The definitive record of live music in Washington, D.C. and beyond for the 2010’s
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Son Lux @ Black Cat - 3/21/2018
Ryan Lott and company weren't going to let a bit of snow ruin the kick-off to their North American tour. Son Lux, comprised of Lott on keys/vocals, Rafiq Bhattia on guitars, and Ian Chang on drums, released their fourth album (and second as an official trio) Brighter Wounds in 2018. The album is an amalgamation of emotions and genres - fear, joy, and anguish all shine through their complicated, contemplative, and anthemic tracks. The snow caused other cancellations around town that night, but Son Lux insisted that the show would go on. Though opener Hanna Benn had to cancel, Son Lux alongside openers Sinkane provided a compelling night of music for those that stuck it out.
Soft Glas @ Songbyrd - 3/17/2018
While St. Patrick's Day revelers roamed about from bar to bar around Adams Morgan, Songbyrd alongside local music site Capitol Sound DC took concertgoers to beachier, more care-free locales, courtesy of multi-instrumentalist Soft Glas (AKA Joao Gonzalez). He recently completed a tour with Overcoats as their backing drummer, but his musical ability goes much further than that - his album Orange Earth is a textbook example of nostalgia as a mission statement. His upbringing isn't hard to discern in his music: he grew up in the South Florida suburb of Coral Springs and his father is a Grammy Award-winning Cuban jazz pianist. The album brims with sunny nostalgia and little flourishes of flutes and saxophone throughout. Gonzalez plays most of the instruments heard on the album, and his attention to detail in crafting a singular vision of dreamy, sunset-soaked music is a treat for the ears.
Joywave @ U Street Music Hall - 3/10/2018
Joywave's live show is growing up. Given the themes of their sophomore album Content, fans shouldn't be surprised. A feeling of dread permeates the slicker, darker production and lyricism of their album. But throughout their quick rise (thanks to the one-two punch of “Tongues” and the Big Data song “Dangerous”), they were known as live circuit jokesters who would make many a tongue-in-cheek statement wherever they played. See: their introduction of "Destruction" as the greatest song in the world - a song that they would play twice during the same set. But thankfully, Joywave hasn’t lost their sense of fun.
Diet Cig @ Rock and Roll Hotel - 2/28/2018
The phrase ‘pop-punk’ might leave a negative connotation in people’s heads, reminding them of Vans Warped Tour bands whose time has come and gone. But Diet Cig marries fast-and-furious pop-punk power chords with simple and relatable lyricism brimming with confidence and subject matter that Blink-182 wouldn’t want to touch, like wanting to eat ice cream on your birthday. The duo of singer/guitarist Alex Luciano and drummer Noah Bowman have sold out shows all over the country, including their stop at Rock and Roll Hotel. With this tour, though, the effervescent duo became a quartet by adding Spook School bassist AC Cory and keyboardist Karli Helm. But still, it was Luciano and Bowman that stole the show as they have time and again.
Tyler, the Creator @ The Anthem - 2/25/2018
In 2017, about five years post peak Odd Future mania, the collective’s frontman Tyler, the Creator released an album titled Flower Boy. At first glance, the title itself signals a complete departure from the content of his previous records titled Goblin, Wolf, and Cherry Bomb. Once notoriously known for the obnoxity surrounding his music and antics, Tyler has displayed significant character growth, no longer receiving bans from countries like the U.K. However, Tyler’s colorful personality is still apparent, and he was more than ready to let loose in support of his most polished and commercially successful album to date. The milestone rewarded him a sold-out Anthem venue of 6,000 people consisting of day-one die hard stans and new fans.
