DC rapper & educator Asheru‘s most recent album Sleepless In Soweto shifts most of its focus from his hometown to South Africa, working closely with artists there to craft lyrics and sound to represent both locales. While “Funky DC”, the last video of Ash’s we featured, celebrated the revitalization of U Street’s musical legacy, “Make Magic” takes us to the Soweto area of South Africa’s largest city Johannesburg. Directed by Asheru and Didier Ganza of So Afrika Entertainment, the video shows both traditional African Zulu scenes and pretty amazing contortions from street-level Pantsula dancers. Mark your calendar for Thursday September 11th when Asheru performs with dancehall band Explosion Negra from Columbia at Tropicalia.
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Category Archives: shows
Andy Zipf – Promise & Purpose video
As I’ve seen NOVA-based musical acquaintances perform over the past couple of months, whispers percolated of a big thing coming for them in the fall, but none would spill the beans. Today beans were splashed all over social media with the announcement of the Magnificent Intentions Music Festival October 17th-19th. Clarendon’s Iota, long the home base of DC and especially NOVA’s singer-songwriter crowd, hosts the 3 day showcase featuring Justin Jones, Olivia Mancini, The Beanstalk Library, Derek Evry, Margot MacDonald and more TBA. Much like July’s In It Together Festival highlighted the punk and indie rock house show scene and brought a lot of media attention to it, Magnificent Intentions should elevate the status of these talented musicians to larger DC audiences often hesitant to cross the river.
Andy Zipf put a long solo career as singer-songwriter on pause to assemble The Cowards Choir band with two of the best percussionists in DC, Ben Tufts and Adam Neubauer, and The Beanstalk Library’s Ryan Walker on bass. Zipf’s luminous tenor vocals remain the highlight of the music, which you can and absolutely should catch tonight at Vienna’s Jammin’ Java playing alongside Eliot Bronson. Check out this gorgeous video of Zipf performing Promise & Purpose from his 2011 solo album Jealous Hands, captured live two years ago by OurVinyl.tv.
The Big Boom Thursday @ U St. Music Hall
The fine folks at DC’s funkiest label Fort Knox Recordings love throwing blowout bashes at U Street Music Hall on holiday weekends, and they are not about to let you down this weekend! Thursday night July 3rd from 9 PM to 4 AM the club hosts The Big Boom featuring local talent from Fort Knox Five and All Good Funk Alliance vs. Qdup, Canada’s DJ Stickybuds in his first ever DC appearance, and one of the reigning kings of nu-disco, Gigamesh! You don’t have to work on Friday, so don’t hold anything back! Advance tix are only $10 so make sure you aren’t shut out of this event! To shake off your Monday blues and build hype for the holidy, Rusty B and Frank C of All Good Funk Alliance crafted this Big Boom promo DJ that’s already shot to the top of Mixcloud’s charts. Facebook RSVP here!
Tom Goss – Illuminate The Dark video
After his viral dance-pop ode to burly men, last year’s hit song “Bears”, singer-songwriter Tom Goss is back with a new album Wait out today and a music video for the first single “Illuminate The Dark”. Returning to his minimal acoustic style, “Illuminate The Dark” is a sweet and heartfelt song that continues Goss’s themes of acceptance and healing. Saturday May 31st Goss’s album release tour comes home with a headlining show at 6th & I Synagogue with support from The North Country. Trust me and get your tickets in advance for this one, because Goss has quite a DC fanbase!
Trans Am – Megastorm video
Expanding heavily on their post-rock roots, Trans Am‘s sound now encompasses muscular electro-rock driven hard by drummer Sebastian Thomson. The trio’s newest album Volume X drops on May 20th on Thrill Jockey Records, and the first music video from it, a live version of “Megastorm”, premiered today on The AV Club. Tickets to their DC show at the Black Cat Backstage on Thursday May 22nd, featuring Hometown Sounds showcase stars Heavy Breathing, are amazingly still on sale, but that won’t last much longer.
