Spring Fling Saved By the Originality of its Opening Acts
Photo Credit: Author
To say that the build-up to Spring Fling was anticlimactic would be an understatement. If the tweets mocking Program Board’s choice of a headliner and the general confusion as to who Jay Sean was didn’t already spell bad news for Spring Fling, Jay Sean’s cheesy act cemented it as a flop. Spring Fling’s only saving grace were the two opening acts–who, although both well known amongst avid indie fans, weren’t choices that were expected for a concert that has hosted the likes of the more mainstream Diplo, Walk the Moon, and Macklemore. Despite their obscurity, the two opening bands channeled the energy of the audience into their performances, engaging them with their two distinctly different attitudes.
Shows We’re Stoked For: The Revivalists and Moon Taxi at 9:30 Club
Photo Credit: The Revivalists Website
If one thing is for sure, it’s that The Revivalists always bring an eclectic sound high in energy to the stage,sometimes even bringing a pink gorilla suit. Well, drummer Andrew Campanelli, who we had the pleasure of interviewing last week, does. For those of you who may not understand my reference, I encourage you to watch their music video for “Criminal”, a killer song with a sick, semi-twisted video.
Basketball, Motels, and Work Ethic: An exclusive Interview with Rapsody of Jamla Records
There are few artists in the hip hop game who are as well respected, and have made music as consistently dope as Rapsody, the Jamla Records signee and member of the North Carolina collective Kooley High. Rapsody has all the criteria for being a dope MC: her flow is on point, her concepts and topics are tangible and relatable, and the beats she rhymes over, made by masters of the craft, 9th Wonder – the founder of Jamla – and members of Jamla Record’s incredible production team, The Soul Council, are slammin’. Yet, her music and ability as an MC are not the only things that set this North Carolina native apart from all other hip hop artists: her work ethic and outlook on her career are exceptional, and make you believe that she will be, as she claims in her exclusive interview with WRGW’s own Jellies and Jams , “one of the best to ever do it.”
Peep the interview below where WRGW Jellies and Jams’ hosts Andrew, Max, and Taylor chop it up with Rapsody about North Carolina, Motel 6, Ustream, and how she is working to be one of the best MCs hip hop has ever heard.
Shows We’re Stoked For: Miracles of Modern Science/Margot MacDonald/Us and Us Only @ Tropicalia
TONIGHT — Miracles of Modern Science, Margot MacDonald, and Us and Us Only will join forces at Tropicalia (14th and U NW) for a uniquely awesome DC show. Combining different genres, instruments, and styles, each band pushes the boundaries of pop and rock while putting on a kick-ass live show. Don’t miss out on this one!
Tickets can be purchased on Rabbl here: https://www.rabbl.com/events/1000678.
IN-STUDIO ALERT: The Walking Sticks (DC), Friday April 11th, 3 PM
Photo credit: DC Music Download
This Friday, The Walking Sticks (DC) will grace the WRGW studios in the basement of the Marvin Center for a very special in-studio performance, before they head over the The Rock and Roll Hotel to headline a kick-ass local bill with The Sea Life and Brenda.
The performance will air on DC Live with Jordan Grobe at 3 PM, and can be streamed at http://www.gwradio.com/, through the TuneIn app/website, and on iTunes.
The Hold Steady @ 9:30 Club
Photo Credit: Washington Post
It was a cold, wet Monday in April. For the average person going about his or her routine, there was probably little to get excited about. But, even well before the scheduled 7:00 p.m. door time for their Monday night show at the 9:30 Club, The Hold Steady was building excitement for a performance that can only be described as transcendental. Read the rest of this entry
Grouplove, MS MR, and Smallpools at 9:30 Club
Photo Credit: Brightest Young Things
Last weekend, self proclaimed hippies-over-hipsters, Grouplove, took the stage in preparation for three days of back-to-back-to-back sold out shows at the 9:30 Club. For anyone who has never attended a sold out show at the 9:30 club, it gets PACKED. I mean, regardless of being in the top section or lower section, standing room in a sold out show means casually touching the person on either side of you. Most of the time, it doesn’t actually get this way until the headliner comes on. And if you were one of those people that only showed up at 9:30 for Grouplove, you truly missed out on a dope set. The show, start to finish, was nothing less than incredible. Read the rest of this entry
Shows We’re Stoked For: Molehill, Clone of Clones, and The Dirty Jacks at The Velvet Lounge
(Image Source: Molehill Band Flickr)
Molehill performs at The Velvet Lounge this coming Saturday alongside bands Clone of Clones and The Dirty Jacks in what is sure to be an exciting night of thrashtastic music. And we’re very excited for it.
Shows We’re Stoked For: Bencoolen, Three State Famous, and Bells and Hunters at DC9 on April 10th
Where can you hear great local music and get a free t-shirt? GW’s very own Bencoolen will be playing a show Thursday night at DC9 with local bands Three State Famous and Bells and Hunters. The band’s sound is redolent of a few genres–particularly contemporary folk-rock–and brings together both old and modern flavors to create one of D.C’s newest and most energetic acts. Having only played their first live show in January, Bencoolen is already slated to perform in May at Black Cat and they continue to work hard on transitioning from college to the DC music scenes. Ultimately, they’re gearing up (and raising money) for professional recording in the near future.
HOLYCHILD at the Rock & Roll Hotel: An Interview and Concert Review
Photo credit: Jancarlo Beck
HOLYCHILD is a LA-based pop duo comprised of two GW grads, Liz Nistico and Louie Diller (#raisehigh, right?). With Billboard branding them as “your next indie-pop obsession,” I was excited to catch them at the Rock & Roll Hotel. On Saturday, they brought their infectious jams to the stage and played an electrifying set. Having seen the group at the Velvet Lounge about a year prior, I was ready to see what new surprises the band would bring. Before their set, I also had the chance to sit down and chat with them about their GW origins, their whirlwind year, and donuts, because who doesn’t like donuts?
