Week Of:  ​June 11-17, 2018  

Summary:  Near Summer Splendor

After an incredible weekend of PRIDE and JOY in this city, DC is in full effect. Take those love vibes from last weekend and bring them forward into this sunny week. There is something to check out every day, every night in the DMV, so get to it!  

My Must-See Hodgepodge:

If I could see a show every night, here's what I would catch:

• June 11 - Tia Fuller at City Winery DC - Tia Fuller is inspiration. I listened to her first and she hits notes on her sax with tone and intention like I wish I could do with my voice when I'm telling a really good story. Then I opened my eyes and watched her face while she played, and she is expressing just as much passion and feeling into her music (which includes jazz standards, deep cuts, and super soulful originals). That she was selected to be a member of the all-female band touring with R&B star, Beyoncé, that's icing on the cake. Go see her and check out ALL of the amazing jazz possibilities this week at the DC Jazz Fest (see more picks below)!

• June 12 - Thomas Wynn and the Believers with Mary-eL Band at Gypsy Sallys - Why? The opener, the Mary eL Band, provides a vibrancy and cool in the DC scene that can only be filled with her understated sensibilities. She marries her powerful voice with a seriously mean guitar and incredible original music. Then I checked out Thomas Wynn and the Believers who I didn't know before, and now I can't not know. Their songs are deceivingly accessible in that they are instantly easy to groove on, but more complex underneath the surface. They offer a soul/blues/rock mix that is tight. Thomas's signature voice is fearless, yet warm with huge range (emotional and scalable) for such a rocker. I can't wait to dig into their Wade Waste Deep album some more. 

• June 13 - Strathmore Artist-in- Residence Josanne Francis at Strathmore Mansion - If you want to see steelpan played like you may have never seen/heard it before, go see Josanne Francis, who is described as a natural pannest. She plays with such joy and such nuance, it's a bit like feeling a new magic. As the artistic director of the Cultural Academy for Excellence, she also uses the steelpan to bring music education to after-school and weekend programs. I am a huge fan of the Strathmore Mansion programs because they allow you to experience a diversity of talent in an up-close-and-personal living room. I anticipate that Josanne Francis in that space is going to be eye-heart-ear opening. 

• June 14 - KRS-ONE, Ashley Sierra, Soul Cannon, and Eva Rhymes at Baltimore Sound Stage - KRS-One is a living legend. You may know him by his footprint in the early days of hip hop and a conscious rap. His latest album, 2017's The World Is Mind,is like chaotic jazz riff that explodes with lyrical sense about today's issues that have plagued our society for centuries. (One of my favorite albums of last year.) Here's what I didn't know about KRS-One, he also hosts a free series of lessons about Black History Month that is as powerful as his voice. Check him out with Ashley Sierra, Soul Cannon, and Eva Rhymes on this last stop of his tour. 

• June 15 - Munderground: Mundy and JUXT at Dupont Underground - MUNDY and JUXT are two adventuresome, bold, insanely talented DC-based, female-identified fronted acts. DCMR just saw Mundy perform "Jigsaw Falling Into Place" and "Idioteque," and Piano Whitman from JUXT perform "Creep" at the Radiohead Tribute/Planned Parenthood Fundraiser last weekend. They both brought the house DOWN. MUNDY is a gracious performer, mesmerizing to watch and hear, every sound and every facial expression and twist of her body is so completely on point with the music. (More to come on MUNDY in a future DCMR interview.) And Piano (keys, vocals, sax) from JUXT (who also includes Jay Burden on guitar and vocals and Akira Yasuhara on drums) took "Creep" and made it completely her own with a stripped down, vulnerable, raw rendition. See their performances here and then catch them at the underbelly of Dupont Circle at the Dupont Underground for this hot show. 

• June 16 - Roosevelt Collier Trio at Pearl Street Warehouse - I saw Roosevelt "The Dr." Collier perform a few years back at Gypsy Sally's and was so moved by him because he emotes, he gives to his audience, he shares in the experience with you through his mastery of the pedal steel guitar. (Yes, I was able to hug him afterward and it felt appreciated, both ways.) DCMR reviewed a recent show where he played performed "Jimi Meets Funk", a tribute to Jimi Hendrix with DC-based Sol Roots (guitar), Carly Harvey (vocals), Mike McHenry (guitar) and DC legend Ron Holloway (tenor saxophone) to the delight of the crowd. We also reviewed his latest solo album Exit 16, which is a, "powerhouse of an album, taking listeners on a epic rollercoaster of a journey." The doctor is in the house, do not miss your appointment to see him and get healed. 

• June 17 - Stephen Malkmus & the Jicks and Lithics at Black Cat  - I've seen Stephen Malkmus about half a dozen times over the years and he always sounds freshly smudged out of the box to me, just like the first time I heard Pavement. He's playing right here at Black Cat with his bandmates in the Jicks, no excuses not to go. The opening band Lithics, gives us really good minimalist punk with gleaming dissonant guitar riffs. Upon first listen, they made me wish they were my older sibling's band that I got to hang out and listen to while drawing weird pictures in the basement. I might have been more of a risk-taker had that been the case.

