After a hazy, hot, humid and stormy week, the skies are set to clear up and the weekend forecast is gorgeous. Celebrate with a great Friday night out.
Baltimore has it going on tonight. Start out early with the continuation of the free Friday concert series at Walter’s Art Museum. Tonight they have one of their best shows yet. Local favorites Two if by Sea will be taking the stage and apparently there is a visual accompaniment.
Another Baltimore favorite is playing tonight, when The Payola Reserve take the stage at Ottobar. They will be joined by a solid lineup that includes DC’s Let’s French, who are making a rare Baltimore appearance in support of their new album Victory.
Speaking of DC bands, These United States will also be making their way to Baltimore tonight. They will be playing Charm City Artspace and they’ll be joined by Laura Gibson and Casey Dienel. You will also have two other opportunities to catch this great bill over the weekend. They will be playing The Sugar Tank in Lancaster, PA on Saturday night. For those of you with kids, you can catch this bill at the family themed Rock-n-Romp tomorrow afternoon.
Since they will be playing these shows as a 2-piece, here are a couple of fantastic videos of the Jesse and Tom version of These US.
These United States – “We Go Down To That Corner”
These United States – “So High So Low So Wide So Long”
It’s Tuesday and there isn’t a huge slate of shows tonight. That said, there are a couple worth noting. While the guys have generally decided to take tonight off, the women are out in full force.
Back in the 90’s, Velocity Girl were local heroes. Tonight you can welcome one of your own home when Sarah Shannon returns to Black Cat. She will be joined on the bill by DC’s The Andalusians.
Tonight’s Fort Reno is being headlined by Lejeune. The IA favorites will be playing their last local show before our Anniversary Party on August 10. Definitely check them out. Plus, it’s free! You can’t beat that…
Alright, it’s time to do that Friday thing again. It doesn’t matter where you will be tonight, because there is quality everywhere!
In DC tonight, The Red and The Black are having their one year anniversary. There will be a big party, complete with drink specials and great bands. Black Tie Revue and The Subjects will be providing the entertainment, along with locals Nunchucks. If you have never seen Pittsburgh’s Black Tie Revue, this is the perfect opportunity.
Out in northern VA tonight, there is a big CD release party at IOTA. Greenland will be unveiling their excellent new baby Call Message to the world. Local favorites Bellman Barker will be there to entertain as well and this will be their last local show before they play our anniversary party at Rock and Roll Hotel on August 10.
In Baltimore, you can start your night at the museum. Local band Faster Faster Harder Harder will be playing a free acoustic show at Walter’s Art Museum. Check out a quality band in a different setting and take in some art as well. It’s an early evening well spent and you’ll still have plenty of time to hit the bar.
It’s Thursday in the region. The week is almost over and there are all sorts of shows happening. So look over your options, get out there and support.
Let’s start with a band that you have never heard of, but will thank us later for introducing you to. Meowskers are from Brooklyn and I guarantee that you will be hearing a lot about them in a few months, so you might as well get acquainted now. They are playing Black Cat tonight as support for The Slip and Bobby Bare Jr. I’ll include some mp3s to whet your appetite. If you like what you hear, the rest of the EP is available on myspace.
The band that has been getting the most local press in the last couple of months, has a surprise show at Velvet Lounge tonight. Le Loup will be playing at 10pm sharp in support of their friends The Bang and Koshari.
The big name coming through the region tonight is Wilco. They bring their much publicized live show to Merriweather. Low will be providing the support.
Local favorite Paul Michel is celebrating his 30th Birthday with a show at The Red and The Black. He will be joined by Rebecca Pronsky and Luke Brindley.
Tonight’s Fort Reno show features a couple of the more popular local indie bands. The Hard Tomorrows and Let’s French will be trading riffs. This is also the penultimate show for The Hard Tomorrows.
Due to their gorgeous songs, Monarch is one of my favorite Baltimore bands. They are a 2-piece comprised of multi-instrumentalists Jenn Wasner and Andy Stack, but their live shows don’t sound like they only have 2 people on stage. I finally found a video that accurately portrays this. Notice Andy drumming and playing keys at the same time.
Monarch – Family Glue
I highly recommend their CD If Children, as well. Currently, you can only get a copy by going to a show or writing the band. They are working on distribution. Until then, they have several tracks available here. They are also touring, so be sure to check out a show when they come to town.
It’s Wednesday and there isn’t a lot happening tonight. However, one of the biggest indie bands of the year is headlining 9:30 Club. Fresh off of their tour with The Arcade Fire, The National will be in town supported by Shapes and Sizes and Talkdemonic. Following the normal DC trend for indie darlings (warranted or not)*, the show is of course sold out. However, I’m sure that you can find a way to get in if you really want to. If not, you can stream the show here.
Now, I must admit that a good number of the indie darlings secretly make me cringe. With The National, that is not the case. I’ve been a fan since I first discovered them in 2005. Their music generally features intelligent lyrics over lush arrangements. While they aren’t the most upbeat band in the world, they are the kind of band that actually make you think and there is nothing wrong with that.
*Admit it, if a band gets any sort of national indie push that makes them project coolness (even if they suck), they tend to sell out DC, while the normal array of local hipsters are always in attendance and a good portion of the local bands are intelligently standing outside waiting to hand you a promo CD as you exit. If a band is still well under the radar when they come to town, there is usually enough room to pitch a tent.
It’s Tuesday, but there are definitely some shows worth seeing in DC tonight. Here’s an overview of what your choices are…
Illinois has been generating a lot of buzz lately. Tonight, they will be in town and headlining at Rock ‘N Roll Hotel. Tallest Highest will be providing the support.
Baltimore’s Thrushes have an excellent new video for their song “Ghost Train” from sun come undone. The video was created by Salty Bovine Films. Enjoy.
DC’s Greenland has a great new CD coming out. Call Message will be released on Friday night at IOTA, with Bellman Barker and Brice Woodall supporting. To celebrate, they are sponsoring a contest. The prizes are:
Grand Prize 1 Guestlist Spot 1 Autographed 8×10 1 Call Message CD
First Prize 1 Guestlist Spot 1 Autographed 8×10
To win, send us an e-mail that includes your name and location. The winners will be selected at random and notified later this week. Good luck.
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