Santigold and Dominique May 6, 2016 at Fillmore Silver Spring

Dana, Jill, and I went to see Santigold at the Fillmore in Silver Spring on Friday night, May 6 – partly because it was a Friday night show a few blocks from our homes, and partly because Santigold always puts on a good show. 

We arrived during the opener, Dominique. Dominique was a foul-mouthed rapper who I couldn’t understand even when she was speaking to the audience. For the “band”, there was a woman running a turntable and another whose job seemed to be pouring shots and occasionally telling the crowd to put their hands in the air. (They didn’t.) I have a hard time imagining Dominique going very far in the music industry, but I certainly don’t know a thing about her genre, so maybe I’m wrong.

Santigold’s act was very similar to her last tour, but with some enhancements. There was a fancier screen show, a few extra props, and an extra costume change. I liked how she worked different aspects of the “just getting by” theme into the visuals: 99 cent stores, “we buy gold”, and off-brand cheese puffs come to mind. She also used some absurdist visuals, like cats and rabbits with bobbing heads, and extreme oversized clothing. She had the same two dancers as before, and they are fun to watch – their style reminds me of the time before kids know there is a “right” way to dance, combined with the time when you and your friends made up dances to your favorite songs by acting them out and doing the same moves every time for the chorus. And then there were times when you could see the dancers using their extensive training. They still wore sunglasses the entire time and flat, expressionless faces, daring the audience to do anything but respect them. Dana looked up Santigold and discovered she’s 39 years old, pretty close to our ages, which got us thinking that she’s really figured it out – get the young girls to do the jumping up and down.

Kevin Devine and Murder By Death, 9:30 Club, April 22, 2016

It's been ages since I went to a concert - months even - so for a date night, I noticed two acts I had seen before and liked playing together at 9:30 Club on a Friday night. Why not?

Kevin Devine 4/22/16 9:30 Club

Kevin Devine I last saw at Red Palace. I was there for the opener, but he was so personable on stage that I was happy to stay and listen to his act, despite no familiarity with his music. I’m a sucker for entertaining banter. At this show, he opened (late – after 9 pm) with “The Goddamn Band” (his two band mates) to a sparse crowd. None of the personality of his bygone Red Palace show was in evidence. They were talented, no doubt, and Kevin had a lot of energy dancing on stage, but I was there for personality, and that was not on display. Good enough, but nothing special.

Murder By Death 4/22/16 9:30 Club

Murder By Death was the headliner. They went on after 10 pm, which is unusual at the 9:30 club.  9:30 pm is normal – it’s even in the name. Personally, I love those early start times. It’s one of the big advantages going to 9:30 Club instead of Black Cat, where I last saw Murder By Death. That night was also a happy accident; I was there for another act. But I digress. Murder By Death is a five piece band whose members are verging on middle age. There’s a drummer, a keyboardist, a female cellist, a bassist, and a deep-voiced singer who played guitar. Last I saw them, they had so much fun on stage in a raucous, piratical way, that I immediately added them to Songkick so I’d know when they came back to town. This time the singer looked like he’d stepped out of a 1970’s cowboy movie: big mustache, plaid shirt, jeans, hair on the longer side and slicked back. Maybe it was his look, but I swear some of the songs reminded me of a spaghetti western soundtrack. He was also in good shape and has a great voice, so it was no hardship watching him sing. The band started out with a cover of “Nothing Compares to You” as a tribute to Prince, who had died the day before. (The tower on top of the 9:30 Club was also lit up with purple lights in memory of him.) The rest of the set sounded good, but again, there wasn’t much going happening on stage. There was a little visual interest added by a black and white screen show behind the band, but not much interaction. So again, good enough, but not worth seeing live a third time.

