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

Kevin Hill 9/24/19 Kevin Hill 9/24/19

Twin Peaks @ Turner Hall [MKE] - 9/19/19

For their new album Lookout Low, Chicago DIY heroes enlisted a producer - Ethan Johns (Kings Of Leon, White Denim, Ryan Adams) no less, for the first time in the career. The results are a shaggy, but not ragged, take on the garage rock this five-piece has spent the past nine years perfecting, that owes as much to 70's-era Rolling Stones as it does to Them or 13th Floor Elevators. If these songs are a more polished version of Twin Peaks than we've heard before, there's an undeniable energy crackling just under the surface of them. At Turner Hall in Milwaukee last week, that energy burst from the stage like lightning from a bottle onto a crowd who were there to give it right back in equal measure.

Mauricio Castro 9/24/19 Mauricio Castro 9/24/19

Bloc Party @ The Anthem [DC] - 9/16/2019

Bloc Party’s Silent Alarm and 2000s British indie rock - name a more iconic duo. It’s iconic enough, at least, to pack The Anthem in 2019 in celebration of their debut album.

Mauricio Castro 9/23/19 Mauricio Castro 9/23/19

Fontaines D.C. @ U Street Music Hall [DC]- 9/11/2019

The explosive Dublin group, guided by the quiet rage of singer Grian Chatten, left fans more than satisfied with their high energy 40-minute set.

Joel Richard 9/19/19 Joel Richard 9/19/19

Shakey Graves / Dr. Dog @ The Anthem [DC] - 9/13/2019

Co-headliners Shakey Graves and Dr. Dog took to the Anthem’s stage to meet in the middle of their respective styles, which stretch from floor-stomping Americana to psychedelic indie rock.

Carolina Correa Caro 9/19/19 Carolina Correa Caro 9/19/19

Two Door Cinema Club @ 9:30 Club [DC] - 9/10/2019

The Irish indie rock mainstays kicked off their North American tour with a two-night stop at 9:30 Club in DC.

Mauricio Castro 9/12/19 Mauricio Castro 9/12/19

Hot Chip @ 9:30 Club [DC]- 9/7/2019

As the saying may or may not go, “The nerds shall inherit the dance floor.”

Carolina Correa Caro 9/12/19 Carolina Correa Caro 9/12/19

Benny Sings @ Union Stage [DC] - 9/7/2019

Tim van Berkestijn, also known as Benny Sings, hails from the Netherlands and makes some of the funkiest, laid back music on either side of the Atlantic.

Carolina Correa Caro 9/11/19 Carolina Correa Caro 9/11/19

Natalia Lafourcade @ Warner Theatre [DC] - 9/5/2019

One of Mexico’s biggest musical artists and Grammy award-winner Natalia Lafourcade recently stopped by the Warner Theatre in DC.

Kyle Gustafson 9/11/19 Kyle Gustafson 9/11/19

Jenny Lewis @ The Anthem [DC] - 9/5/2019

Lewis worked hard at (and succeeded) making sure the show at the cavernous venue, full of Vegas-styled pomp, stayed as intimate as possible.

Mauricio Castro 9/10/19 Mauricio Castro 9/10/19

Jim James and the National Symphony Orchestra @ The Kennedy Center [DC]- 9/4/2019

The captivating frontman of My Morning Jacket teamed up with Abrams and the National Symphony Orchestra to play a few selections from the upcoming album, alongside a few other original pieces.

Kyle Gustafson 9/4/19 Kyle Gustafson 9/4/19

King Gizzard and the Wizard Lizard @ 9:30 Club [DC] - 8/31/2019

One YouTube commenter described it thusly - “This is just 8 minutes of some due yelling Rattlesnake. And it fucking slaps!” Indeed.

Mauricio Castro 9/3/19 Mauricio Castro 9/3/19

Vampire Weekend @ Merriweather Post Pavilion [DC]- 8/29/2019

It's largely The Ezra Koenig Show at this point, but Vampire Weekend’s live show now includes an impressive seven-piece band bringing old and new favorites to life.

