The Scene

MusicDetour.com’s commentary on music, performances, and the DC metro area music scene

This weekend Baltimore played host to a new festival:  the Baltimore Independent Music and Arts Festival.  BIMAfest featured over 100 musicians, mostly local acts but some from as far away as L.A.  Sadly, my weekend was also full of lots of real life stuff, so I was only able to attend a couple of shows, during which I witnessed both fantastic performances and poor organization.  I hope that most folks involved with this event got what they needed out of it so that I might do it in style next year after everyone has learned from mistakes.  Reviews of shows Friday night at the Ottobar and Saturday night at the Hour Haus follow after the jump.  (more…)

This year’s HFStival is at the Merriweather Pavilion this year. Be sure to get your tickets soon for the September 18th show.

Line-up: (more…)

Summer in DC is now officially underway.  Congressmen and everybody else who can’t hang with the humidity has skipped town, but beginning Monday you can enjoy the cool sunset breezes at the highest and hippest spot in Town, in the shadow of a tower that belongs on another continent at the first Fort Reno show of the summer.  We now have the entire schedule.  The one gotta-be-there night has to be Monday, August 2nd, for The Evens.  Hoping that Ian MacKaye will play is almost a running joke, but the Evens are playing Fort Reno again for the first time in a few years.  Use the comments section to tell us what other night we’d be foolish to miss.  The complete schedule follows after the jump.  (more…)

Amanda MacKaye and the other volunteers are working hard to finalize the schedule for the Fort Reno summer concert series.  Once they release the full schedule we’ll let you know.  However, we do know that your first chance to check out a set of inside-the-beltway bands while you chill in the shadow of a tower that simply does not belong on this continent is just two weeks away.  Opening night Monday, June 28 will feature The Public Good, American Hearts, and Tiny Bombs.  Never heard of them?  Well, here’s a great opportunity to fix that!

Capital Jazz Festival – June 4-6, 2010

Tickets here

Details after the jump. (more…)

Northern Virginia’s largest community-wide event, the 29^th annual Celebrate Fairfax! Festival, is set to take place June 11-13, 2010 on the grounds of the Fairfax County Government Center.  The Celebrate Fairfax! Festival features 25 acres of amazing concerts, family programs, science and technology, history, thrilling carnival rides and nightly fireworks!  Among the festival’s highlights are the more than 90 concerts and performances on six stages, with an exceptional line-up of national, regional and local artists. Included are four fantastic headlining performances:

2010 Headline Entertainment Schedule for the Bud Light Main Stage: (more…)

Get ready to Rock! The M3 Rock Festival at the Merriweather Post Pavilion is on June 19th. Gates open at 11am for a day of metal, hair bands and hardcore.

Pavilion Stage

Scorpions

Cinderella

VInce Neil

Kix

Winger

L.A. Guns

Trixter

Jetboy

Dingleberry Dynasty

Festival Stage

Warrant

Nelson

Dizzy Reed

Bang Tango

Mass

Black Mambooza

Z02

Shamrock Fest keeps getting bigger because not only is it at RFK Stadium, but it now also has a first class line-up. It’s gone from a drunken fest in Arlington to a great festival that kicks off the festival season. This year The Roots are even playing the show. The show is Saturday March 13th from 1-9pm. Tickets are selling out fast and they have variable pricing. Click here for tickets. Full line-up after the jump. (more…)

Even though we are still surrounded by the material evidence of winter, Amanda MacKaye and the crew organizing the Fort Reno summer concert series are already accepting applications for the 2010 edition.  Send them your demos!  Contact info is here.

The Fort Reno series is a highlight of the summer for many DCists.  It is in everyone’s interest that the eclectic lineup be as strong as possible.  For bands, these shows offer great exposure to potential fans who might not happen to ever stumble across a given act at a club or on their MySpace.

Photo credit:  Ron Akins

If you can’t make it to Mardi Gras and you live in the DC area, don’t worry, head to Fat Tuesday’s in Fairfax, VA. In DC, there is no better place to celebrate Fat Tuesday than Fat Tuesday’s. Located across the street from George Mason University, it’s sure to have its fair-share of wannabe Mardi Gras revelers. While there’s no replacement for New Orleans in mid-February, Fat Tuesday’s will have ten bands playing all day (starting at 3pm!) including:  (more…)