Starcrawler @ DC9 - 2/17/2018
It may come to people’s surprise that Nick Cave and Karen O are just normal people off the stage. But concert-goers get so wrapped up in their show personas that the show paints a picture in their heads. The collective perception of a band creates a mythology. At DC9, a new mythology began to build around LA-based quartet Starcrawler. Singer Arrow De Wilde and guitarist Henri Cash met in high school in 2015, adding drummer Austin Smith and bassist Tim Franco soon after. Their debut single “Ants” was picked up on Elton John’s “Rocket Hour” show on Apple’s Beats 1, and they’ve made a huge splash on and off the stage since then. They've spit fake blood into the crowd. They've been kicked out of a Teen Vogue party. They’ve almost gotten into a fight with a photographer in San Francisco. And they’ve been slowly racking up appearances in publications like Vice, Vulture, and, surprisingly, Teen Vogue. There’s no doubt about it: Starcrawler is earning their place among the larger-than-life musical personas of Nick Cave and Karen O.
Sleigh Bells @ 9:30 Club - 2/14/2018
If there’s any band that has perfected the aural attack, it’s Sleigh Bells. Starting with their 2010 album Treats, they treated listeners with a sound that the mainstream had not experienced to that point - a mash-up of guitars turned up way past the point of distortion, hip-hop beats, and cheerleader-like vocals from Alexis Krauss. The niche they carved starting with their 2010 debut album Treats is still one that they can lay claim to, including with their most recent release, the 2017 mini-album Kid Kruschev. While it’s easier to discern Krauss’s vocals with their more recent releases, the band hasn’t lost the rage that made their debut album so irresistible and unforgettable. They turned that energetic rage into a spectacle at their sold-out show at 9:30 Club.
Typhoon @ 9:30 Club - 1/31/2018
Telling a single story throughout the course of an entire album is not easy - however, the Portland-based band Typhoon has been receiving critical acclaim for doing just that on their latest album, Offerings. An album five years in the making, it was described by bandleader Kyle Morton as “a record from the perspective of a mind losing its memory at precisely the same time the world is willfully forgetting its history.” It’s not hard to see why the reviews are so positive - the storytelling is as captivating and heartbreaking as anything the band has released thus far while retaining the band's grandiose musical spirit. It’s an album that demands to be listened to in full.
Kimbra @ 9:30 Club - 1/30/2018
It’s probably safe to say that many of us first fell in love with Kimbra when she was featured on Gotye’s “Somebody That I Used to Know.” Call them kindred spirits - both of them embrace the weird side of pop music, the stuff that doesn’t make it to top 40 radio that often. It’s with that spirit that Kimbra continues to put out pop songs that draw from so many sources, her latest example being her upcoming third album Primal Heart. Featuring production from John Congleton, Nelly Furtado, and even Skrillex, the album takes the New Zealand native in different directions from the exuberant sounds of her previous two albums, this time prominently featuring R&B and mid-tempo pop.
Live Review: YACHT @ Rock and Roll Hotel - 1/19/2018
YACHT has always been one to poke fun at society in some way. In 2010, they published a book called The Secret Teachings of the Mystery Lights: A Handbook on Overcoming Humanity and Becoming Your Own God. With their previous album, I Thought the Future Would Be Cooler, they only allowed the video for “L.A. Plays Itself” to be viewed when Uber prices were surging in their hometown of Los Angeles. More controversially, they ‘announced’ a leaked sex tape that eventually turned out to just be a music video for “I Wanna Fuck You Til I’m Dead.” (To be clear, there was no human nudity - but a whole lot of strange, slimy alien skin was present.) Their latest EP Strawberry Moon again prods at society with their music (one questioning why we eat animals) and videos (satirizing lifestyle brands and those that love to Instagram their meals), but it’s the live experience where YACHT really shines.
Stranger-er Things (Uptown Renaissance, The Void House Band, Zack Be) @ Union Stage - 1/15/2018
One of the summer highlights in the DC area is the National Symphony Orchestra's live scoring of movies like Jurassic Park and Lord of the Rings. No matter what movie is playing behind them, the NSO is sure to faithfully recreate the music that made the movie so memorable. But for those with more adventurous tastes, College Park, MD-based label VoidLife Records has another take on live scoring. Three groups, all comprised of musicians from the DC area, were tasked with creating their own live score for three different cult favorites: Doctor Who, The Twilight Zone, and Twin Peaks. There were no faithful adaptations here: the results were as far out as the musicians' own output.
