Week Of:  April 2-8, 2018  

Hatching the groove eggs.

Summary:

Spring is in the air. Time to shake off that winter dander and loosen up those viscid joints with this bounty of freshness. 

DC Music Review Staff Picks:

I checked in with the DC Music Review staff, these are some of the headliner shows that they are springing for:

• April 3: The nation's leading Grateful Dead tribute band Dark Star Orchestra pays their now annual visit to The Hamilton for an acoustic performance.  This year has two special twists:  1. With Rob Eaton unable to make the trip, this year's show will have a Jerry Garcia Band theme. 2. Local favorites Better Off Dead will be doing a FREE after-show upstairs in The Hamilton Loft. The beloved DC Dead cover band kicks their set off at 10:30 and will playing into the wee hours.
• April 4: Yo La Tengo just released their new album, "There's a Riot Going on," which is getting solid reviews on the blogosphere. They are on a three-month tour and lucky us, they are stopping in DC at the 9:30 Club. Check them out at this unique, often interactive, feel-good show. 
• April 5:  Thursday brings Denver's leading hypnotic horn-driven funk ensemble to the 9:30 club as The Motet with Soule Monde hits DC.  This is only the second stop of their Spring tour so they will be sure to be fresh and  full of goodness.
• April 6: Make sure you save some energy for an amazing Friday night lineup as Gypsy Sally's is proud to welcome the Funky Dawgz Brass Band w/Dan n' Friends.  While they hail from Connecticut, the dawgz bring the spirit and traditions of New Orleans to Georgetown. Opening the show is local legend Dan Steele and his rotating cast of friends. When you need a break, dip into the adjacent Vinyl Lounge to soak up the sounds of Dan Segall and songwriter/storyteller extraordinaire Jay Byrd.
• April 7: In Richmond? Catch the incredible Phish tribute band Runaway Gin as they light up the Broadberry and prime everyone for festival season this summer. 
• April 8: It's a sold out show, but if you can get in, get to Lorde with Run the Jewels and Mitski at Anthem. Reviewers of the show say it's raw, real, and you get to see Lorde cut loose and dance. With guests like Run the Jewels and Mitski, it's a hot ticket.​

And don't miss these...

Living Legends -- How incredibly lucky are we to have these legends grace the DMV. Check it out:

• April 3-4: Victor Wooten Trio at The Broadberry on April 3 and at Rams Head On Stage on April 4
• April 6: Bobby McFarrin at Strathmore 
• April 7: Patti LaBelle at Warner Theater 
• April 8: Art Garfunkel at Rams Head On Stage 

Hidden Gems

• April 3: Mirah with The Secret Drum Band at DC9 will be a deep-reaching show in a very intimate space. Philly-born and Brooklyn-based Mirah is praised by Pitchfork for her “incredible voice—a versatile coo that can flit from low, sultry tones to high, airy falsetto in one breath.” Joining her is Portland's Secret Drum band, which features five percussionists and two ambient musicians who create music in response to soundscape, choosing locations that draw attention to issues concerning endangered species, ecosystem function, and habitat loss.
• April 3: At the Jennifer Hartswick & Nick Cassarino show at Pearl Street Warehouse, you can expect Jen (a mainstay with Phish's frontman’s Trey Anastasio Band) and Nick (one of the founders of The Nth Power) to play some sweet material from Jen’s forthcoming album as well as other choice selections that come from each of their past projects. 
• April 5: Start the weekend early on Thursday as DC9 features a quadruple-header of powerful DMV talent: Mary-el, nah., Fractal Cat, and FuzzQueen. Mary-eL for her jaw-dropping edgy funk, rock, and soul. nah. for their captivating, hand-holding, introspective realism. Fractal Cat with their psychedelic rock  social commentary and tight groove. And the one-of-a-kind power of FuzzQueen, who, "coalesce around issues of social injustice and feminine power to both mirror and confront the political climate through sonic exploration." Early 7:30 start to get all the greatness in. Only $8.
• April 5: The new super-duo, Yes Darling, comes to DC for their first time to play at Gypsy Sally's. Yes Darling features Hayley Jane and Ryan Montbleau in an adorable, quirky, and fun combination of two powerful performers. Come check them out with the authentic, good-time, soulful The Dan Lipton Trio opening. See the DCMR write-up here for more information on this goodness.
• April 5: In Baltimore? Check out Letitia & Laura Duo and The End of America play at The Four Hour Day Lutherie. Baltimore singer-songwriters Letitia VanSant and Laura Wortman of the Honey Dewdrops are teaming up to bring you unique harmonies on both originals and classic American favorites. Joined by Philly-based The End of America, a band of friends, singers and travelers who blend three-part harmony with rock and Americana. 
• April 6: Amorphous Amalgam is a super-new, super-weird, super-talented experimental band in town and they're playing a FREE, early show at Bossa on Friday night. Check them out as your tasty hors d'oeuvre before getting to your late-night Friday show.