Gogol Bordello and Chicano Batman, Jan 1, 2016 at 9:30 Club

Many years ago, I was told that if I liked great performances, Gogol Bordello is a don't-miss act. I've been trying to go to one of their shows ever since, and this year, the stars aligned. They have a "gypsy punk" sound and completely lived up to the hype. It was a wonderful, energetic, spectacle of a show. Eric commented as we left that we'd have pirate shanties stuck in our heads all night. That was okay by me. I was bouncing as we left, smiling ear to ear.

Gogol Bordello, 1/1/16, 9:30 Club

What makes them so good? The music is catchy, but I doubt all that many people know the words. It doesn't seem like exceptional song craft and gets absolutely no radio air play, but it's infectious and fun. It sounds like the best party you wish you had gone to. The performance is high-energy and varied. They don't use all that many special effects (lights, of course, but no extreme stuff), instead using their bodies, a few props, and the stage to make every song into eye candy. They trade off in the spotlight often, and it was hard to tell how many band members they have because new people kept appearing, and others changed costumes. We settled on 10, and at least 8 of them came front and center to engage the audience at one time or another. The lead singer seems like a happy drunk guy from the Eastern Bloc, and I bet he gets his share of ladies based on charisma (not likely to happen based on looks - skinny dude, hard living.) This show was well worth staying up late. See them if you get the chance.

Chicano Batman was the opener. You should skip them. It was a slow, lounge-y act with a Latin vibe. The men in the group wore suits and had wild hair. It sounded like something from old Vegas, but from a Mexican band. Very kitschy. The lead singer jumped and moved a little like a frog and looked like a young Weird Al. The crowd was not into them at all.

Chicano Batman, 1/1/16, 9:30 Club

Landmark Music Festival, September 26-27, 2015, Washington DC, National Mall

I’ve been excited about the first year of the Landmark Music Festival on the National Mall since Dana first brought it to my attention, before we even knew the lineup. A metro-accessible music festival from the producers of ACL and Lollapalooza, during the best time of year to be outdoor in DC? What’s not to like about that? We bought tix within the first 24 hours they went on sale, when they were dirt cheap. Dana even made a contact with their marketing department and scored some extra free tickets, so Eric had planned to use one and go with me for one of the days.  Then he ended up on crutches, so his ticket went to a co-worker of mine. Still, I was happy and excited to cap of my YEAR OF FESTIVALS (four in twelve months!) with Landmark.  On Saturday, Jill, Dana, and I all took the metro down together to Foggy Bottom and hiked the 1.5 miles to the FDR memorial, where the concert took place. All told, we walked about 10 miles a day.  Here’s what I remember, two weeks later.

Saturday, September 26, 2015

12:30 pm  - Ex Hex – Slow-motion girrl power punk-infused pop rock  Hot and Cold is the song I recognize most. Dana said “they look exactly like they sound”, which is true – they look the part of empowered punkish rockers, like Sleater-Kinney.  Not really our thing.  We went to the photo booth and Lemonade Love and for lunch during this act.

1:30 pm – Hunts – Seven siblings (last name Hunt) from Virginia in a folk band.  I didn’t care for their sound – very same old to my ears – but Dana was really impressed when they played the wood of a chair like a drum. Their dad produces and their mom does merchandise. The siblings trade instruments often. They were very smiley. We sat with a friend of Dana’s who was called away because her daughter had some sort of accident.  The daughter turned out ok, but she had to rush home. I was antisocial and sat for most of the act, so I didn’t actually see much with my own eyes.

2:30 pm – Mowgli’s and Twin Shadow.  I watched a bit of the Mowgli’s, but I will forever be spoiled by my initial contact with them in a parking lot in Austin. No stage act can compare to that experience. I think we hit the “experience” tents then, or maybe I just wandered off for a bit. I know I sat by the water for a little while with Twin Shadow playing in the background. The water right next to the stages was so very wonderful. It’s an amazing view out onto the Potomac under the weeping willows. Too bad the port-o-potties were right there, too. Seemed like bad placement to me.