Action Bronson @ Fillmore Silver Spring - 12/22/2017
In 2011, Action Bronson suffered a broken leg in an accident involving a wet floor as a chef in a Queens restaurant. In the wake of the accident, Action began a rap career, releasing a steady stream of mixtapes such as Dr. Lecter, Rare Chandeliers, Blue Chips, and Blue Chips 2 which has earned him international success and respect amongst the hip-hop devout. His musical style leans heavily towards the 90's boom-bap era, but Action's lyrical content is unique, filled with unordinary references to food, sports, cars, women, and pop culture often making fun of himself in the process. Following the release of Action Bronson's major-label debut album Mr. Wonderful in 2015, his focused seemed to shift towards his television show F*ck, That's Delicious. In August 2017, Action Bronson released the much anticipated third entry in the Blue Chips series and his second major label album Blue Chips 7000.
Best Of 2017: Mauricio's List
In the world of DC live music, there was a lot to write about in 2017. I.M.P. made its broad presence even broader with the 6,000-capacity Anthem. Songbyrd solidified its niche in the up-and-coming R&B/hip-hop scene with clutch bookings like Xavier Omar, Jamila Woods, and Noname (and booked its first show at The Fillmore, with more co-bookings to come). Competition in the 200-500-capacity space increased with new venues like Union Stage, Pearl Street Warehouse, and The Miracle Theatre. Mount Pleasant DIY venue OTHERFEELS hosted its first DMV music showcase at 9:30 Club, with a second coming in late December. There really is no shortage of opportunities to catch live music in our nation's capital.
I covered 47 shows and one three-day festival for ChunkyGlasses this year, and it’s been a wild ride covering shows in venues big (Capital One Arena) and small (Dew Drop Inn). While most of there were a lot of great shows, the following ten best showcase why the live music experience is so essential. These artists convey emotion and energy in a way that can’t be contained within the confines of an album. With these shows, it was hard to walk away without the lingering feeling of ‘holy shit, they REALLY put their heart and soul into it tonight.’
So with that, here are my ten favorite shows of 2017. Click the headers to see more pics and a full recap of that show.
PS - And if you're still interested in knowing what my favorite songs from this year were, here's my Spotify playlist - Mauricio's Favorite Fifty of 'Seventeen!
Lil Uzi Vert @ The Anthem - 12/15/2017
For the past two years, Lil Uzi Vert has stood out as one of rap's brightest stars. The ascension from Soundcloud sensation to self-proclaimed "rock star" has been fast-tracked, powered by multiple mixtapes, two top ten Billboard singles ("XO TOUR Llif3" and "Bad and Boujee"), and a #1 debut album in Luv Is Rage 2 released in late August. The Philadelphia native took advantage of his momentum this year by kicking off his holiday tour A Very Uzi Christmas with 6,000 fans in attendance for the Anthem's first hip-hop concert.
Jungle @ 9:30 Club - 12/4/2017
Five years ago, Jungle were an unsigned duo that decided to release "Platoon" for free on SoundCloud. Soon after, they watched the hits climb and landed a record deal that would eventually make them one of the most ubiquitous festival bands of 2014 and 2015. Thanks in part to their hit single "Busy Earnin'," the band’s music became the soundtrack to countless commercials and video games worldwide. Not bad for only having one album under their belts. They've kept it pretty low-key since then, but they've made enough progress with their still-untitled sophomore album that they're ready to show the world what's next for Jungle's unique brand of laid-back funk and soul music.
