The end of yet another year is here! December is the time for holiday greetings and gay happy meetings, at least according to that overplayed Christmas song. It’s also the time for giving and spending time with friends and family, and what’s better than spending quality family time at a concert? Or giving that extra free ticket to a friend?
To help you get in that giving mood, here’s the December preview of shows coming to the 9:30 Club all month long and an extra chance to win tickets to the show of your choice from the list below.
Swedish rock and rollers The Hives have been blowing minds with their ground shaking, glam-punk style since 2007. The five-piece successfully continue their legacy of reinventing rock and roll by following a rather simple cycle: “release new Hives record, conquer world by touring, repeat.”
If that cycle is correct, the next step after their 2012 release of Lex Hives would be to tour. And tour, they have. Just yesterday, the Hives announced their upcoming gig with Australia’s Big Day Out event. Before the band rocks the down under, you can catch them at the 9:30 Club on Tuesday, December 10.
Chicago born and bred hip-hop artist Lupe Fiasco has been known for his avant-garde approach to writing and recording music. For me, his latest single and collaboration with fellow artist Ed Sheeran was indeed a pleasant surprise. Released this past October, “Old School Love” has earned much airplay, just as a track produced by two creative musicians should.
Offering even more of a preview to his upcoming album Tetsuo and Youth, Lupe Fiasco is reaching the end of his Tetsuo and Youth Preview Tour. With just a few dates left, you wouldn’t want to miss a chance to see him and show him some old school love on Wednesday, December 11.
Though December is more of an elves month, Italian band Goblin will be making an appearance on none other than a Friday the Thirteenth. Coincidence? I think not…
For the first time in nearly 40 years, the band known primarily for its work on horror movie soundtracks will be roaming North America. Due to the popularity and success of their first U.S. tour in October, the band announced a second leg of the North American tour through December. Head over to the 9:30 Club this coming Friday the Thirteenth to hear Goblin’s classic horror movie scores as well as scores that were never performed live.
Multi-talented artist Ms. Lauryn Hill will be stopping by D.C. on December 15 as a part of her string of intimate Homecoming shows. First breaking out into the music world as a part of the Fugees, Ms. Hill really captured audiences once she embarked on a solo career. With her first solo release The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, the R&B singer-songwriter broke records, becoming the first woman and hip-hop artist to win five Grammy Awards.
Hill’s re-emergence onto the stage kicked off in New York just a few weeks ago. The New York Times praised her stage presence and obvious talents, stating, “She has extraordinary gifts. Though her voice is lower and raspier than it was when she emerged in the 1990s, she is a supercharged soul singer who stokes her songs all the way through, and her rapping is breakneck, articulate and vehement. She’s also an improvisatory, drama-building bandleader.”
September 10 saw the release of Trombone Shorty and Orleans Avenue‘s third album Say that to Say This. The album sound is described as “really funky, like James Brown mixed with The Meters and Neville Brothers, with what I do on top, and we have a bit of R&B,” according to Trombone Shorty himself, Troy Andrews.
Still trying to figure out what you’re doing on New Years Eve? Instead of watching the televised fun in Times Square, grab some pals, head out to the 9:30 Club, and ring in the new year Mardi-Gras-style on the last of Trombone Shorty’s three-night stint at the club. There really is no better way to kick off the new year than by sipping drinks and dancing to music inspired by the home of Mardi Gras festivities, New Orleans.
Throughout the month, be sure to check back here to find out how you can get your hands on a pair of tickets to each of the above shows for yourself and a friend. For a bonus early entry, leave a comment below sharing your favorite [overplayed] Christmas song and the show(s) of your choice.