Qdup – DC Funk Parade Mix 2014
Excitement is at a fever pitch for next Saturday’s Funk Parade in the U Street neighborhood. This day long music festival taps into DC’s rich history of funk music, which spans a continuity ranging from The Blackbyrds and the catalog of DC Soul Recordings to go-go to the party rocking of Fort Knox Recordings.
For your Friday desk-funking pleasure, DC’s own Jason “Jayclue” Brown aka Qdup (say it out loud, you’ll get it) drops a smoking DJ mix full of beats, soul and highlights from the FKR label including Empresarios, Nappy Riddem’s Mustafa Akbar, Flex Mathews the Handsome Grandson and Fort Knox Five. Immediately following the Funk Parade, FKR takes over U Street Music Hall for a FREE show from 7-10 PM featuring DJ sets from Qdup & Fort Knox Five, live reggae funk from Nappy Riddem, and legendary go-go from Experience Unlimited featuring Sugar Bear! How can this show be free! I have no idea. Is it next weekend yet?
Download this mix here!
Typefighter – You When You’re Older video
As a musician, it’s not easy to keep things fresh over time. Perhaps you join a new band that sounds nothing like your original band, like Typefighter‘s frontman Ryan McLaughlin playing guitar in the hardcore band Joy Buttons. It could also be an evolution of a band’s sound. Typefighter had a mellower, folkier sound in their earlier EPs, 2009’s i want to see you game, boys, i want to see you brave and 2011’s fall winter fall. Our first taste of their louder, more powerful and garage-ier sound came last July at the 9:30 Club, and they were quite excited to get their new music into the ears of fans. Their new music video, You When You’re Older, provides an interesting way to hear the change directly. After watching the video, check out our post nearly 2 years ago to hear the same song recorded live for the late SocialStudiesDC blog. Grab their new full length album The End of Everything on April 22nd courtesy Huge Witch Records and your tickets to their release show May 3rd at Rock & Roll Hotel, with Shark Week, Teen Mom and Sunset Guns.
Funk Parade Kickoff Party
The Funk Parade, a musical celebration of the awesomeness of the U Street Corridor, is coming on Saturday May 3rd, but the preliminary warm-up events are already here! To help kick off their new Indiegogo campaign, head to Liv Nightclub (above Bohemian Caverns) tonight to check out the Funk Parade All-Star Band (aka Ninja Bunny), including members of Elikeh, Lucky Dub, and Eme & Heteru, as well as Michael Saretsky (TNT) and DJ Nitekrawler (Moneytown), and more! Watch the promo video below and head to funkparade.eventbrite.com to snag advance tix!
Under The Counter – The Ides of March
The monthly comedy + jazz + indie rock night Under The Counter returns to The Dunes in Columbia Heights this Friday night!
Jokes from Nate Johnson, Tom Sherman, Michael J. Foody & Erica Johnson, hosted by Ruth Rasby
Power pop from Black Checker
As always with Jonathan Parker‘s Too Big To Fail Octet, this week featuring Linsay Deming!
Have you wondered what Hometown Sounds podcast co-host Tony Porreco looks like in person? Or in the bath? Wonder no longer, thanks to the new video flyer!
(The show’s organizers live in the DIY music space The Bathtub Republic, FYI)
RSVP on the Facebook event
Under The Counter presents Under The Covers
Hardly any jazz musicians make music videos, sadly, but this “video flyer” is a kick-ass substitute. DC area jazz band leader Jonathan Parker and his friend Leah Gage (drummer for the awesome indie rock band Brenda) organize a monthly show at Columbia Heights hotspot The Dunes called “Under The Counter”. It’s an unusual mix of stand-up comedy and jazz, with a cherry on top from some of the best DC bands today. February’s installment, subtitled “Under The Covers”, falls on Valentine’s Day, and features comedy from Jheisson Nunez (“Jay Leeno Show,” Topaz), Chris Milner (State Theater, Arlington Draft House), Adam Friedland (Funny Moms), Andrew Bucket (You Me Them Everybody, 8×8), jazz from the Jonathan Parker 8, rock from Philly’s Br’er and DC’s amazing Presto Bando, as always hosted by Ruth Rasby. RSVP here!
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