Digging with Shovels and Rope
Like the White Stripes before them, Shovels & Rope bring the two person, man and woman, guitar and drums lineup to life. The exception is that they dwell more in…
Luna Revisits its Penthouse at the 930 Club
On the various Luna tours the band has done since it reunited in 2015 following a 10 year pause, they almost seemed miffed to have to play the old stuff…
Reviving ‘Merce Cunningham at 100’
Merce Cunningham’s legacy lingers in contemporary dance, and avant-garde collaboration. He eliminated storylines in dance pieces, concentrated on movement as pointed as abstract art and vaulted modernist music (particularly that…
The Long Ryders Back in the Saddle
Before there were labels like alt country or Americana, The Long Ryders were providing the connection between country and rock with a punk punch through their very limited recording years…
Billy Bragg Begins a D.C. Residency
“Welcome to the 7:30 Club!” Billy Bragg said, at the outset of his three-night residency at The Birchmere. He was both poking fun of the Alexandria club’s famously early nights,…
The B-52’s Party Out of Bounds
The B-52’s are marking their 40th anniversary the same way they might have celebrated their 20th, their first or a random Tuesday - with a party. Many event organizers and…
Remembering Ric Ocasek, 1944-2019
Sad to hear of the death of Ric Ocasek Sunday at 75. The man most widely known for his elegant electronic pop songs with The Cars may have been equally…
Ken Burns’ Trip Through ‘Country Music’
In an era when history is more often doled out in digestible social media attention spans (“5 Takeaways from Such and Such”; “Top 10 War Losses”), there’s something to be…
Peter Frampton’s Spirited Farewell
Peter Frampton supercharged his career with a live album decades ago, so he’s going out playing live as well. In a stop at the Anthem in D.C. Wednesday, he seemed…
Remembering Daniel Johnston, 1961-2019
Sad to hear of the death of Daniel Johnston, the prolific and singular songwriter, whose mental difficulties seemed to bring honesty and and unfettered heartbreak to his music. That he…