Results tagged “velvetlounge”

Some bands are just better than others at reducing the barrier between band and audience. Sometimes it’s by engaging specific audience members in conversation, like Ted Leo, or actually playing in the middle of the floor, like Dan Deacon and a couple of his other F Yeah compatriots. The Mae Shi, who actually played alongside Dan Deacon for Whartscape Festival this past weekend, share that same philosophy of engaging the audience by moving amongst them. They do this better than most, and before the end of their set, they had brought the audience, literally, to their knees.

       

Written with DCist contributor Amy Maxmen

It makes sense that Garland of Hours opened up for Evangelista last night at the Velvet Lounge. The last time Carla Bozulich came to town, that time in support of a record called Evangelista rather than fronting a band by that name, her opener at the Warehouse Next Door was Anni Rossi, a violist whose frenetic attack on the instrument gave the impression of a full band even though she was the only one on stage. Cellist Amy Domingues of Three Stars alums Garland of Hours was similarly alone up there—Garland is sometimes a band, sometimes just Domingues—yet had the illusion of more people via a multi track looper that filled in as rhythm section while Domingues held down the singing and the melodic lines. Despite some onstage disagreements between her and her electronic accompanist—the looper was acting a little loopy early in the set—her intimate chamber pop, which straddles the line between modern and medieval with its modal scales and madrigalesque storytelling, provided a fitting contrast between the noisy acts that bookended her.

It's been a while since we did one of these, but our music news feature is back! Here are a few stories buzzing around the local music sphere.

Fans of live music in the District tend to have a real soft spot for the Velvet Lounge near 9th and U Streets NW. It's a tiny venue with a reputation for hosting experimental acts no one else will, and for employing one of the best sound engineers in town in Rob Curtis. But no one who tries to keep track of who is playing at the Velvet Lounge has ever had a single nice thing to say about their web site. For at least the last four or five years, the bar's web site been a stark, all-black background with an ordered list of dates and band names, without a single other piece of crucial information included, like say, set times or prices. The only other item on the page was the following text at the top: "NOTE: Please be patient while we redesign the website!" We had long since given up on the idea that anyone had any intention of redesigning the site.

Chris Connelly is selling The Velvet Lounge. In an email almost a month ago to an old listserve that was once used for the venue's now defunct open bar nights, Connelly announced his plans to move on, and that after three years of searching, he found buyers who "would remain true to our tradition of providing the best sounding small venue on the east coast and perhaps the world and honoring our deals with bands."

MONDAY >> Those looking to kick the month off with a bang might be out of luck, as it looks like there's not a whole lot going down tonight. Still, it's not a total wash, as all the usual suspects — the Black Cat, DC9, the Velvet Lounge and the Rock and Roll Hotel — will have their bars open and waiting for the District's disillusioned masses. >> DJ Jahsonic has a new Monday night...

Perhaps the most interesting aspect of The Fake Accents is their ability to make their inherent contradictions seamlessly coexist. One might not expect that the same band who records and listens to their own practice sessions would also write a disclaimer on their first album that most of the songs that they'd written were actually just ripped off of other songs. Their songs are identifiable by both their catchy hooks and their noisy guitar riffs....

FRIDAY: >> It’s been over six years since he last had a properly released album, but crooner Bilal (left) has still managed to catch people’s attention with some of his latest material. Too bad it was illegally leaked and now his label is threatening never to let the refined product see the light of day. Regardless, his Black Cat performance should be noteworthy. 9 p.m., $22. >> We’ve told you about Deleted Scenes many times...

MONDAY >> Performing as Phosphorescent, Matthew Houck (right) dropped his latest effort, Pride, at the end of last month. Reviews for the album have been glowing for the Southern-bred multi-instrumentalist. He’ll be making an appearance at the Black Cat with the help of his touring band. 9 p.m., $10. >> With an album titled Heavy Deavy Skull Lover, you’d be right to guess that The Warlocks aren’t exactly members of a pep squad. Still, their...

Although Gist has been around with varying lineups for almost twenty years, the current lineup of singer/guitarist Nayan Bhula, bassist Finley Martin and drummer Fred Burton have only been together for the past five. In that short time they've released two albums, Art is Now Human and Diesel City, the latter of which established them as an act whose sound could be simultaneously tied to the district and reflect their diverse backgrounds and influences,...

