Hey Hey Friends
Welcome back, DC music people. If podcasts are your thing, last week we welcomed producer Jay Nemeyer of the incredible synthpop band Color Palette onto ours last week, and the convo turned out really well. Here’s Jay’s Spotify playlist of the songs he picked out for us.
In the News
Here’s one we missed from a few weeks ago: District Fray [subscription required] chose three media outlets to follow, and their podcast pick was ours! High five DF!
Also at District Fray, their monthly Locally Speaking column featured jazz saxophonist and Mid-Atlantic Jazz Festival founder Paul Carr.
Right after Petworth Porchfest managed to squeeze their outdoor festival between raindrops this past weekend, Washingtonian highlights the next Porchfest coming up in Adams Morgan on Saturday May 20th.
DC Music Video
The creativity of Brock Boss and his dance-pop band Incredible Change knows no bounds. Their new music video “Adventure Party” is instantly accessible and familiar, yet also a completely fresh take on the music video form. Add the song to your current Spotify playlists.
Don’t Stay Home This Week
Monday May 1st
Musical partners Janel Leppin and Anthony Pirog share the same bill with different collaborators Monday night at Rhizome. Cellist Janel plays with pedal steel guitarist Susan Alcorn as Sister Mirror, while Anthony, perhaps the finest electric guitar player in DC, plays with Heart of the Ghost saxophonist Jarrett Gilgore.
Tuesday May 2nd
Deliciously talented vocal jazz group Veronneau begin a (mostly) weekly residency at Blues Alley this Tuesday night, celebrating the release of their new album Live at Blues Alley. It’s all terribly meta.
Wednesday May 3rd
Mars Arts DC, the partnership of the Washington Performing Arts Society and the candy bar company, continues their free concert series at Songbyrd this Wednesday evening with The Inner Temples, a new electronics music ensemble led by veteran DJ Adrian Loving. Free but you probably need to RSVP.
Thursday May 4th
This year’s annual Queering Sound Festival runs throughtout the Takoma and Takoma Park neighborhoods in early to mid June, but this Thursday evening Rhizome hosts a fundraiser for and preview of the upcoming arts and music showcase of LGBTQIA+ artists & allies. The lineup includes electro-acoustic sound sculptors BLK TAG, Victorian music hall dreampop daddies Boy Meets Pearl, spoken word artist Natalie E. Illum, chamber-synthpop duo Novparolo, and more TBA.
Friday May 5th
Transgender respect and rights are under attack throughout America, but you readers and music fans can help by joining in and supporting the exciting and inclusive queer music scene here in DC. Friday night Songbyrd hosts a benefit show for the National Center for Transgender Equality called We Are Fest, featuring DC music from supergroup Ecstatic International, Ammonite, Emotional World, and Richmond’s Black Plastic.
BONUS PICK: The jazz/funk/hip-hop fusion band The Lucky So & So’s celebrate the release of their new single Car 54 at Bossa Friday night at 7:30 PM. To find out a lot more about this, stay tuned to our podcast feed!
Saturday May 6th
Of course Maureen Andary of The Sweater Set wanted to celebrate her 40th birthday party by singing gorgeous harmonies with her bandmate Sara Curtin for a lucky audience. The duo help christen a new space called from the School of Musical Traditions called Takoma Spark Saturday night complete with birthday cupcakes.
Sunday May 7th
Crust-punk band Chill Parents throw their new full length album Context Collapse out into the world Sunday evening at The Runaway. Come prepared, the four band bill also includes the debut performance by electro-industrial Arlington band Digital Native, Meth Rats from Baltimore, and NY band Substitute.
That’s It For Now
Thanks as always for reading, subscribing and sharing. We’ll be back in your inboxes next week with a lot more music to share. Don’t forget to look in on your friends, maybe they’d love to go to that cool show with you and grab drinks after. Stay safe, back with you again soon.
-Paul (still not an AI)