Category Archives: TVD Washington, DC

On Thursday, February 23rd, the Monument Music and Arts Festival will host a fundraiser concert at DC9 featuring Farewell Republic and Heads on Sticks in support of DC Vote.

Monument Music and Arts Festival is a forward-thinking charitable organization that empowers musicians and their fans to impact positive social change through philanthropy and activism. Over the past two years, Monument has raised awareness and financial support for a wide variety of DC-based non-profit organizations.

All of the proceeds from tomorrow’s show will go to DC Vote, a local organization dedicated to securing full democracy and full voting representation for the residents of the District of Columbia. As the recognized leader of the DC voting rights movement, DC Vote advocates for enactment of critical voting rights legislation, educates Americans across the nation about DC’s status, works to prevent congressional interference in DC’s local democracy, and serves as a resource to elected officials, the media, and the public.

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Before joining the Red Hot Chili Peppers in 2009, Josh Klinghoffer formed Dot Hacker, an experimental rock band based out of Los Angeles, California.

The group, which features Klinghoffer on guitar and lead vocals, is made up of fellow established musicians, including Clint Walsh, Eric Gardner and Jonathan Hischke. Collectively, the members of Dot Hacker have a history of touring and recording with the likes of Beck, Gnarls Barkley, PJ Harvey, Broken Bells, and the Butthole Surfers.

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Galactic’s playful blend of acid, jazz fusion, and New Orleans Dixieland is getting a revival here in D.C. Its founding members Robert Mercurio and Jeff Raines, from the District, will bring the parade to the 9:30 Club this Thursday, February 23rd, and we have a pair of tickets for you to win. Joining their musical procession will be Corey Glover (of Living Colour) and Corey Henry of the Rebirth Brass Band.

Originally a band of eight, Galactic surreptitiously inked their namesake into a new portal of N’awlins neo-jazz artists in the early ’90s. Though they’ve been categorized as contemporary jazz players, Galactic applies intricate time signatures to traditional Southern music.

Then they effectively blend skiffle motifs (an early blend of horns, folk, and country) to stylized hip-hop rhythms. All these ingredients come together to form harmonious equal parts smooth and rugged, like gator-skinned boots.

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It feels like a disservice to Nika Roza Danilova to comment on Zola Jesus’ appearance before acknowledging her vocal prowess, but that’s the first thing that strikes you when seeing the outfit in the flesh.

Her records conjure up an image of a larger-than-life goth priestess, but when she took the stage Thursday night at the U Street Music Hall, the audience was instead met with a petite, almost pixie-like, figure shrouded in white.

The juxtaposition highlights one of the most interesting aspects of seeing Zola Jesus live. On vinyl, particularly their latest release Conatus, they craft lavish dreamscapes that sound damn near otherworldly. While this translates to their performance, there’s another surprising element: the music is just as entrancing, but suddenly approachable.

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At the beginning of 2012, he took the name Yasiin Bey. But his bent toward social consciousness stays true to the grammatical modifier we “most definitely” know him as, Mos Def. The actor and emcee will appear onstage Monday, February 20th, at the 9:30 Club.

Mos Def comes from a pedigree of politically aware lyrical artists originating out of Golden Era of Hip-Hop. In New York, where the art form took shape, there were rappers that quickly shot to the mainstream (Beastie Boys, Kid ‘n Play). And then there emerged a sub-culture of artists that rejected the “rapper identity.” These artists became sort of a side effect of the pop celebrity that record labels took ease with marketing.

Instead of the glittery, commercialized oeuvre groomed for wider audiences, emcees including Def took to Afrocentricity and racial injustice for subject matter. Like forebears Public Enemy, Mos Def’s lyrics spoke of the consequences of violence as opposed to the act itself.

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Despite Sunday’s biting cold, hundreds of the DMV’s record buying faithful turned up at DC’s Riot Act Comedy Theater to partake in the first DC Record Fair of 2012.

We set loose three of TVD’s photographers, Taylor Welch, Erica Bruce, and Steve VanSickle to capture the day for us.

Taylor Welch:

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Whoever keeps complaining about the demise of DC’s music scene should have stopped by the Mansion at Strathmore on Friday night for The Grey Area‘s release party for their new album 508.

Comprised of Jason Steinhauer on guitar and vocals and drummer Timothy Jones (TJ), Washington’s own The Grey Area manages to distinguish itself from the duos it pulls from – the likes of the Black Keys and the White Stripes – through its unique blend of power rock, blues and pop.

The band was playing as part of the Mansion at Strathmore’s Friday Night Eclectic series, advertised as “the hip party you would host – if you lived in a mansion with an art gallery, a cool band, and a bartender.”

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Between a poor economy, mounting geopolitical tension, and the horrors of public transportation, it’s safe to say that life can pretty much suck sometimes. When it does, it’s always wise to look inside yourself and ask one important question: What would Zola Jesus do?

I have my guesses, but you can find out for yourself Thursday (2/16) night at the U Street Music Hall when goth infused singer/songwriter Nika Roza Danilova returns to Washington, DC, since we have a pair of tickets to give away.

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…and we’ve got the final list of confirmed DJ’s for the first DC Record Fair of 2012!

After two Record Fairs in 2011 staged just beyond the DC border, the Washington, DC Record Fair returns to DC proper on Sunday, February 12 at Washington’s new home for hilarity, the Riot Act Comedy Theater in the heart of Penn Quarter in downtown DC—news certain to be appreciated by a tiny, albeit vocal contingent of fair goers. (See? We listen.)

We’ll have 40 dealers from up and down the East Coast on both floors of Riot Act—10 above and 30 below—and of course, unlike the photo above, ample lighting, ample food and drinks, Bloody Marys, and right—a ton of records.

Did we mention the DJs? Here’s the schedule for the day:

11:00 – 12:00 Cobruhhh | Windian (Just added!)
12:00 – 1:00 Sean Marquand | Phenomenal Handclap Band
1:00 – 2:00 Patrick Kigongo | Ra Ra Rasputin
2:00 – 3:00 Cerphe Colwell | Cerphe’s Progressive Show
3:00 – 4:00 Will Eastman | Volta Bureau 
4:00 – 5:00 DJ Roz | Champion Sounds

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Well, I thought it was just me but a sold out and packed to the rafters 9:30 Club Wednesday night proved me wrong: The Darkness has certainly been missed.

The reunited British rockers left it all on that stage Wednesday, hitting all the hight points from their debut Permission to Land and its follow up, One Way Ticket to Hell and Back. New numbers featured throughout the set from a forthcoming release did nothing to slow the pacing.

We sent photographer Dave Barnhouser to capture it all for us, and as we’ve got some plans afoot for the band and TVD, we’ll let his shots alone convey the energy in that room Wednesday night.

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