Hometown Sounds

Holy crap, June is here. How did that happen? Big months shouldn’t sneak up on you like that. Anyway, here’s our #DCmusic picks to keep you sane and happy for this weekend.

Friday 5/31:
Celebrating the end of their prestigious Spring residence with the Washington Performing Arts Society, DuPont Brass gifts us all a FREE show tonight at 8 PM at the Town Hall Education Arts Recreation Campus (THEARC) in SE DC.

Saturday 6/01:
Congrats to rising synthpop stars Mystery Friends on the release of their debut full length album Past & Future Self. Show them all the DC love at their album release show Saturday night at Black Cat along with Den-Mate and Del Florida.

Sunday 6/02:
7DrumCity‘s FREE Live & Local series at The Pub & The People fills your Sunday night with delightful songs by Laura Tsaggaris. You’re welcome.

Hey DC! We’re back from vacation and ready to rock your world with the best #DCmusic the city has to offer. Here are our show picks for the week ahead.

Tuesday 5/28:
Takoma Park’s Rhizome hosts a night of punky indie rock tonight featuring DC’s Born Dad and Company Calls, along with Atlanta based Gabbie Rotts.

Wednesday 5/29:
Off-the-grid hotspot Dwell offers this lineup for your Wednesday night enjoyment: DC’s lovely indie pop Lotion Princess, gender-less VA neo-soul jazz duo Morning Sunshine, and Rochester’s Calicoco.

Thursday 5/30:
Thursday night‘s lineup at Dew Drop Inn‘s lower level gives you two loud, punk-adjacent bands that we recommend: Heavy Breathing and Des Demonas.

#DCmusic. Don’t Stay Home! Shows!

Friday 5/17:
Shamans of Sound, a new reggae band featuring DC music veterans, just released their third single “The Ultimate High” featuring Abhik Saha. Celebrate with them tonight at Tropicalia for their Friday Night Live party, with no cover charge.

Saturday 5/18:
Gypsy Sally’s in Georgetown has a fine night of funk Saturday night, featuring Aztec Sun and BOOMscat. Boom.

Sunday 5/19:
Soooo, Sunday night is the finale of a rather popular HBO series. Meanwhile Clarendon’s Galaxy Hut hosts 3 delightful indie rock bands that night, Little Lawnmowers from WV and two of our own, The Meer and Miss, Understand Me. The music starts at 10, which is pretty late for a Sunday but not late enough to watch the whole episode, so ¯\_(ツ)_/¯.

Can’t stay home and hear the finest #DCmusic live, can you.

Monday 5/13:
Legendary DC producer and Inner Ear Studio head honcho Don Zientara plays AdMo’s Songbyrd tonight, along with Lisa Said’s rock band Piramid Scheme. No cover = buy some vinyl while you’re there.

Tuesday 5/14:
Jazz saxophonist and passionate go-go supporter Elijah Jamal Balbed joins 7DrumCity‘s FREE, Live & Local series on the patio at The Pub & The People from 6-8 PM Tuesday evening. The rain’s gotta stop sometime, right?

Wednesday 5/15:
AdMo’s Bossa is well known as a DC hub of global sounds. This Wednesday they host the Tributary Project, modeled after band lead JaJa Bashengezi‘s experiences in refugee camps across east Africa.

Thursday 5/16:
Any weekly show listing wouldn’t be complete without a couple of determined young indie rock bands supporting a touring act. The Pie Shop‘s Thursday night includes DC’s Friends of Friends and Lovejet, welcoming Dominy from Philly.

There’s some big shows and festivals hitting DC this weekend. We like to illuminate some more intimate #DCmusic shows worthy of your attention.

Friday 5/10:
Perhaps you heard our recent podcast takeover with Lilly from Erotic Thrillers and Javier from Spirit Plots. Devin Ocampo produced the new album by Spirit Plots, and his tight indie rock band The Effects joins Spirit Plots and Erotic Thrillers tonight at Slash Run to celebrate the ablum’s release and give away vinyl copies with every ticket!

Saturday 5/11:
The Funk Parade fills venues up and down U Street with bands Saturday night, but one lone showcase is far away from the traditional Black Broadway. Pianist and bandleader Aaron Abernathy, who we featured in our Millennium Stage series, brings a FREE taste of the funk to the Wharf’s Pearl Street Warehouse.

Sunday 5/12:
DC jazz site CapitalBop returns to Takoma Park’s Rhizome for their excellent monthly Jazz Loft series. This Sunday brings saxophonist Brian Falkowski, featured performer at Donvonte McCoy’s regular gig at 18th St Lounge, and percussionist Dan Kurfist who recently relocated here from NYC. Bring $10 for the performers and your instrument to jam into the wee hours.