Live Music
Archive

The definitive record of live music in Washington, D.C. and beyond for the 2010’s

Carolina Correa Caro 7/25/19 Carolina Correa Caro 7/25/19

Nick Murphy (fka Chet Faker) @ 9:30 Club [DC] - 7/10/2019

Nick Murphy has continued to evolve his sound not only on Run Fast Sleep Naked, but in the live adaptations of Chet Faker classics like “Talk is Cheap” and “1998.”

Joel Richard 7/19/19 Joel Richard 7/19/19

Yeasayer @ 9:30 Club [DC] - 7/12/2019

Do lines like “ICE to ISIS, migrant crisis/ Gleeful cruelty at the top/ Endless shootings, venal or stupid/ Con men on the nuclear clock” ruin a dance party? Apparently not.

Mauricio Castro 7/8/19 Mauricio Castro 7/8/19

Holy Ghost! @ U Street Music Hall [DC] - 6/29/2019

When Holy Ghost! comes around, you better believe they’re keeping the disco ball lit up all night.

Mauricio Castro 6/27/19 Mauricio Castro 6/27/19

Kishi Bashi @ The Old Church [PDX] - 6/13/2019

Hot off the release of the breathtaking Omoiyari, Kishi Bashi and company delivered an equally breathtaking performance at an intimate 300-capacity church in Portland.

Mauricio Castro 6/26/19 Mauricio Castro 6/26/19

Empire of the Sun @ The Showbox [Seattle] - 6/18/2019

Empire of the Sun brought all the costumes, set props, and backup dancers you know and love for three-night, completely sold-out stop at The Showbox in Seattle, all in celebration of the 10th anniversary of their debut album Walking on a Dream.

Mauricio Castro 6/19/19 Mauricio Castro 6/19/19

The North Country @ Dwell [DC] - 6/7/2019

Through thick and thin, The North Country prevails. This fact bore out time and time again, with this particular again being the addition of Margot MacDonald to their shifting lineup. A favorite in the DC music scene and member of the (unfortunately) now defunct The El Mansouris, MacDonald’s solo music displays not just the power of her voice, but her mastery of vocal loops and effects. She is, to put it mildly, multifaceted.

In fact, the entire ensemble that leader Andrew Grossman has assembled can lay claim to such musical diversity, with most members juggling multiple musical projects (Bal Boheme, Near Northeast, California Accent, and Lotion Princess, just to name a few) outside of their residency in The North Country. They are, with no hyperbole, DC's premier indie-pop supergroup.

Mauricio Castro 6/12/19 Mauricio Castro 6/12/19

Wild Moccasins @ DC9 [DC] - 6/5/2019

Houston synth-pop trio Wild Moccasins are destined to wow you. The group, recently off a trip to SXSW, recently released their first record in four years, Look Together. The album was made in the aftermath of a breakup between singer Zahira Gutierrez and guitarist Cody Swann. Instead of breaking up the band, they crafted a powerful aural attack that demands your attention, easily seen in songs like “Boyish Wave,” one of the highlights of the night.

Avery Junius 6/11/19 Avery Junius 6/11/19

Jamila Woods @ Union Stage [DC] - 6/4/2019

"Oh, I'm different, I'm a cup of mild sauce" isn't just Jamila Woods's opening line on LEGACY! LEGACY! or how she began her sold-out show at Union Stage Tuesday night, but it's indicative of what she has to offer through her music and stage presence. LEGACY! LEGACY! , her latest album is unapologetically black, an embodies black excellence by plucking inspiration from African-American greats as seen in her track listing.

Michael Zwirn 6/10/19 Michael Zwirn 6/10/19

Marian McLaughlin Ensemble / Near Northeast @ Dupont Underground [DC] - 6/6/2019

Marian is a Baltimore-based folk songwriter who leans to enunciating precise details of botanical and zoological fables over fingerpicked classical guitar. At the Dupont Underground she was able to bring her full ensemble of bandmates and collaborators to create the nuance and richness of her latest ecological record Lake Accotink.

