* Hi, I’m Bryce Taylor Rudow (of The Worthwhiler). PV is out this week and made the grave mistake of letting me take over this week’s edition of Hometown Sounds. The fool.
In the News
Hey, look, it’s Mary Timony on Amoeba's What's In My Bag?
The Department of Justice is suing to break up Live Nation (the parent of Ticketmaster), alleging the nation’s biggest ticket seller has driven up prices by monopolizing concert promotion and retaliated against concert promoters and venues that challenged its dominance.
Overwhelmed by all the non-parade Pride events taking place over the next week? Serena Zets and Sarah Marloff of CityPaper have got you with their “Beyond the Parade: A 2024 Pride Guide to D.C.”
Mark your calendar. Woodbridge, Virginia native Shaboozey’s much-anticipated “Where I've Been, Isn't Where I'm Going” drops May 31st.
DC Music Video
With all due respect to the A/V evangelists out there, I’m bending the rules on this one and throwing in a static-image YouTube embed…
I have had the pleasure of knowing Color Palette’s Jay Nemeyer for going on fifteen years. Over that decade and a half, I’ve witnessed him meticulously hone his craft, dabble in a galaxy of different genres, and become a vital part of the D.C. music scene along the way.
And last week, when Color Palette and Jarreau Williams released their bouncy, catchy, begging-to-be-TikToked summer jam, “Missing,” I immediately texted him, “You could blow up with this one.”
Then I badgered him to expound upon how this collab came together. So here you go, a Hometown Sounds exclusive:
”Jarreau and I met at a Crossover TV live session series in 2022 - a guy by the name of Avik Ray records folks playing through covers together; we did ‘Heat Waves’ by Glass Animals. It was a pretty long shoot, so we had a lot of time to chat/get to know each other.
‘Missing’ was written by the two of us, Kyle Downes (super talented producer/engineer/the other half of Sunday Coffee, the production duo I'm a part of), and Mike Toohey (artist name is Irish Basement - dope new wave-ish band). The original idea was for me to sing lead exclusively on the song, but it was ultimately decided to bring another vocalist in to make it a collaboration - and thank god we made that decision lol. Jarreau has been a staple of the DC music scene for a long time, and he killed it on this track.
The 4 of us are thrilled with how the track came out. It's fun, summery, and probably the poppiest thing I've ever released.”
Don’t Stay Home This Week
Tuesday May 28th
Two of the three prodigious teens who compose Birthday Girl sprung from the loins of D.C. music royalty. Mabel Canty's father is Brendan Canty (Rites of Spring, Fugazi), and Isabella MacKaye's dad is Alec MacKaye (The Faith, Ignition). Cries of nepotism need not apply, though; their breed of rock stands on its own two amps. Hear for yourself when they join Mannequin Fight in opening up for Honey Stomach Monday at Rhizome.
Honorable mention: Saxophone virtuoso Marshall Keys is playing Blues Alley.
Wednesday May 29th
Put on by the Mayor’s Office on Asian & Pacific Islander Affairs, the Asian American, Native Hawaiian & Pacific Islander Heritage Celebration taking place at Lincoln Theater Tuesday night will see a number of renowned AANHPI artists who are probably never again going be in the same place at the same time.
Thursday May 30th
BREAKING NEWS: Sorry, SoFar Sounds, but you’ve got a mole. Flo Petite is the one playing their May 30th show at wherever they tell you to go three hours before the show. I put Flo Petite’s “Kelsey’s Car” on my Best of D.C. list for 2023 and have seen the song performed live. Well worth your while.
Honorable mention: Jeff Goldblum & The Mildred Snitzer Orchestra at Lincoln Theater. (I know he has no DMV connection, but everyone should know this is happening).
Friday May 31st
Our beloved Jazz in the Garden concert series kicks off this Friday, heralding a season of sangria, second dates, and unplayed notes. If you are lucky enough to get tickets, remember to bring Claritin; the pollen count has been crazy high this year.
Saturday June 1
There might be no better place to honor the Godfather of Go-Go than the art deco basilica that is the Carlyle Room. Head here Saturday night to see Chuck Brown Band, and you will feel infinitely cooler the second you walk into the main room.
Sunday June 2
I don’t know if I’ve ever typed these words before, but you should head out to Tyson’s on Sunday afternoon. The defensible reason: the 2024 DMV Summer Kickoff Music Festival, which is a smorgasbord of R&B, jazz, funk, go-go, and generally good vibes.
You Rock
Thank you to Paul for thinking it was a good idea to let me do this. More importantly, thank you, newsletter readers, for supporting Hometown Sounds, for going to local shows, for buying merch. Should you feel so inclined, feel free to hit me up on Twitter (@brycetrudow) or IG (@myquitecuratedlife).
— Bryce