Mauricio Castro 9/3/19 Mauricio Castro 9/3/19

Balún @ Songbyrd Music House [DC]- 8/19/2019

Seven people on stage can be a recipe for chaos, but Balún have a method to the madness. The band, originally from Puerto Rico and now based in New York City, melds dream pop, IDM, and the Latin sounds of dembow (a musical rhythm very popular in reggaeton music) to create an exciting addition to the Latinx musical canon, a sound they call "dreambow."

Kyle Gustafson 8/29/19 Kyle Gustafson 8/29/19

Beck / Cage the Elephant / Spoon @ Merriweather Post Pavilion [DC] - 8/24/2019

Who needs Woodstock when Merriweather's got the Night Running Tour, a festival-worthy lineup co-headlined by Beck and Cage the Elephant with a little help from Spoon and Sunflower Bean? Not too shabby.

Mauricio Castro 8/23/19 Mauricio Castro 8/23/19

Broke Royals / Mystery Friends @ DC9 - 8/16/2019

Last week, Broke Royals finished up their whirlwind tour (12 shows in 10 days!) supporting their new album Saint Luxury with a homecoming gig at DC9 along with their good friends Mystery Friends (who are obviously no mystery to them, or YOU DC).

Mauricio Castro 8/20/19 Mauricio Castro 8/20/19

Daughter of Swords @ Songbyrd [DC] - 8/14/2019

Hot off a tour with Appalachian vocal trio Mountain Man (including a stop at this years Newport Folk Festival), Alexandra Sauser-Monnig didn’t waste any time hitting the road again, but this time in support of debut album as Daughter of Swords.

Kevin Hill 8/14/19 Kevin Hill 8/14/19

Rosenau & Sanborn @ Colectivo Back Room [MKE] - 8/9/19

Last month the duo of Chris Rosenau (Collections Of Colonies Of Bees, Volcano Choir) and Nick Sanborn (Made Of Oak. Sylvan Esso) released Bluebird (listen to our review here), their improvised collaboration that is part studio wizardry and part magic. And on Friday night in Milwaukee they released the material into the wild in front of a live audience.

The date kicked off a short tour that stopped through Eaux Claires and Minneapolis for the first leg and will conclude in September with two stops: First at the tenth annual Hopscotch Music Festival and finally landing at the legendary Mothlight in Asheville, NC.

Check out the photos from their date in Milwaukee below, and don’t miss your chance to have this powerfully uplifting piece of music move the air around you. With any luck, we’ll be seeing more dates from them soon.

Kevin Hill 8/9/19 Kevin Hill 8/9/19

Bruce Hornsby & The Noisemakers @ Pabst Theater [MKE] - 8/7/19

By all accounts, Bruce Hornsby is having a hell of a year. But if you've been paying attention at all, that's been pretty much every year for the legendary pianist. In the 33 years since fame first found him on 1986's The Way It Is, Hornsby has been a pop star, jazz titan, Grateful Dead member, bluegrass provocateur and more. Suffice to say, this Virginia boy "done good."

Bringing all of that history to the stage is no small feat, but at his recent stop at the Pabst Theater in Milwaukee with his band The Noisemakers, Hornsby delivered a dream setlist that spanned from his latest LP Absolute Zero all the way back to his first album and back again with some Hornsby penned (but not recorded) hits thrown in for good measure.

Kevin Hill 8/6/19 Kevin Hill 8/6/19

A Giant Dog @ Cactus Club [MKE] - 8/3/19

Known for their raucous live sets Austin, TX’s A Giant Dog delivered the goods at Cactus Club in Milwaukee over the weekend. Fueled by massive T. Rex sized riffs and the ferocious (and ferociously joyful) thrashings of singer Sabrina Ellis, the group, touring behind 2017’s Toy (out now on Merge Records) made it clear why they are considered by many to be one of the greatest live acts of this generation.

Check out the shots below from this essential night of rock n’ roll at one of Milwaukee’s most essential venues.

Mauricio Castro 8/1/19 Mauricio Castro 8/1/19

Newport Folk Festival 2019 Recap - 7/26/2019-7/28/2019

Sixty years on, there continues to be no other festival that promises unity and unforgettable moments as well as Newport Folk Festival does.