Author Archives: Katie Willmott

While the summer season seems to be moving at an alarmingly fast pace, don’t fret—there are still great shows rolling through the area and, even better, TVD has tickets that we want to give to our readers.

As usual, we’re previewing some of the shows coming to the 9:30 Club this month and giving you the chance to enter to win tickets. Also, this time around we’re switching things up and giving you a chance to get an extra entry into the giveaway of your choice… Check out more details below!

Justin Jones, Sat 7/21

In 2010, Justin Jones was the first artist signed to the 9:30 Club’s own 9:30 Records. The release of his first EP, The Little Fox, came shortly thereafter. Since then, Jones has performed with the likes of Ray Montagne, K.D. Lang, Grace Pitter & The Nocturnals, Drive-By Truckers, and Badly Drawn Boy.

Fast forward to 2012, and the alt-country singer is now preparing for the forthcoming release of his fourth full-length album, Fading Light, set to hit shelves May 8th. Catch Jones as he plays his first-ever headlining show at the 9:30 Club this Saturday. Whether you’re a new devotee or one who as been following his career, you may want to check back with us in just a little bit… (Hint.)

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If you’ve been wondering where Bloc Party has been, you’re in good company. Following the 2008 release of the critically acclaimed Intimacy, the group went on an extended hiatus, leaving fans and critics alike wondering what the future would hold for the electronic-rock band from London.

Four years and a few successful side projects later, Bloc Party has reunited and returned to the music scene, announcing the forthcoming release and tracklist of the aptly-titled Four, out August 21st on Frenchkiss Records. Of the group’s fourth album, lead singer Kele Okereke says, “It is the sound that only the four of us could make, and I am prouder of it than any record we have ever made.”

The band also just announced North American tour dates in support of their new album. Bloc Party will be playing at the 9:30 Club on both September 16th and 17th alongside hardcore heavyweights Ceremony. Tickets don’t go on sale until 10AM on Friday, but we have a pair of tickets that we want to give to you before you can even buy ’em.

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C’mon now. Everyone’s guilty of it. Waiting until there’s no one around, cranking the music up, and playing some mean air guitar. For those of us with the courage to show off our skills outside of the comforts of our own homes, there’s the 10th Annual US Air Guitar Championships.

Want to channel your inner guitar hero? Well, you’re in luck. The Washington, DC Regional portion of the competition will be taking place at the 9:30 Club this coming Saturday, on June 23rd.

Saturday night will consist of two rounds. During Round 1, each competitor (the competition is open to all DC residents) will perform to a song of their own choosing. The top competitors from this round will then proceed to Round 2, where they will be required to perform a surprise compulsory song. Competitors will be judged based on a combination of technical merit, stage presence, and “airness.”

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On August 21st, psychedelic pop-freak folk darlings Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti will release Mature Themes, the follow-up to their 2010 debut album, Before Today.

Unlike its predecessor, the songwriting process for the new album gave Pink and his band time to develop things without dealing with a time crunch. “We had time to develop things without the clock rolling,” Pink recently told Rolling Stone. “It’d been about five years since I had an opportunity to sit down and develop things, which is something that has been bothering me. That’s the opportunity I got with this record.”

Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti embark on a North American tour this summer in support of their forthcoming release and will stop at the 9:30 Club on September 13th. Also taking the stage that evening will be BODYGUARD and Moon Diagrams. You can listen to “Baby” from the new album while you patiently wait for the release and then the show.

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English singer-songwriter Laura Marling may only be twenty-two, but she has been a prominent figure in the folk music scene since she was 16; she is well-known for being one of the original members of indie folk band Noah and the Whale before breaking out on her own in 2008.

Thanks to her striking melodies and use of acoustic instruments, Marling has gone on to make quite the name for herself. She has played an assortment of high profile gigs, collaborated with artists including Mystery Jets and Mumford & Sons, and, most recently, won Best Solo Female Artist at the 2011 Brit Awards.

Now with three solo albums under her belt, Marling is widely known as one of the poster children of the British “nu-folk” movement.

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If you don’t know who Gotye is, you’ve been living under a rock (or without a radio).

The Australian singer-songwriter’s ubiquitous single “Somebody That I Used to Know,” featuring Kimbra, has sold more than seven million copies worldwide and has quickly become one of the best-selling downloads of all time.

Gotye will be coming to Merriweather Post Pavilion on Sunday, June 30th with Missy Higgins and Jonti. While tickets don’t go on sale until this Friday at 10AM, we have a pair of lawn tickets that we want to be in the hands of one lucky reader before you can even buy ’em!