3:30 pm – Vandaveer – I stopped by this country act before I left because there was nothing better from my perspective. (Honestly, the lineup was very dull for this entire festival.) The lady had white-blond hair and could really belt it out.  If I liked traditional country music, I think I would have liked this act. They seemed talented and interesting.  I left early to go to my college reunion that evening at GWU, conveniently the closest metro to the festival.  I was slightly jealous when I discovered that GW has its own Whole Foods now where the dining plan card is accepted. I remember cruddy cafeteria food.

Sunday, September 27, 2015

Sunday was the day that I took Natalie to the festival. Kids 10 and under went for free!  She was super excited. We put sticker jewels on our faces, like Chvrches, and took the metro to Foggy Bottom. We walked through the campus and I pointed the few things I recognized out to her (GW overhauls buildings at an amazing rate!) We even ran into someone I knew from school. (It was alumni weekend.) We saw some ducks on the way and eventually made it to the gate, early enough to hear the Star Wars music when the gates opened. First stop was Tag A Kid, then the port-a-potties and food. Natalie felt slightly let down by Lemonade Love because it had kale in it. We stopped by the kids zone where Natalie got her hair painted with red streaks and an airbrush tattoo, then took photos in some tents wile Avers (garage rock) played in the background. We also grabbed a recycle bag for later to earn Natalie a free shirt.

12:30 pm  - In the Valley Below – Not the band I expected. I expected hippy, they looked fashionista, with a very cool vibe. I only recognized the song Peaches. Natalie didn’t want to say even one word during any of the acts. Apparently, assemblies have drilled quiet respect into her. We sat in the middle of the crowd and listened.

1:30 pm  - Dr. John & The Nite Trippers – Dana and Jennifer (plus 2 sons)  found us and we all sat for a while at this old blues guy’s act, then we went to do more activities, like tattoos.

2:30 pm – Manchester Orchestra – We found Jill and her son here. It was VERY loud. Same old experience. Great sound, nothing special about the performance.

2:30 pm – Houndmouth – This was a hidden gem of the festival and we missed most of it. They are just a random mellow rock band, but they did a 50’s cover that was so much fun, and they had some energy on stage.  I wish I’d seen more. Natalie and I spent part of this act picking up cans. We filled her bag in about 20 or 30 minutes at Houndmouth and Lord Huron.

3:30 pm – Lord Huron -  Typical 4 white dude rock band. I thought nothing of them. We just focused on can collection.

3:30 pm – The Suffers – We passed by this jazz/funk/soul act on the way to turn in the cans. This woman really belts it out. Not my thing, but impressive.

3:30 pm – Rhiannon Giddens – My favorite of the entire festival, by far. She does traditional roots music in the same vein as the Carolina Chocolate Drops. I think she must be a prodigy. Her voice is impressive and clear, her stage presence commanding.  I loved this act.

4:30 pm  - TV on the Radio – We stayed for a song or two, checked out Joy Formidable, then got food. During our break for eating, we could hear Chromeo in the background.

4:30 pm – The Joy Formidable – Only caught a small amount of this act.

6:30 pm alt-J – We finally found Trish and Jack for this act.  We were very close to the front and filmed “Left Hand Free” for Sidney, since he’s fond of that song.







6:30 pm  We saw the neon lights for George Ezra on his stage as we made our way to Natalie’s favorite of the festival, Chvrches. We heard “Budapest” In the background.

7:30 pm CHVRCHES – Dana had hoped to get Natalie into the deaf area. She knew some of the interpreters working the festival. Unfortunately, her friends were at other stages, so Natalie had to settle for front row (boo hoo.) Dana wanted to see all of Chvrches, so I took and quick detour to see other acts and circled back to Natalie and Dana at the end. We all particularly liked her banter about Busboys and Poets and about the first DC critic to review them. Dana commented that every time we've seen Chvrches, the lead has improved her stage act.

