In the News
This is the fourth week in a row we’ve had to start things off on a sad node. RIP to Blake Harrison, heavy metal musician of the bands Hatebeak, Zealot R.I.P., and formerly of Pig Destroyer. Metal Chris of DC Heavy Metal announced a hiatus as a result of Harrison’s passing.
Courtesy of Impluse! Records, the eponymous album by jazz/rock hybrid The Messthetics and James Brandon Lewis is now out in the world. Chris Kelly got a few choice quotes from the quartet for WaPo. They also did a Reddit AMA for /r/punk last week. Their Black Cat show on Friday March 29th with Bed Maker and Mission of Burma’s Roger Clark Miller is still on sale!
Seemingly allergic to downtime, the Messthetics drummer Brendan Canty also joined a new supergroup called The Foreign Correspondents, covering songs by obscure 70s power-pop musician Michel Pagliaro. For the true DC music nerds, this band also features Ted Leo (Chisel), Michael Hampton (Faith), and Sohrab Habibion (Edsel). Stereogum has the details and the two 7” songs.
Arya Hodjat at Washingtonian introduces readers to Matthew and Tijan Brown, the Kensington couple who decided to break a Guinness world record for attending 135 concerts in the year 2023. They spent more than $18,000 attending national touring acts at big venues. To this we say: Challenge accepted.
Shows Incoming
The annual Washington Women In Jazz Festival resumes festivities for a full weekend of showcases and workshops at the National League of American Pen Women the weekend of March 30th-31st.
The United Musicians and Allied Workers celebrates the introduction of the Living Wage for Musicians Act, led by Reps. Rashida Tlaib and Jamaal Bowman, to Congress with a Black Cat showcase on Thursday April 19th featuring DC singer Dior Ashley Brown, guitar virtuoso Yasmin Williams, and Baltimore’s impossible to google @.
DC jazz hub CapitalBop presents hip-hop emcee/procuder KOKAYI at Songbyrd on Sunday April 28th, along with Baltimore’s Konjur Collective.
On Friday May 3rd Songbyrd hosts a single release from manaically catchy indie pop band Bad Moves, with delicious opening band Pretty Bitter.
Red-hot “mascara moshpit” post-punk band Ekko Astral headlines the Black Cat on Friday April 5th, with DC’s Bacchae and Pure Adult from Brooklyn. Here’s Ekko Astral’s music video for “baethoven”, the first single from their upcoming album on Top Shelf Records.
Don’t Stay Home This Week
Monday March 18th
Blues Alley thoughtfully program shows to coincide with the seasonal celebrations of heritage and history. On Monday night their “Women’s Jazz Series” for Women’s History Month features the vocal and percussive sounds of The Peace and Body Roll Duo BOOMscat.
Honorable mention:
Bleary Eyed (Philly, ex-DC) & Same Heads at Songbyrd
Wednesday March 20th
Wednesday night’s lineup at Jammin’ Java in Vienna features three solid DC modern/alt rock bands: A Shrewdness of Apes, Careless Flight, and Panda God.
Honorable mention:
Triac (Baltimore), Delirant Nerve, Entrail Asphyxiation & Tripwire at Rhizome
Thursday March 21st
Farfisa organ-riffing wild punk band Des Demonas show off newly written songs for the first time in front of an audience Thursday night at The Runaway, along with NYC punk band Shop Talk. Bring cash money.
Look at this long list of honorable mentions:
Nkula & Jade Tremba at Wonderland’s Bluebeat ska/reggae night
The Invisibles with The Rally Caps and Bottom/Top at Songbyrd
The Mantis performing a live score to Suspira at Evening Star
Supreme Commander, The Mighty Trouble Threat, Jenny Hates Techno & DJ Retrospect Lantern at DC9
Fundraiser Show for the Palestine Red Crescent Society & Connecting Humanity with Pickaxe, PsyOp, Gasket (Baltimore), Doubt (Baltimore) at Black Cat
Late Bloomer (Charlotte), Joy Viver & Milo in the Doldrums at Quarry House
Friday March 22nd
This one is a bit heavy. On Friday night Rhizome hosts Requiem for Aaron Bushnell: A Benefit Concert for the Palestinian Children's Relief Fund. Featuring an adaptation of selections from Faure’s Requiem, the Arafat-commissioned Palestinian anthem transcribed by Michael Malis, and other works, performanced by Mark Cisneros (Hammered Hulls, Des Demonas) and the folk/classical violin & piano duo Anna Matijasic Hennessy and Mary-Victoria Voutsas. Space is limited, so if you'd like to support the cause without coming to the show, please select the "Support Without Attending" option, or donate directly to PCRF.
Honorable mentions:
Sheila, Midamerican Elevator (Chicago) & Rachel Levitin at The Pocket
Mantagonist, Normal State (Golden Beach MD) & Pagoda Peak at Slash Run
Saturday March 23rd
Synthy lyric-forward psych rock band Jackie and the Treehorns team up with the all-women rock band Ammonite for a Saturday Night show at the far-out art gallery Galactic Panther in Old Town Alexandria.
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-PV