• June 17 - The Mike Seeger Commemorative 12th Annual OLD TIME BANJO FESTIVAL at The Birchmere - There is so much to say about this event that honors old time banjo music with the best of the best, including Cathy Fink & Marcy Marxer with Sam Gleves, Dom Flemons, Ken & Grad Kolodner Quartet with Rachel Eddie. I've studied  with longtime DC residents Marcy and Cathy and they are as down-to-earth as you can get. Described as, "...social pioneers, master musicians," they playing together over 35 years ago. Since then, they've won multiple Grammys, toured worldwide, performed at hundreds of bluegrass and folk festivals. After teaming up with notable musician Sam Gleaves, the trio's debut, Shout and Shine, spotlights the incredible and unconventional friendship between the three multigeneraltional musicians, brought together by the culture, power, love and community of roots music.  

and don't forget...

• June 11-17 - DC JazzFest is still going strong with some FREE shows of many amazing artists. Beyond Tia Fuller (mentioned above), a few highlights include:
  • June 16 - A free 3:00p show by the Roxy Coss Quintet at Hyatt House on The Wharf.  Roxy Cross (sax, composer) and her line-up is amazing, and they are celebrating their Spring 2018 release The Future is Female.  
  • June 16 - Leslie Odom Jr., R+R=NOW (Robert Glasper Supergroup), Maceo Parker (hellooooo this is SO GOOD!) at The Anthem and earlier that day at 2:45p you have a chance to Meet the Artist: Robert Glasper - The Plan: A Discussion for Musicians (he's a Grammy award winner pianist and record producer who is jaw-droppingly talented/inspirational/visionary) at The WHARF- Education Village @ Recreation Pier at 2:45p. 
  • June 17 - Meet Melissa Aldana, Chilean tenor saxophone player, at 1:15p at The Wharf- Education Village @ Recreation Pier before her steaming and FREE 2:45 performance on the Pier.  Her 2016 Wommusic release “Back Home” was met with esteemed praise including the New York Times who described her album as, "a supremely focused statement.” 

And check out all of these top picks from ALL DCMR Staff below!

DCMR Staff Top Picks: 

• June 11 - Chromeo and Pomo at 9:30 Club
• June 11 - They. at Union Stage
• June 12 - CAPS Victory Parade at Constitution and 17th St., NW -- because there will be MUSIC and merriment!
• June 13 - Barrere & Tackett of Little Feat at AMP Powered by Strathmore
• June 14 - Ghost Note with Backbeat Underground at Gypsy Sally's
• June 14 - Marco Benevento at the 8x10 - (Note: check out this DCMR write-up about this genre bending guru.)
• June 15 - Middle Kids at Rock & Roll Hotel 
• June 16 - Yellow Dubmarine at The Soundry
• June 16 - Chopteeth Afro Funk Big Band at Ivy Street Smokehouse
• June 16 - Better Off Dead with Moose Jaw Bluegrass at Gypsy Sally's
• June 16 - 10th Annual Silver Spring Blues Festival at 920 Ellsworth Drive, Silver Spring, MD
• June 16 - M. Ward with Cigarette at 9:30 Club 
• June 16 and 17 - Houndmouth with Liz Cooper & The Stampede at Rams Head Live (6/16) and 9:30 Club (6/17)
• June 16 and 17 - Mad Tea Party Farewell at The 8x10
• June 17 - Cold War Kids and the Regrettes at Rams Head Live
• June 17 - ConFunkSun at Bethesda Blues & Jazz Supper Club

Hidden Gems: 

Names You Know and Love: 

You want to see a big name or legendary player this week? There's plenty of choices almost every day of this week:

• June 11 - Daryl Hall & John Oates and Train at Capital One Arena  
• June 12 - Robert Plant & the Sensational Space Shifters, Sheryl Crow, Seth Lakeman at Merriweather Post Pavilion 
• June 12 - Roger Daltry performs The Who's Tommy w/members of The Who  & Wolf Trap Orchestra at Wolf Trap
• June 13 - Ben Harper & Charlie Musselwhite at  9:30 Club
• June 13 - Boz Scaggs at Strathmore ​
• June 14 - Harry Connick Jr.: A New Orleans Tricentennial Celebration at Wolf Trap
• June 14 - KRS-ONE, Ashley Sierra, and Eva Rhymes at Baltimore Sound Stage
• June 16 - Journey and Def Leppard at Royal Farms Arena 
• June 17 - Bone Thugs-N-Harmony at Fillmore Silver Spring
• June 17 -  U2 - the eXPERIENCE + iNNOCENCE Tour 2018 at Capital One Arena 
• June 17 - Lucinda Williams, Steve Earle, Dwight Yoakam, and King Leg at MGM National Harbor

Below is a calendar view of all our featured events throughout the DMV.