7:30 pm Red Baraat – A world fusion band I had heard about and intended to see for a while. The reputation I recalled was that they had a ton of energy on stage. My experience watching them did not match that expectation. And there were next to no vocals with the music, so I really wasn’t into them. Interesting tidbit: they look like a very purposely multi-cultural band.

7:30 pm boots – This one was a weird experience. Boots is a critic’s darling. All Songs Considered did an entire podcast on why you should love boots. His music is interesting and sounds different that anything else out there. At least one of his songs reminds me of a mellowed out Nine Inch Nails, but others sound entirely different.  Problem was, he was up against Chvrches, which should have significant overlap with his potential fan base. I came to his set late and was able to walk up to the front row barricade.  There weren’t more than 100 people watching, total, in a crowd of (maybe) 25,000 people.  That’s really disappointing. Another disappointment, his sound mixing. You couldn’t hear the vocals over the instruments, and there was feedback sometimes. He was very nice and when the crowd said they couldn’t hear the vocals, he asked the sound tech to please adjust accordingly – points to him for that. He was also theatric and bold in his movements on stage, which is a really good sign in a new artist. I heard the one song and know and like by boots, and then a few songs later, there was a song that had a lot of anger and angst in it. It ended with him leaving the sound running, hopping the barricade, and walking away through the crowd, seemingly either pissed or theatric. I genuinely couldn’t tell if he was upset about the crowd or the turnout or if it was supposed to be part of the act. Enigmatic? Perhaps.  It was a little too abstract for me, but where his music intersects with slightly more mainstream sounds, I feel there’s a good chance I could like more by him. His set ended early, allowing me to return for the last few songs by Chvrches.

Natalie and I left right after Chvrches, walking back with Dana, who got us all to sing the Star Spangled Banner to distract from Natalie’s “Zombie Feet.” (More dead than even ghost feet.) It was another 10 miles of hiking that day – much more than Natalie is accustomed to. She liked it, though, and said she’d do it again.

Jeremy Messersmith Concert, Sept 17, 2015, Genevieve’s back yard

Jeremy Messersmith, 9-17-2015

Thursday, September 17 was a crappy day for me. I was crazy stressed at work and my head throbbed with pain for a big chunk of the day. My boss had resigned and it had finally hit me how much work I would have to cover after she left (with no possibility or desire to be promoted into her job.)  So all told, a sucky day. Also, the kid’s back to school party had been moved from the week before to that Thursday that we had to miss, and there was a school meeting after for the 5th grade trip, so it felt like a no-win day.  And the logistics of a 6 pm homemade-food-only potluck on a Thursday night were crazy tough. I had to do all the prep work, and most of the cooking, the night before.

Still, I was glad I went to the show.

First, it was at my friend Genevieve’s house. Not only was it great to support a friend, but she lives only a couple miles from us, and Genevieve was the one who went to the last Jeremy Messersmith Supper Club Tour house concert with Eric and me. Plus she has a beautiful home (She’s an architect extraordinaire), and a dog and 2 guinea pigs (selling points for Natalie.) She had even set up a “stage” in the back yard from logs and candles. Very pretty.

Second, it was a house concert. There is no better way to experience music than a house concert. It’s intimate, relaxed, not loud, and you can interact directly with the musician. The tricky part is just hearing about them while an act is small enough to want to do them, and knowing who you might like.

Third, it was an early show. We were out of there by 9, which was great for a school/work night.

Fourth, it was a perfect fall night: clear, crisp, not buggy, with a hint of fireplace wood smoke in the air- idyllic.

Fifth, it was (mostly) kid-friendly.  Most of the lyrics were clean. There were a few f-bombs and references to getting drunk, but lots of humorous lyrics too that made Natalie laugh. The dog also let her pet him, which was a highlight for Natalie. We did get a sitter for Sidney because we didn’t think he’d be able to stay quiet and it was past his bedtime.

Sixth, dinner was included. It might have been hard to cook in the hour before the show, but it was very nice to go to a potluck where everyone was asked to label ingredient on the dishes. Jeremy’s super club tours all have potlucks attached to them.