MONDAY >> Do you like screamo? How about metalcore? Us neither, but if you do, get yourself to the 9:30 Club, for Underoath and similarly sinisterly-named Every Time I Die, Poison the Well, Maylene and the Sons of Disaster, and Belle and Sebastian. Just kidding about the last one. 6 p.m., $18. TUESDAY >> Stevie Wonder needs no introduction. He's coming to the Verizon Center today. Tickets start at $68, so get your wallet ready....

MONDAY >> You cannot avoid Toots Hibbert on TV these days. Well actually, it is just that Nissan car commercial with the Clash's version of Toots & the Maytals' "Pressure Drop." The guy who penned that song, "Reggae Got Soul," and numerous other R&B flavored Jamaican numbers is at the 930 Club with the latest version of the Maytals. Hot D.C. go-go combo Mambo Sauce were just added as openers. $26 >> If solo indie...

MONDAY >> Were you out of town this weekend, wishing you were home soaking in the goodness that was the DAM! Festival? Fear not. Tonight there is one more show, and it happens to be the festival's biggest. The chanteuse to give all other indie chanteuses a run for their money, Cat Power, is taking the 9:30 Club stage with the Dirty Delta Blues, and a little help from openers Childballads. $25 or your...

>> The Blow, Saturday Looks Good to Me and Karl Blau are all at the Black Cat. 8 p.m., $12. >> The songs of Neil Young will be honored by the collective of local musicians known as Ragged Glory at the Velvet Lounge. Check out our full preview here. >> The aforementioned DieYuppieKickball.com is hosting its first initiation meeting tonight at Cosmos, the upstairs of Chief Ike's, at 7 p.m. Reads the email: "What?!...

Ragged Glory plays tonight at the Velvet Lounge. Can’t afford to pay $100 for a cheap seat at Neil Young’s upcoming DAR stop in November? You’re in luck. During our last chat with Ryan Walker from The Beanstalk Library, we found out he also put together a Neil Young cover band a few years back. They call themselves Ragged Glory, and the lineup plays something like a who’s who of up-and-coming local bands: Brian Kent...

>> Looking to practice your Spanish comprehension? The Permanent Mission of Guatemala to the OAS is hosting an interesting free movie screening tonight at the Art Museum of the Americas -- but be warned, the film does not have English subtitles. Donde Acaban Los Caminos is based on the autobiographical novel by Mario Monteforte Toledo, about a young man who arrives in San Pedro La Laguna during the military dictatorship in the first decades of...

MONDAY >> At the ripe young age of 24, Patrick Wolf has already achieved a lot: three albums of brooding electronica and orchestral pop, modeling campaigns for Burberry, headlines in the British tabloids and at least one on-stage altercation that found the lupine violinist attacking his strung-out drummer with a cymbal. Drama notwithstanding, Wolf's latest, the surprisingly upbeat The Magic Position, is undoubtedly one of this year's best. Come see what all the fuss is...

There’s something totally undeniable about the music of Bellman Barker. From the moment they hit the stage, toes start tapping. A verse or two in, heads start bobbing. By the time they hit the chorus, you’ll find yourself wanting to jump up and down like a kid who’s had too much sugary cereal for breakfast. Their recorded output has been compared to late-period Belle & Sebastian and rightfully so—these local lads clearly worship at the same altar of 60s pop. In a live setting, however, the songs take on a life of their own, with the bouncy verses and wide-open choruses adding up to something more power pop than twee. Rest assured, there’s still no shortage of vocal harmonies, a whole lot of handclaps and more than a few “Oohs” and “Aahs”. DCist caught up with lead singer and guitarist Aaron Estes to talk about the years he spent working as a Blackjack dealer, the unsung heroes of Motown and the secrets of the handlebar mustache. Check out the full interview after the break. Visit them online at: myspace.com/bellmanbarker See them next at: The Velvet Lounge, October 27th ("Halloween Spectacular") Buy their EP at: CDs at MySpace / MP3s at Amie St.

