In the News
ICYMI last week, beloved fingerstyle guitarist Yasmin Williams decided to email incoming Kennedy Center president Ric Grenell about her concerns with the political changes and climate at the arts center, and he directly responded in a back-and-forth that did not go well. The story went national, but we’ll link you to Lydia Wei’s writeup for Washingtonian.
Ekko Astral’s Jael Holzman spoke with Craig Jenkins at Vulture about the upcoming Liberation Weekend Festival at the Black Cat.
WTOP’s “Matt About Town” Matt Kaufax profiled Galen Summers, DC music’s own courtroom sketch artist.
For the 90s post-hardcore heads, short-lived trio Regulator Watts rose from the ashes of the band Hoover to record one full-length album The Aesthetics Of No-Drag in 1997, co-released by Dischord and adjacent label Slowdime. They broke up in 1998, but have recently reunited to expand their debut EP Mercury into a full length LP, now out on vinyl, and to record new music for release someday soon. Tom Breihan at Stereogum has more info for you.
WaPo pop music critic Chris Richards breaks down the membership [gift link!] and repertoire of veteran “newgrass” band The Seldom Scene on their new record Remains to Be Scene.
For CapitalBop, Rhome Anderson, DJ and producer in the Sol-Power All-Stars, interviewed “multi-discipline creative force” Kokayi about the roots of his collab with Bay Area trumpeter Ambrose Akinmusire on his the new album honey from a winter stone.
Don’t Stay Home
Tuesday April 15th
DC musicians, take note: protest music is really in these days. Trash Boat & The Ambush will show you how it’s done, Tuesday night at Comet Ping Pong, opening for Florida bands Confession Kids and Dirty Fingers.
Honorable mentions:
Huda Asfour / Emily Rach Beisel (Chicago) / Danny Kamins (Houston) at Rhizome
Blake Hornsby (NC), Raven Bauer Durham, & Collapsing at Galactic Panther
Wednesday April 16th
We know there’s a lot of complicated ideas and emotions about going to see live music at the Kennedy Center right now. But this Wednesday at 6 PM Carly Harvey is playing a free show at the Millennium Stage, and if an Afro-Indigenous woman singing blues fused with funk, rock and jazz decides to perform there, then we can do no less than fully support her (with advance ticket reservations).
Honorable mention:
Mars Arts DC presents DC Collective at Songbyrd (another free show!)
Thursday April 17th
DC9’s Thursday night bill provides some experimental rock with a solo set by Dumb Lucky, Jeremy Ray a.k.a. Color Rot, Sonic Eddy, and Airhead DC.
A whole lot of honorable mentions:
Laurent Estoppey & Daniel Levin (NYC) / Weathering (Baltimore) / Michael R. Bernstein at Rhizome
Flora & The Fauna (Richmond), Ammonite, and Rosslyn Station at Quarry House Tavern
Grand Scheme, Combust (NY), Echo Chamber (Germany), Fightback (Baltimore), Reason Why (DC, first show) at 618
Take 5: Jazz at the Smithsonian American Art Museum with Grant Langford
Friday April 18th
Eat pie and rawk out Friday night at The Pie Shop with Careless Flight, Chay Vicious, and Please Knock.
Honorable mention:
New Junk City (Atlanta), The Social Club (UK), Celebration Summer, and Curse Words at Galactic Panther
Saturday April 19th
When DC ambassadors of indie soul Oh He Dead return to town Saturday night, they headline the 9:30 Club, and the crowd goes wild!
Honorable mentions:
Sunday April 20th
The Black Cat’s Red Room might seem like a mellow spot to wind down the weekend on a Sunday night, but fuzzy indie shoegazers Same Heads, Pinky Lemon, and Sloot will probably be loud and wild AF.
Wow, even more honorable mentions:
REMATRIATION w/ Gloom Merchants (RVA) / Tristan Welch / Alex Harvelle (FXBG) / We'll get it next time (VA) / Programmed Cell Death (FXBG) at Rhizome
FANTAZMA, ZIPA, and The Armors at Galactic Panther (matinee!)
Your Weekly Playlists
BNDCMPR (recommended!)
Spotify (not recommended!)
YouTube Music (the other one!)
We would love to see you at a show sometime soon. What are you planning to hit up? Let us know in the comments, or on Bluesky where we just signed up. See you next week, friends.
-PV