Seventh, Jeremy Messersmith delivers a great show. It was an entirely acoustic set, and Jeremy’s diction is clear over the music, so even for people who don’t know all the words, they could understand the clever nuances of the songwriting. I particularly loved the inappropriate question jar. It’s a mechanism for him to interact with overly polite, quiet, audiences. He made a point about how he added “inappropriate” as a social engineering trick to get fun, interesting questions into the mix. They added laughter to the event, and hearing his answers made you feel closer to Jeremy.

I’d say, if you’re having a bad day, there’s no better way to make it better than to go to a Jeremy Messersmith concert.@jmessersmith

Holychild, The Family Crest, and The Lonely Wild at the Rock and Roll Hotel, July 2015

I went to two shows at Rock and Roll Hotel this week, after at least a year of avoiding that venue. I really don’t like the space. It’s a long rectangle with low ceilings and therefore a low stage at the far end. If you’re my height (5’ 5”), you can’t see much of anything unless you are close to the front.  There’s no seating at all, no public transportation, and difficult parking. It’s also hot, and they have a bad habit of shining laser lights into the audience, blinding us. But, the art won out over the venue this time, and so I went.

Holychild did a free show that was underwritten by Audi and was recorded as if it would become part of a commercial or online video. The duo was a trio this time, and the lead singer was every bit as vivacious and fun as last time I saw them at Sweetlife Festival. She wore a velvet cat suit this time, with feathers at the cuffs, and her signature gems on the middle part of her hair. She also left the stage twice to come hug people and dance in the audience. It was very entertaining, and I still have earworms playing in my head from their “brat pop” sound.  Jill and I liked the show.  (July 15, 2015)

Holychild,  Rock and Roll Hotel, July 2015

Two days later, Eric and I went to see one of my top favorite bands from last year, The Family Crest. I’ve missed two of their shows in DC in the last year (I was out of town), and I wasn’t about to miss this one. Their opening, The Lonely Wild, was very good, but a little too 70s/folk/Stevie Nicks for my taste. I did like their use of brass and the female singer seemed to know a little bit about a whole lot of instruments. The male singer had a really good voice, too. Everything sounded lovely, I just didn’t care for any of the songs. The performance was average, but that’s ok if you are talented.

The Lonely Wild,  Rock and Roll Hotel, July 2015

The Family Crest was excellent musically.  They do beautiful chamber pop, and the lead singer is opera trained.  He is amazing, and the musicians made the music soar. There was a lot of energy on that little stage.  I’m pretty sure the two singers (male and female) are married to one another. She was super sweet and endearing on stage. LOVED that their merch included onesies for babies. I wracked my brain trying to think of someone who would appreciate one; alas, I failed to come up with anyone who had a baby recently and is a fan of the band. I only wish the lights guy hadn’t spent the evening shining the lasers into the audience’s eyes every other beat. I felt like I missed half the show. I would definitely see them again.

The Family Crest,  Rock and Roll Hotel, July 2015

Packing for a festival

earplugs
trash bags
towel
mud-approved sandals or old sneakers
cargo pants/shorts
rain gear
sunscreen -some festivals only allow LOTION
bug spray wipes - no aerosol allowed at some festivals
stadium seat
empty water bottle
flashlight
blinking bracelets
backpack
wet wipes
Kleenex
bandaids/tums/Lactaid
a book in a plastic bag
hot weather clothes
chilly weather clothes - include light sweater or sweatshirt
hairbands
hat
sunglasses
sanitary napkins
cords
battery charger
phone
camera
bandana
Snacks for the ride/breakfast foods
PJs/toiletries 
sports bras, shirts, underwear, sleepwear
extra ziplocks
swimwear for the beach/pool before or after the festival




9/26/15

And I add to this  notepad and pen, cash and credit card, ID, TICKET

Local shows: metro card, car keys