FOUND Magazine has a knack for revealing the beautiful underbelly of America, the forgotten parts of our everyday lives. Highlighting things like the hateful note you left the person parked in your precious parking spot, your laundry list of to-dos, that love note you didn’t find the courage to send, or those rejection letters that you didn’t want to hold onto, FOUND is the curated hamper for everything not worth collecting. That is unless you...

>> Are you ready for Papal Invasion '08? There won't be a Popemobile, but there will plenty of groveling for everyone to forget about all that molestation stuff. [WashTimes] >> Welcome to the blogosphere, WTOP. >> Wonkette blogger Alex Pareene and his girlfriend Ally Kearny laugh in the face of fake danger! [City Desk] >> Two D.C. police officers said a teenager driving a stolen Jaguar tried to run them down in Petworth last...

Monday >> Ben Harper recorded Lifeline in a studio in Paris, directly after his European tour. As a result he and the Innocent Criminals have put together an album from the heart and at the top of their game that captures his signature modern take on classic soul music. Kick back with them and Piers Faccini tonight at the Warner Theater. $40, 8 p.m. >> Canadian post-punk instrumental rockers, Do Make Say Think have moved...

MONDAY >> They put it pretty well themselves, and since it's all about them anyway, we're just going to repeat what the Black Cat had to say about their anniversary party tonight: "After 14 years of pouring you guys drinks, then picking up the glasses, working the doors, and sweeping the floors, we've decided that it's time to dedicate a night to ourselves. Black Cat staff bands, staff DJs, and staffers will be hanging out...

FRIDAY: >> Though perhaps not quite as high profile anymore as some other D.C. bands from the mid-1980s, the cryptically-named 9353 always had, and still maintains, a dedicated group of fans. You may never have heard of them, but in addition to playing with some of the biggest local names like Scream, G.I. and Iron Cross, they also shared bills with Public Image Ltd, Sisters of Mercy and the Butthole Surfers back in the day,...

Plan your naps accordingly, set your alarms, and stock up on your Red Bull, folks. The DCist, Blisspop and Brightest Young Things super duper 9:30 Club extravaganza is finally upon us! At the ripe old age of 3, we're wondering if we can still muster the energy for a show that starts at 11 p.m., but with the talents of DJ Will Eastman, Georgie James, The Dance Party and Soft Complex luring us towards 815...

>> The Velvet Lounge hosts Three Stars alums and excellent understated rockers New Rock Church of Fire, with Mas y Mas and The Domesticated. 9 p.m. >> Home of those brilliant Saturday afternoon cheapo Miller High Life countdown specials, epic Jell-O wrestling contests and the surprising winner of any Best Vegan Brunch contest in the city, everyone probably has a different reason for their soft spot for Asylum. Whatever yours is, stop by tonight...

>> Continuing their trend of showing only the weirdest awesome movies for free in this city, the Library of Congress' Mary Pickford Theater will actually screen an episode of Mystery Science Theater 3000 tonight as part of their Screening Shakespeare series. Really. It's the episode of MST3K where the crew is forced to watch a laughably bad German made-for-TV adaptation of Hamlet -- as the press release rightly notes, "is that Ricardo Montalban as...

MONDAY >> The City Veins are a strong local outfit that's been making their debut around town over the course of the past few months. They just formed in March and are already more mature and ready to bring the rock than a lot of bands with a lot more stage time. And hey, they have a blog! See what you're missing tonight at Solly's Tavern on U Street. 10 p.m. >> Do you...

FRIDAY: >> Stop by Velvet Lounge to lend your support to John Stabb, singer of the legendary D.C. hardcore act Government Issue, who's struggling to pay medical bills after being attacked near his home in Burtonsville, Maryland. $8, doors at 9 p.m. >> The Quarry House in Silver Spring hosts recent Three Stars alums The Hall Monitors along with New York's The Brides. Cover merely advertised as "real cheap," show starts at 9 p.m. >>...

Three weeks ago, John Stabb, singer from legendary D.C. hardcore act Government Issue, was attacked and beaten near his home in Burtonsville, Maryland. He describes the incident in a blog entry on Dag Nasty's website: i'm about a block away from my place coming home after work & really exhausted. out from the outdor pool area of my condo community pops up 5 enthusiastic (now i'm thinking all hopped up on goofballs!) young hs kids....