The Scene

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

Review By:  Johnny Kilroy at http://tenthmil.com/

That sound of disappointment, from a loved one wronged, burrows into your gut deeper than any tirade.

Reeling fury was what I expected, when I heard about two Kentucky boys named Ben Sollee and Daniel Martin Moore who were making a whole album decrying mountaintop removal.  Riding home from work one day, I gave it a listen.  I felt like a little wounded calf, stroked and cooed to ease, and then fed a mercy bullet. For the rest of the review, click here.

On Tuesday, Girl In A Coma from San Antonio came through Baltimore with their touring partners Brooklyn’s Black Gold to play The Ottobar with three local bands.  The crowd was small but those who came out saw an amazing show.  Girl In A Coma are destined for big things.  I arrived too late for Caustic Casanova’s set and only caught parts of the sets by Mason Summers, Odd Girl Out, and Black Gold.  They all struck me as groups with legitimate rock chops who can put on a fun show but rely too much upon gimmicks to make that happen.  However, I was blown away by Girl In A Coma.  Find out why after the jump.  (more…)

Big In Japan have enjoyed a kind of residency at The Windup Space in Baltimore, playing every Sunday evening in August.  Instead of merely having another band open for them each week, they have invited their guests to collaborate with them on stage.  I cannot imagine how much extra practice this entails, and when one considers that these shows are free, the monetary rewards must be even more limited than they usually are for such bands.  These shows are rock for art’s sake, and I highly recommend that you check out the final show of this series on the 30th when they will be joined by Katrina of Celebration.  This past Sunday Big In Japan’s guests were The Expotentials.  Details of the best show I have seen in a very long time follow after the jump. (more…)

Although weather wreaked havoc on the shows the week before, rain helf off last Thursday.  Instead, the large crowd, some with incredibly well-behaved dogs, who came out for the final Fort Reno show of 2009 were treated to tropical breezes and an eclectic mix of music by Grendel Babies, Casper Bangs, and Title Tracks.  The sign painted on the front of the stage coyly said “maybe next year,” but the Fort Reno website promises news about next year’s concert series.  I’m certainly looking forward to it.  A review of last week’s season finale follows after the jump. (more…)

On Monday evening I attended the third Fort Reno show of the summer.  Fort Reno is one of those “real DC” experiences that anybody living in the area needs to at least check out.  Part of what makes it great is that the bands seem to be chosen specifically because they would not normally be scheduled to play togehter.  Does pretty much any club in the area offer a superior concert experience?  Yeah, probably.  However, they have an excellent sound system run by a professional engineer.  The main difference is that the crowd is not necessarily there to see the bands as much as they are just there because it is the summer, so they have to go to Fort Reno  A description of the experience and review of the entertaining shows by Batala, the Small Doses, and Cigarbox Planetarium follows after the jump. (more…)

By now I’m sure that everyone is aware of GoRemy’s “Arlington: The Rap“. The Washington Post had an article on Remy and an interview with him to get into his brain. While I would never take him anywhere near half-seriously as an MC, he does have potential  as a satirist. We all know the pitfalls of living in one of the wealthiest places in the US and people can appreciate Remy both for his local roots (you recognize the landmarks) and the irony of living in that society. I’m not sure if he’s doing live shows, but if he is they would definitely be interesting to see. Please let us know in the comment section if he’s got some shows coming up, especially if they are in Arlington.

After hearing Chrisette Michele for the first time on The Roots‘ Rising Down , I thought that Michele was a new type of singer that would change the sound of music. Her track on that album, “Rising Up,” has one of the most original beats (of course thanks mainly to ?uestlove of The Roots) and a bit of a political edge to it. When I found out that Chrisette Michele’s sophomore album, Epiphany, debuted at the number 1 spot on Billboard, I went out and bought the album to see what exactly this talented artist had in store.

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Typically I review music and venues, but sometimes things need to be said about audiences. Last weekend, I went to see the DJ Williams Projeckt at Whitlow’s. This is the third time in the past year that I have seen DJ Williams at Whitlow’s and every time the band has been great. The odd thing as that each time less and less people have been at the show. I say this because oddly I have seen Whitlow’s packed for some awful bands, but for some reason people aren’t interested in seeing quality music for only $5 (I’d see just about any band for $5, the fact that the DJ Williams Projekt is a well known funk group makes this price great). (more…)

There is no doubt that Charlie Hunter is a one of a kind musician.  He does things on his 8-string guitar that does not seem humanly possible.  There are better guitar players and better bass players.  But, no one that I am aware of plays both together like he does.  He is truly one of a kind.

I had the good fortune to see Charlie and his drummer Eric Kalb recently perform at Jammin’ Java.  (more…)

For quite awhile I’ve been meaning to catch The Reagan Years, one of the most successful 80s cover bands in the region for over a decade.  I have also intended to visit Bourbon Street since it opened last year in the location of the venerable but erstwhile Hammerjacks.  TRY play one or two shows every weekend, mostly hither and yon from suburban clubs to small-town bars in Maryland.  Since such venues are just not my favorite digs for catching a show, I waited until they played Bourbon Street.  The Reagan Years as a band are a helluva lot greater than I remember the historic Reagan years to have been, but I caught them on the wrong night in the wrong venue.  Read why, and some suggestions of better nights to see them, after the jump. (more…)