NPR Music's 10th Anniversary Party @ 9:30 Club - 12/2/2017
Yes, NPR Music is only ten years old. Although All Songs Considered is going on 18 years strong, the coalition of NPR member stations from across the country was founded in 2007 to centralize the regional tastemakers that bring us shows like World Cafe or Jazz Night in America. It's hard to overstate its cultural influence on music in that short time, most notably with the Tiny Desk Concert video series, where up-and-comers like Diane Coffee and established arena acts like Adele come to perform. In the spirit of the brevity-focused music series, seven bands and musicians took to the stage to play three or four songs each. The event quickly sold out the day it went on sale. But the plot twist? NPR kept the lineup a secret until the moment they came on stage. Of course, when you're NPR Music, it's not hard to ask the public to place your trust in them.
Diane Coffee @ DC9 - 11/7/2017
When you need a showman, you call up Shaun Fleming. After cutting his teeth as the drummer of throwback-pop outfit Foxygen for a few years, Fleming went solo as Diane Coffee and stayed true to the flamboyant likes of Bowie, Jagger, and Foxygen frontman Sam France. Fleming's penchant for all things Bowie and Rolling Stones shows in his music - his latest two-song EP Peel (out now through Polyvinyl Records) showcases his nostalgic taste for a bygone musical era - namely, 60s pop. But according to Fleming, his next album will be taking some musical leaps and bounds that will expand the sound that he is known for. With his recent stop at DC9, he gave fans a taste of what’s next for the burgeoning solo project.
Susanne Sundfør @ The Hamilton - 11/6/2017
It's not often that a nationally chart-topping artist makes their way through to The Hamilton. At least, not Norwegian chart-toppers. Susanne Sundfør has been lauded in her home country with both critical and commercial praise - her last four albums have all reached #1 in the Norwegian album charts and she has won the Norwegian Grammy for Best Female Performance. Although she has provided vocals for the likes of Royksopp and M83 for the soundtrack to the Tom Cruise movie Oblivion, it was her 2015 album Ten Love Songs that helped her really make waves stateside. The visceral emotion in her voice was only made more potent by the dark synths that permeated every song. But if Ten Love Songs was a raw, cathartic dance party, her latest album Music for People in Trouble (out now through Bella Union) is a somber nightcap spent alone with your darkest thoughts at 4 AM. The intricate musical layers were stripped away, leaving acoustic guitars, pianos, and Sundfør's distinctive voice, creating one of the best artpop albums of 2017.
Beach Fossils @ 9:30 Club - 10/24/2017
Where did Beach Fossils disappear to? It has been four long years since the band hailing from Brooklyn, New York has released new material for the world to hear. This hiatus led Beach Fossils to create Somersault, their latest most sonically experimental record to date. Since Beach Fossils’ inception, the indie rock band has been no stranger to change, with Dustin Payseur being the sole member remaining from the original group. Along with lead singer and guitarist Dustin Payseur, Beach Fossils is currently a trio consisting of bassist Jack Doyle Smith and guitarist Tommy Davidson. For their first ever stop at the 9:30 Club, Beach Fossils made the most of their set time to perform a gratifying balance of older cuts from their discography and songs from their newest album.
Ibeyi @ 9:30 Club - 11/1/2017
Sibling groups like Tegan and Sara, Disclosure, and Destiny’s Child (two-thirds of them, at least) have made their mark on American musical pop culture, but none draw inspiration from international locales like Ibeyi. The word “ibeyi” literally means “twin” in Yoruba, a Nigerian language that was brought across the Atlantic in the 1700s due to the Spanish slave trade. The sibling duo of Lisa-Kaindé Diaz and Naomi Diaz keep their heritage alive by singing in four different languages - English, French, Spanish, and Yoruba. They grew up in a very musical household - their mother, Maya Dagnino, is a singer and their father, Anga Díaz, was a Cuban percussionist and member of the Buena Vista Social Club. To say that they had great expectations placed on them is an understatement, but XL Recordings saw their potential and released their self-titled debut album when they were just 20. Their latest album Ash continues to bridge the gap between French influences, Afro-Cuban rhythms, R&B, and soul in a way that not many are attempting today.