Hometown Sounds

Monday 8/26:
Anecdotally, the new Pagan Reagan track we spun on our #DCmusic podcast generated a bunch of positive feedback. Check out the psych rock tonight at Galaxy Hut in Arlington along with NJ indie folk band Lowlight.

Tuesday 8/27:
Americana troubadour Justin Trawick plays The Pub & The People‘s FREE, Live & Local series Tuesday night at 7 PM. Thanks 7DrumCity!

Wednesday 8/28:
Don’t miss an excellent bluegrass and folk bill Wednesday night at the Pie Shop featuring Bearcat Wildcat and vets of our Millennium Stage series, Steve Kolowich’s sublime group Stranger in the Alps.

Thursday 8/29:
Drummer & recent podcast feature Keith Butler Jr. leads his four-person jazz trio Thursday night at Twins Jazz. Grab advance tix for sets at 8 and 10 PM.

Friday 8/23:
Tonight Bethesda’s Villain & Saint hosts The 5×5 Songwriting Showcase. Alchemical Records curated the talented lineup of Bellwether Bayou, Mike & Melinda Hamilton, Jason “MetroSongs” Mendelson, Petty Indulgences, and “The Legend of Zelda-inspired heavy metal band” Master Sword.

Saturday 8/24:
Arts event organizers PAKKE have taken this Saturday‘s Near Northeast Cabin Sessions album release show at Cheshire in AdMo to the next level. In addition to an art show from members of the Working Artists group, and of course a live set from the gorgeous indie folk band, Hometown Sounds will lead a panel discussion focusing on this collaborative intersection between the music and visual art. We’d love to see you there.

Sunday 8/25:
Domestic Terror Productions, lovers of loud punk, metal and hardcore sound, host an insane festival across three venues this weekend called Snot Fest. Sunday night‘s “post show” at the Pie Shop was to include a Philly band call the Droogettes, but sadly they can’t make it. The punky all-DC lineup now includes Babies With Rabies along with The Split Seconds, Kromanauts, Capital Offender and The Xiles.

#DCmusic is what we’re all about, and nothing compares to the live music experience. Here are our show picks for the week ahead.

Monday 8/19:
Been meaning to check out DC’s newest used vinyl shop Home Rule Records in Brightwood Park? Head there at 5 PM today for an ambient music showcase featuring Beau Finley aka Small Craft of Fuzzy Panda Recording Company, Tristan Welch on Verses Records, and Eric Baylies from MA.

Tuesday 8/20:
Post-grunge band Bleary Eyed recently relocated from DC to Philly. Let’s give them some hometown love at their Tuesday night show at delicous pizza joint Comet Ping Pong along with experimental rock band Dove Lady and Why Bonnie from Austin TX, and Bleary Eyed.

Wednesday 8/21:
Garage rock fans can get their fill Wednesday night at Slash Run when the Hall Monitors and Jake Starr & The Delicious Fullness welcome The Cynics from Pittsburgh & Northern Spain. But get those advance tix quick because this show has a LOW TICKET WARNING!

Thursday 8/22:
Two DC acts stretching the boundaries of indie pop music, Frass Green and Weston Smith, hit the stage Thursday night at DC9 along with Philly psych-garage band Secret Nudist Friends.

Congrats for making it through another muggy, sweaty week smack in the middle of August. Now let’s celebrate with some choice #DCmusic shows all weekend long. Here are our picks!

Friday 8/16:
DC may be known for angular, difficult post-hardcore music, but there ain’t no shame in loving some well-crafted pop songs. Broke Royals celebrate their new release Saint Luxury at DC9 tonight with fellow pop luminaries Mystery Friends. The music starts at 7:30 so keep that happy hour in check.

Saturday 8/17:
Surely you’ve all heard about the DC Music Rocks Festival taking over the 9:30 Club this Saturday night. Do your homework and stream music by Iza Flo, Empresarios, Eli Lev, Sub-Radio and More AM Than FM to fully appreciate the breadth of talent incubating in our town.

Sunday 8/18:
Sardonic musical troublemakers Jack On Fire showcases their new EP Waiting for the End of the World (featuring the catchy jingle “White Genocide Rah Rah Rah!”) at the Black Cat‘s redesigned Red Room Sunday night along with “sitcom-core” purveyors The Electric Grandmother. Plus, just look at this damn flyer. You can’t miss this.

You know what to do. Don’t Stay Home. See this #DCmusic instead.

Tuesday 8/13:
Pleasure Train describe themselves as purveyors of the #sexgroove, and we cosign that assessment. See them rock out tonight as the featured artists at Sauf Haus‘s open mic night.

Wednesday 8/14:
Wednesday evening the Strathmore‘s free outdoor summer concert series Live From The Lawn features the so-called “Wickedest Band Alive”, go-go legends Rare Essence. Keep the spirit of #DontMuteDC alive!