Carolina Correa Caro 6/6/19 Carolina Correa Caro 6/6/19

Fantastic Negrito @ Union Stage [DC] - 6/3/2019

Grammy Award and Tiny Desk NPR winner Fantastic Negrito (Xavier Amin Dphrepaulezz) performed in Union Stage touring behind 2018's Please Do Not Be Dead, delivering an energetic and passionate set that exposed his life through songs. Leaning heavily on the sounds of modern blues, Negrito's stories both entertain and inspire people from all walks of life. Songs like "A Cold November Street," "An Honest Man," and the very personal "Dark Windows" all performed at his set in D.C. illustrate why he is one of the most moving-soul artists of the moment.

Carolina Correa Caro 6/6/19 Carolina Correa Caro 6/6/19

Mini Mansions @ DC9 [DC] - 5/31/2019

Michael Shuman (Queens bassist), Tyler Parkford, and Zach Dawes make it clear that when they are not playing on larger stages, they’re still making arena sized rock ‘n’ roll.

Joel Richard 6/6/19 Joel Richard 6/6/19

Local Natives @ 9:30 Club [DC] - 6/3/19

Hot off the release of their latest album Violet Street, Local Natives played two nights at 9:30 Club with songs spanning their decade-long career.

Mauricio Castro 6/4/19 Mauricio Castro 6/4/19

Superorganism @ 9:30 Club [DC] - 5/21/2019

Welcome to the weird and wonderful world of Superorganism. There are more than enough glittery cloaks, rainbows, memes, and catchy tunes to go around.

Carolina Correa Caro 6/3/19 Carolina Correa Caro 6/3/19

Passion Pit @ The Anthem - 5/22/2019

Passion Pit recently celebrated the end of their 10th-anniversary tour of the album Manners at The Anthem in Washington, D.C., treating fans to songs from the album and then some.

Alex Schelldorf 5/30/19 Alex Schelldorf 5/30/19

Florence and the Machine / Blood Orange @ Huntington Bank Pavilion [CHI] - 5/23/2019

On the opening night of Northerly Island’s annual concert series at the Huntington Bank Pavilion outdoor amphitheater, Florence and the Machine brought the High as Hope tour to a city finally broken from a merciless winter.

Mauricio Castro 5/30/19 Mauricio Castro 5/30/19

PUP @ Black Cat [DC] - 5/17/2019

Fans crowdsurfed, moshed, and blew out their vocal cords as the ground shook from all the jumping and perspiration dripped from the Black Cat’s ceiling.

Joel Richard 5/29/19 Joel Richard 5/29/19

Jim James @ 9:30 Club [DC] - 5/17/19

MMJ is known for prolific touring, and their fans are known for their dedicated attendance. As they waited for James to take the stage, several members of the crowd shared stories of the six, 12, or 20 times they had seen a solo performance or MMJ show before.

Joel Richard 5/29/19 Joel Richard 5/29/19

Mattiel @ Songbyrd Music House [DC] - 5/13/19

With a new record Satis Factory due out June 14 on ATO Records—just before she heads out for a European tour—it’s worth catching Mattiel on what is clearly an upward swing that she, and her audiences, will not regret.

Lindsay Hogan 5/28/19 Lindsay Hogan 5/28/19

IDLES @ Black Cat [DC] - 5/11/2019

At last week’s back to back sold out gigs at Rock and Roll Hotel, IDLES aimed their ideological guns at the growing threat of nationalism and anti-immigrant attitudes in their home country of Britain as well as the US. In addition to this hyper-relevant protest, they also confronted a more subtle and arguably more complex blight on society; masculinity.

Mauricio Castro 5/19/19 Mauricio Castro 5/19/19

Combo Chimbita @ DC9 - 5/5/2019

DC wasn't ready for the eye of the hurricane that is Carolina Oliveros and Combo Chimbita.