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Psychedelic-pop-electric-space-rock group CHAPPO is currently touring in support of their first full-length LP, Moonwater. The quartet will be stopping at the Rock & Roll Hotel tomorrow, May 31st, and we want to send you and a friend to the show!

The album was recorded in Vermont and produced by the band’s drummer/vocalist Zac Colwell. Colwell notes that the album is a slight departure from the group’s previous releases, saying, “We wanted to capture a certain energy and vibe, stripping down the gear, going really minimal to focus on the performance and obtain that freedom in the sound.”

While it has a more stripped down sound, Moonwater is still full of catchy, upbeat songs that will be sure to translate well into live performances. The Brooklyn-based band is notorious for raising the bar during their concerts, which usually feature feather headdresses and copious amounts of glitter and confetti.

The band’s infectious pop tunes have some describing them as “The Rolling Stones meets Beck in outer space, The Flaming Lips minus gravity.” To be honest, I don’t know for sure what this means, but I do know that it sounds awesome.

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The Mayans weren’t the only ones who thought the world was going to end in 2012 – it seems 2 Skinnee J’s are feeling uncertain about the future as well. The group will be taking the 9:30 Club stage on as part of their Pre-Apocalypse Now & Forever! Tour. Also performing that night will be Royal Teeth and Sou Orchestra.

The band has gone through an assortment of line-up changes, as well as agents, management, and record labels since originally starting in 1991.

Interestingly, the band’s current manager, A.J. “Stumpy” Johnson, allegedly won the band while playing a game of cards in Las Vegas.

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Another day, another dollar, another month, another assortment of great tickets to give away. You know the deal—we preview the artists coming to the 9:30 Club, you enter to win a pair of tickets to the shows. Check out who’s coming through DC this month.

Spiritualized, Thurs 5/10

Spiritualized is the psychedelic-space rock-dream pop band from Rugby, Warwickshire. While the band has been together since 1997, Jason Pierce (also known by his stage name, J. Spaceman) is the only sole permanent member of the band, composing and singing all of the band’s material.

Spiritualized will be taking the 9:30 Club stage on May 10th as they tour in support of Sweet Heart Sweet Light. Of the band’s seventh album, Rolling Stone says, “The record finds Piece working on the familiar grand scale of past Spiritualized discs while emphasizing simpler, bolder melodies.”

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Merriweather Post Pavilion kicked off a new season of concerts with the Sweetlife Food and Music Festival last Saturday, April 28th. While the weather was less than desirable, the third annual Sweetgreen-sponsored concert brought out a large gathering of food and music lovers alike.

The first band to take to the Main Stage was fun. The group kicked off their eight-song set with “One Foot,” a track off of their sophomore album, Some Nights, released last month. Despite their somewhat early 12:30 set time, fun. drew in a very respectable crowd and helped energize concertgoers. “Are you ready for a long day?” asked lead singer Nate Ruess at one point, to which audience members responded with cheers and applause.

The three-piece group was accompanied on stage by a touring band that included a trumpet player, as well as a saxophonist/keyboardist. While it’s no question that fun. kept fans engaged during their entire performance, it was their last song, the ubiquitous “We Are Young,” that commanded the most attention and led to what I found to be the most epic sing-along of the day. Overall, the band’s set was upbeat, lighthearted, infectious, and, needless to say, all things fun.

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With the impending change of seasons looming in the air, it’s hard not to think about the summer months that will soon be upon us. With summer comes warmer weather, and, of course, an all-new array of artists and bands making their way to Merriweather Post Pavilion in Columbia, Md.

Kicking off the Merriweather summer concert series is the third annual Sweetlife Food and Music Festival, taking place this Saturday, April 28th.

Sweetlife is sponsored by Sweetgreen, a Washington, DC-based restaurant chain that uses healthy, organic foods from local farms in its restaurants. The festival, a celebration of music, food, and eco-consciousness, will feature a wide variety of artists performing on two stages. Among the musicians set to perform are The Shins, fun., Kid Cudi, Avicii, Fitz and the Tanstrums, The Delta Spirit, Explosions in the Sky, and A$AP Rocky.

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DJ/producer/multi-instrumentalist Andrew Cohen, better known as Mayer Hawthorne, and his band, The County, are currently in the midst of their How Do You Do World Tour.

The tour, promoting Hawthorne’s album of the same name, will be stopping at the 9:30 Club on April 17th. Also taking the stage will be Stones Throw Records label mates The Stepkids.

When asked to describe his music, Hawthorne, a self-described vinyl junkie, says, “it’s soul, but new.” Hawthorne’s description of his music is short, sweet, and on-point.

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