Thursday 8/15:
DIY haven Dwell hosts an impressive and diverse bill of #DCmusic Thursday night. Pen Palindrome is the solo folky indie rock project of Ava Mirzadegan, and Zarine Kharazian makes jazz/punk music as Miss, Understand Me. Natasha Janfaza fronts “post-sandwich” band Panini Girlfriend, and Evergreen is a brand new trio of Kamyar Arsani(Daf/Ukulele/vocal), Sonia Maria(violin) and Maggie Yakoub (vocals) performing music you could only hear in Egyptian or Iranian cafe’s.

Curious about the #DCmusic on offer for this weekend? We’ve got you covered with show picks all weekend long.

Friday 8/09:
Tonight the Black Cat hosts punk rock band The Whips, featuring members of Circus Lupus, Trusty, Worlds Collide and Squatweiler, celebrating the release of their debut album What We Talk About When We Talk About Rock after an agonizing 12 year repose on the shelf. With opening sets from Des Demonas and The Mostly Dead, this all DC lineup is a no brainer.

Saturday 8/10:
Shining Blade Theory, the hip-hop & funk band fronted by rapper Parabellum Raps, releases their long-awaited EP Saturday night with a show at DIY holdout Hole in the Sky, with support from Prowess the Testament and Blood Moon Carnival.

Sunday 8/11:
Close out this mid-August weekend Sunday night with a couple of classic indie rock bands, Venray and Color School, at Clarendon’s beloved craft beer and tater tots bar Galaxy Hut.

Don’t Stay Home, even though it’s August. Here are our #DCmusic show picks for this week.

Tuesday 8/06:
The Pub & The People‘s Free Live & Local series sponsored by 7DrumCity welcomes back songwriting treasure Laura Tsaggaris this Tuesday night starting at 7 PM.

Wednesday 8/07:
Witty feminist rock band Honey plays their last DC show before an extended hiatus on Wednesday at the Black Cat, along with soul-mates Born Dad.

Thursday 8/08:
La Marvela are an all-women music band that plays and highlights the richness of rhythms from the Colombian Caribbean region rooted in African, indigenous and European influences. See them this Thursday right after work at the Smithsonian American Art Museum’s Luce Unplugged series.

Welcome to August. Don’t stay home. Here are our #DCmusic show picks for the first weekend of DC’s least-populated month.

Friday 8/02:
Gypsy Sally’s invites you to Burn Down Babylon tonight with a roots reggae and dub showcase featuring DMV area faves Nkula and Shamans of Sound, along with Boston band Los Elk.

Saturday 8/03:
DC Brau celebrates summer on Saturday with their third edition of Braustomp, a rain or shine parking lot party featuring an astounding lineup of DC’s ska heavyweights, including Eastern Standard Time, The Scotch Bonnets, The freakin’ Pietasters and a lot more. Hit this party up starting at 1 PM.

Sunday 8/04:
Live Music Heals and Live Music Unites! On Sunday starting at 5 PM, Clarendon’s Whitlows on Wilson hosts a benefit concert for the merchants in Westover harmed by the recent epic flash flooding. The roots and Americana focused lineup includes Bobby Thompson, Justin Trawick & The Common Good, Jumpin’ Jupiter and more. Visit their GoFundMe campaign to help out more.

Almost every #DCmusic show we are recommending this week is free of cover charge. How about supporting these bands by buying some of their music this week?

Monday 7/29:
Tonight‘s Fort Reno features The OSYX and dirt eater, rescheduled from a rain-out earlier this month, plus punk band The Mauls. It’ll be another hot one, so stay hydrated.

Tuesday 7/30:
Wouldn’t be a Don’t Stay Home without a plug of a show at the Pie Shop. Tuesday night‘s lineup includes indie rock faves Makeup Girl and Bottled Up supporting the summer tour of Richmond band Manatree.

Wednesday 7/31:
If nothing else, the DC Punk Archive’s Wednesday night show on the Woodridge Library rooftop should smell amazing. See DC bands Saffron & Lavender for free starting at 6:30 PM.

Thursday 8/01:
The final night of Fort Reno‘s 2019 season features Inner Ear Studio’s Don Zientara and, we’ll quote right from the website here, amy ian joe (name unknown). Pro tip: show up early for this one.

Happy Friday, DC. As is our custom, here are the #DCmusic picks for the weekend so you won’t have crippling FOMO while your cool friends have the best time.

Friday 7/26:
Brooklyn band The Mad Doctors are on a farewell tour, so they invited King Pizza Records label mates Teen Mortgage to play at the DC stop at H St NE’s Pie Shop tonight. Add in a brand new EP by Pagan Reagan and “face-melting hard punk” band Captital Offender and we’re fully on board.

Saturday 7/27:
Huge heartfelt congrats to hard-working troubadour Justin Trawick on the sixth anniversary of his mostly #DCmusic podcast The Circus Life. The massive blowout party at the 9:30 Club Saturday night features FeelFree, The Dirty Grass Players, Mystery Friends, and of course Mr. Trawick & his band The Common Good.

Sunday 7/28:
Count on AdMo’s SongByrd to host thoughtful, innovative events quite different from the usual live music fare. Sunday night see producer/MC combo J Scienide and Kev Brown of the Low Budget Crew do an advance album listen of their new release Drum Machine/Tape Cassette with a live Q&A moderated by DJ Iran.

so