vinyl District is giving away a signed copy of Lucero‘s Women & Work on vinyl. Winner must have a North American mailing address (contest ends Thursday 4/19).
• DC101 is giving away a pair of tickets to Nickelback at the Verizon Center on 4/30 (contest ends Monday 4/23).
• DC101 is giving away a pair of tickets to the sold-out Radiohead show at the Verizon Center on 6/3 (contest ends Sunday 5/27).
• DC101 is giving away a pair of tickets to Dave Matthews Band at Jiffy Lube Live on 6/16 (contest ends Sunday 6/3).

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Ticket Giveaway: Sister Sparrow & the Dirty Birds at the Hamilton on 19 April 2012

Sister Sparrow & the Dirty Birds are performing at the new Penn Quarter venue The Hamilton on Thursday, April 19th, and ShowlistDC is giving away not one but TWO pairs of tickets! All you have to do to enter is leave a comment on this post telling me your favorite kind of bird, and I’ll pick two winners at random (using random.org) on Friday, 13 April 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). If you just can’t wait until then (or if this contest is closed by the time you read this), tickets are available via eventfarm.com for $17.50 (with, apparently, no service fees!!!).

Sister Sparrow & the Dirty Birds is a nine-piece soul collective from Brooklyn that’s fronted by powerhouse singer Arleigh Kincheloe and her brother, harmonica-player Jackson Kincheloe. The band also features drummer Bram Kincheloe (Arleigh and Jackson’s cousin), guitarist Sasha Brown, bassist Aidan Carroll, baritone saxophonist Johnny Butler (who’s also recorded with Fugazi’s Joe Lally and with Beyonce), trombonist Ryan Snow (of the experimental band Pull), alto saxophonist JJ Byars, and trumpeter Phil Rodriguez (who has recorded with Hercules and Love Affair and Eleanor Friedberger).

If you couldn’t tell from that list of instruments, Sister Sparrow & the Dirty Birds is heavy on the horns– which gives their music a lot of energy. They just released their second album at the end of February, entitled Pound of Dirt, so we’re guessing the show will be heavy on their new material. You can check out the video for their song “Make It Rain” or a live performance of the album’s title song “Dirt“. It should be a great show, so bring your dancing shoes!

The contest has closed and the winners have been notified. Thanks to all who entered! If you still want to go to the show, tickets are available via eventfarm.com.