In the News
The Cat Janice story keeps expanding! Marisa Iati at WaPo [gift link] gets you fully caught up on the beloved pop singer’s single “Dance You Outta My Head” and her time in hospice for cancer. Washingtonian also published a story by Arya Hodjat.
ICYMI, last week’s impending closure of Slash Run’s sister bar The Runaway has been called off! Sarah Marloff shares why for CityPaper.
Chris Kelly at WaPo interviewed “garage princess post-punk” band Ekko Astral in advance of their sold-out show at Songbyrd last week.
Last week fellow DC music Substacker C.P. Stazzone (wassup!) interviewed Abby and Dave from anthemic synthpop band Mystery Friends for his Concertgoer DC newsletter in advance of their sold-out show at The Atlantis last week.
The CityPaper revisits a feature from 1994 on Ron “Poozie” Miles and his doo-wop group The Rainbows after his recent passing at age 87.
Finally, jazz critic Michael J. West’s Swing Beat column for CityPaper focuses on hard-bop group The Michael Thomas Quintet, who just release their sixth album 25 celebrating a quarter-century of making music together.
DC Music Video
In 2022 DC’s instrumental math-rock masters The Messthetics teamed up with NY-based saxophonist James Brandon Lewis for a one-off single called “Fear Not”. Turns out that was just the start of an exciting collab, and now the quartet of Lewis, guitarist Anthony Pirog, and Fugazi alums Joe Lally and Brendan Canty are gearing up for the release of their new album The Messthetics And James Brandon Lewis March 15th on Impluse! Records. The first single is “Emergence”, and this music video directed by Canty shows the boys looking cool as jazz before abstracting into a visualization of the rock/jazz fusion.
For more details, pick your poison: Pitchfork, Stereogum, BrooklynVegan, etc. Their spring tour hits the Black Cat on Friday March 29th, and tickets are still available. See you there.
Don’t Stay Home This Week
Tuesday January 30th
DC’s Queen of the Blues Carly Harvey presents her annual tribute show to the legendary singer Amy Winehouse Tuesday night at Georgetown’s Blues Alley in two sets, 7 and 9 PM. Featuring guest star Taisha Estrada of Outerloop and Attic Sessions!
Thursday February 1st
Saxophonist Elijah Jamal Balbed’s Jazz Mob DC group plays an early set Thursday evening at Bossa in AdMo.
Friday February 2nd
Bassist Luke Stewart’s improv jazz trio Heart of the Ghost is on a short east coast tour, landing at Rhizome Friday night with guitarist/cellist duo Janel Leppin and Anthony Pirog, and composer/accordion player Simone Baron of Arco Belo.
Honorable mention: Cumbia Heights, Bottled Up, Soroche at Comet Ping Pong
Saturday February 3rd
Do the Ska night at Quarry House! Max out on crisp offbeats and peppy brass Saturday night in Silver Spring with DC bands The Captivators and Rude to your Mother.
Honorable mentions:
Go Dog Go, 7 Door Sedan, Apollo 66 at American Legion Post 41, Silver Spring
SqueazyE, DeSanguashington, Boy Meets Pearl at Galactic Panther
Sunday February 4th
Intergalactic pop star Shelley Star & her band The Galaxy celebrate the release of their debut album Sunday night at Jammin’ Java in Vienna, with Ari Voxx & The Sad Lads and Buko Buko.
That’s It For This Week
We’ll see you in your inboxes or Substack apps if you’re fancy like that next week! In the meantime, buy some music or share a human-curated playlist with your friends. Stay safe.
-PV