Soulful Sounds

• April 3: Spend an evening with remarkable DC-native Sy Smith, the "Queen of Underground Soul" at Blues Alley.  Sy is a multi-talented singer, songwriter, musician, actress, music producer, and owns her own recording label. She is also a pioneer in the Electrosoul/Futuristic Soul/Indie Soul movements which has given her the well-deserved title of Queen in the Underground Soul genre. 
• April 4: You made to the middle of the week which is definitely an accomplishment worth celebrating! U Street Music Hall is giving you an excuse to lace up your dancing shoes for a trifecta of groove. Ripe headlines the night offering, "an unstoppable groove, an extended moment of ecstatic release, the catalyst for taking just another night and elevating it into something else entirely.” Ripe is joined by Boston’s own indie powerhouse Los Elk and DC’s tribute to 1960’s reggae and Ska (with a modern twist) The Fuss. 
• April 4: Ana Moura is an internationally recognized Portuguese fado singer who has collaborated with the likes of The Rolling Stones and Prince. This Portuguese fadista’s “melancholic intimacy dominates the moment it sashays out of the speakers…setting a mood of mesmerizing sorrow” (BBC). Catch her dynamic performance at Wolf Trap. 
• April 5:  Khruangbin w/ special guest Mattson 2 at the Black Cat his will be a super cool show. Texas-based Khruangbin is described as, "a psychedelic trio who draw inspiration from the deepest depths of music history: mixing 1960’s funk scene in Thailand, 1970’s Persian rock music, and 1980’s Algerian symphonia with a dash of disco, soul, and balearic music." Intrigued? Get there.

Indie Fixes

• April 2: Slow, subdued, hypnotic, and moody, the Brooklyn-quartet Cigarettes After Sex will twist you up with their straight-up lyrics and chew on you for awhile. If you need to catch your breath and go a little zoned-out deep, this is a perfect show to catch at the 9:30 Club. Catch their DCMR write-up here.
• April 6:  The North Carolina duo of Amelia Meath and Nick Sanborn, aka Sylvan Esso, are gracing The National in Richmond to promote their haunting, mesmerizing second album, "What Now." Their live show is said to be as incredible as listening to their music with your headphones with your eyes closed. 
• April 6: Feel it with Field Report w/Campdogzz at Songbyrd. Milwaukee-based Field Report's new album, "Summertime Songs” is deeply personal. As they describe, "there’s a lot of that fragility to sort through as many of us grapple with which version of panicky cold sweat we’re dealing with each day. But where these stories take us is quite personal and not at all a conversation about all that we can’t control. These stories remind us of all that we do or did control that WE let slip away. It’s our fault usually, and we KNOW it." Damn.

Jam Opps

• April 4: Head to Neel Singh's Open Jam and Workshop at Villain & Saint, walk in, sign up, and be paired up with other musicians for an impromptu jam. Or if you and your band have something already prepared you want to try workshop on stage, this is the place. Mistakes, risk-taking, letting go are welcomed at this fun jam. 
• April 4: The March Shining Blade Session, a free jam hosted at Bossa by local band Shining Blade Theory, is a space for DC musicians who like funk, soul and hip-hop to meet, create and/or simply vibe together in an informal jam session. Bring your instrument (drum kit and amplifiers provided), your good vibes, and create with other musicians and music-lovers in a live, informal setting.
• April 5: If you love experiencing music unfold live before you, or if you a musician wanting to jump on stage for a solid jam, get yourself to the welcoming Gordon Sterling Presents: The Gypsy Sally's Jam to experience and share some sick on-the-spot grooves and kind people. 

Here are our recommendations for shows throughout the DMV.