Week Of:  March 5-11, 2018 

Funky world flavor

Summary:

There is a lot of variety on the menu this week, flavored with so many delicious opportunities for FUNK. Check it out.

DC Music Review Staff Picks :

DC Music Review staff are talking about these tasty morsels:

• Funk Parade is a one-of-a-kind parade, street fair, and music festival to celebrate U Street, the District and the spirit of funk. It was created to make good things happen by bringing people together and making them feel all right through music, dance and the visual arts. On March 7, head to the Funk Parade FunkPowered Kickoff Party at Marvin Social to kickstart the celebration. Booty shaking is not optional.
• On March 7 (Rams Head Live in Baltimore) and March 8 (The National in Richmond), catch JJ Grey & Mofro whose presence onstage is described as, "something startling and immediate, at times a funk rave-up, other times a sort of mass-absolution for the mortal weaknesses that make him and his audience human." With a description like that, how can you not be curious to check it out? JJ Grey has seen things and expresses it back musically with his whole heart.  
• Speaking of heart, this show may be sold out, but it's worth looking around for tickets to see the incredible Adrianne Lenker and Nick Hakim at the Miracle Theater on March 8. Beloved Adrianne Lenker (of Big Thief) is a songwriter extraordinaire whose vocal delivery seeps into you like she's whispering in your ear. Paired with soulful Brooklyn singer-songwriter Nick Hakim, another NPR Tiny Desk concert darling, it should be an intimate, memorable, heart-tugging show.
• If you live in the DMV and haven't seen the 12-piece afro-funk orchestral magic that is Chopteeth yet, catch them at AMP on March 9 for their infectiously joy-making show. They are the quintessential staple of groove and love in our fair city.
• Psychedelic pop-rockers The Flaming Lips are known for their genre defying sound and elaborate live shows. They've been named one of the "50 Bands To See Before You Die" by Q Magazine.  Get your body to the National in Richmond on March 10 to cross this off your list.
• So beyond excited for this show at the Tally Ho. On March 10, check out The Mantras Perform the Beastie Boys (with opening band, Of Tomorrow). The Mantras, a five piece jam machine born of Greensboro, NC have been "conquering crowds and melting minds progressively" for over a decade. Catch them throwback and throw down to a barrage of Beasties classics featuring full instrumentation and three-part vocals. Opening is DC favorite, Of Tomorrow, a band that curates a rotating cast of musicians and an ever-evolving encyclopedia of music: funk, rock, reggae, samba, hip-hop, soul. Don't miss this one.
• Get awash in dirty funk with Dumpstaphunk with special guest Capital Funk Squad at Gypsy Sally's on March 11.  Dumpstaphunk stands out among New Orleans' best as one of the funkiest bands to ever arise from the Crescent City. These soldiers of funk ignite a deep, gritty groove that dares listeners not to move. Opening is DC's own Capital Funk Squad, who is made up of several local musicians (from Antibalas, Nappy Riddem, Elikeh, Staycation and Alan Scott Band) and was built to preserve and explore the funk, the whole funk, and nothing but the funk.  This show promises to make you move. 

Hidden Gem Shows: 

This week there are lots of DC locals and lots of visiting musicians (SF, Brooklyn, RI, and China) that make up the hidden gems.  These are the kinds of shows/events that I love to get to because they often feel up-close and personal or make me think a little differently about what I think I know. Check out this week's tasty batch: 

• On March 5 at Blues Alley, catch Meklit, an Ethio-American singer, composer, and cultural instigator based in the San Francisco Bay Area. Meklit's third record comes out this spring with songs that "shine with pentatonic melodies, Ethio groove, and a singer-songwriter's poetic core." Described as "immigrant music and American music all at the same time," this is a show for the times. 
• Get sated with Acid Dad/Teen Mortgage/nah. at a show that will make you feel full. Brooklyn rockers Acid Dad have gained a loyal following for their ferocious live shows and the weight of their psych punk intensity. Come check them out at Songbyrd on March 7 with DC-bred trash punk band Teen Mortgage and the introspective, original, and totally mesmerizing DC psychedelic indie rock band, nah. 
• Virginia native Lauren Calve is a singer-songwriter based in Washington, D.C. Steeped in American roots music, Calve's songs are by turns anthemic and poetic as they move between rousing blues-rock, sweeping folk-driven numbers, and delicate balladry. Check out her new EP at the Lauren Calve Release Show! with Peyote Pilgrim & Hardworker on March 9 at the Black Cat. 
• On March 10 at Gypsy Sally's, enjoy the savory sounds of Toubab Krewe with Threesound. The quintet Toubab Krewe blends American and West African influences, setting "a new standard for fusions of rock 'n' roll and West African music."  Threesound, a Virginia based quartet, dips into the genres of funk, rock, and pop to deliver an organic and original sound filled with fat backbeats and smooth sensibilities. 
• Deer Tick is not as scary as it sounds. They are a Rhode Island based alt-country/hard-to-label band who are known for the energy and banter and "realness" of their shows. You have a chance to feel their bite at three different DMV venues between March 9 (Baltimore soundstage), March 10 (Virginia Beach's Shaka's Live), or March 11 (The Broadberry).  
• Wanna get local? Come on out for a heckuva night of live music in Baltimore and vote for your favorite band at the Battle of the Bands Finals - Charm City Bluegrass Festival. Featuring The Shroom Pickers, 19th Street Band, The Pate Scrapers, and D.T. Huber and Whale Show on March 10 at Baltimore's 8x10. 
• Here is your Sunday brunch plan. Go see String Sing Brunch! China to Appalachia on March 11 at Takoma Ranch for some of the best music you can see, hear, and feel up-close. This show features Strathmore Artist-in-Residence Chao Tian, master of the Chinese Hammered Dulcimer, who in 2008 received China’s Ministry of Culture “Wen Hua” award—the highest honor given to Chinese musicians. Through her work, she strives to create dialogues between Chinese traditional music and music from the rest of the world. Also on the menu is the most gracious gift that is local Grammy artists Cathy Fink & Marcy Marxer, string wizards on banjos, guitars, ukuleles, cello banjo and more. They know how to mix and match American Roots music from Appalachian, Swing and Folk Traditions to create something aurally delicious.
• After brunch, check out Girls Drum! DC Fest Benefit for Girls Rock! DC as it brings together great DC bands--all featuring women drummers---for a great cause: to empower grrrls and raise money for Girls Rock! DC. Come support the cause at Songbyrd at 5p on March 11 and hear from these amazing DC bands: Lightmare, The Meer, Ménage À Garage, More AM than FM, and Syndicate 51.   ​​​​

Here are our recommendations for shows throughout the DMV.