A Couple Takes the Gershwin Prize
It was the 10th Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song, but winners Emilio and Gloria Estefan represent two firsts — the first married couple to be so honored,…
A Stirring Salute to the Queen of Soul
Any time is a good time for a salute to Aretha Franklin music. But the Queen of Soul did it so well herself, it’s hard to pay tribute and come…
An Untimely Concert from the Jacksons
It was an auspicious moment in Jacksons history Friday, happening in a snowy and frozen remote corner — a rural Minnesota casino, in one of just a couple of scheduled…
Weezer, Briefly, at the Black Cat
Days before a new album was to come out, a week before another arena tour, Weezer played the cozy Black Cat in Washington, D.C. Wednesday for a Sirius XM broadcast…
James McMurtry’s ‘State of the Union’
The stage couldn’t be much more bare than it was for James McMurtry’s return visit to The Birchmere Music Hall. A couple of guitars, a table with a bottle of…
Chuck Prophet, Almost Solo in Virginia
A whirlwind tour in Spain with Charlie Sexton playing the whole of The Rolling Stones’ “Some Girls” may not be the best practice for a solo tour, but it may…
Not Really ‘Live From Here’
After having soured over the years on "Prairie Home Companion" and its tropes, I was still only mildly interested in its renamed replacement "Live from Here" when it emerged on…
Alejandro Escovedo and a Touch of Italy
“Are you ready for some romantic Italian music?” guitarist Antonio Gramentieri calls out to the audience. Well, honestly, no. The crowd at City Winery was actually there for the more…
‘Hitmaker’ Jon Spencer at the Black Cat
When Jon Spencer took the stage arranging his amps before his latest band started playing Saturday night at the Black Cat in D.C., nobody much responded. Maybe they didn’t recognize…
Practically New NRBQ Carries Its Mantle
Those who haven’t seen the long-running NRBQ for a decade or two (or five) might have been surprised at the pre-New Year’s show at the Hamilton in D.C. to find…