TVD’s 9:30 Club March Concert Preview

The end of the so-called “winter that wasn’t” will soon be upon us, as February has come and gone, and the month of March is now here.

However, there’s way more to celebrate than just the impending arrival of the spring season. Check out the shows TVD will be giving away free tickets to this month… Maybe the luck of the Irish will be on your side, and you’ll be one of the TVD readers going to see one of these upcoming 9:30 Club shows.

9:30 Club Presents Fanfarlo, Wed 3/7 at U Street Music Hall

Fanfarlo is well known for the wide range of instruments used by its five members, with everything ranging from guitar, bass, and violin to trumpet, mandolin, and xylophone. The London-based band just released their new album, Rooms Filled with Light, on February 28th. Fanfarlo’s sophomore release finds them exploring a variety of lyrical themes while sticking to the baroque pop sound that they’ve become known for, with NPR saying, “The band know how to capture attention with spare, languid lamentations and hugely involved crazy quilts of sound, because it often stuffs both into a single song.” Check out Fanfarlo when they swing by UHall on Wednesday… Perhaps you’ll want to check back here in just a little bit? (Hint.)

Gomez, Mon 3/12

Gomez will be stopping in DC as part of the Quinceañera Tour: Celebrating 15 Years of Live Performances. With the help of the genre-twisting, eclectic sound and instrumentation heard on Gomez’s seven studio albums, this English indie band has not only garnered a great amount of critical acclaim during its years of existence, but it’s also developed a devoted fan following. As a thank you for the support, Gomez will be giving fans a chance to hear their favorite songs when they stop by the 9:30 Club on the 12th; the band will be playing an all-requests show and will have a setlist comprising songs chosen by concertgoers.

9:30 Club and Spain Arts & Culture Present Vetusta Morla, Wed 3/21 at U Street Music Hall

Vetusta Morla, an alternative rock group based out of Madrid, Spain, originally formed in the late ’90s. The band earned critical praise and gained international success with the 2008 release of their first album, Un día en el mundo, which they released on their own record label, Pequeño Salto Mortal. Their sophomore album, Mapas, drew them comparisons to big names like Radiohead and helped to solidify their status in the Spanish indie rock world. Make sure you check them out when they play a show presented by Spain Arts & Culture on the 21st at U Street Music Hall.

Band of Skulls with We Are Augustines, Sat 3/24

Band of Skulls will be coming to the 9:30 Club on the 24th in support of their newest release, Sweet Sour. Paste praises, “The bottom-line is that these guys do what they do very, very well. Sweet Sour, their sophomore full-length, is torn almost evenly between spacious ballads and ass-smashing rock, and there isn’t much of a low-point to be found.” The British trio, consisting of guitarist/vocalist Russell Marsden, bassist/vocalist Emma Richardson, and drummer Matt Hayward, prove that they’ve avoided the sophomore slump that many bands face, with Paste also saying, “In the millennium, there are seldom few ‘rock bands’ creating music with a shelf-life. Band of Skulls appear to be in this game for the long haul.”

Also playing on the 24th will be We Are Augustines, a Brooklyn-based indie rock band whose debut album, Rise Ye Sunken Ship, has helped bring them mainstream success, including a recent performance on The Late Show with David Letterman.

Housse de Racket, Sun 3/25

Many have compared Parisian duo Housse de Racket, made up of Pierre Leroux and Victor Le Manse, to the likes of Phoenix, Air, and Late of the Pier. This comparison is only fitting, as the band’s second album, Alesia, was produced by Philippe Zdar, who has previously worked with Phoenix. Alesia, released in 2011, helped Housse de Racket prove that they’re a force of their own, with the Guardian deeming it “a funeral majesty that could stop the traffic.” Housse de Racket will be bringing their synth-pop sound to the club on the 25th.

The Joy Formidable with A Place to Bury Strangers, Mon 3/26

Welsh alt-rocker trio The Joy Formidable’s debut album, The Big Roar, was one of our favorite releases of 2011. It spawned the release of their hit single, “Whirring” and landed them an opening gig with the Foo Fighters on their 2011 arena tour, as well as a performance on The Late Show with David Letterman. The Joy Formidable will take the 9:30 Club stage on the 26th.

Also make sure you check out openers A Place to Bury Strangers, a New York-based noise and experimental rock group heavily influenced by the Brian Jonestown Massacre and the Jesus and Mary Chain.