The Scene

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

Wolf Trap has a great season of shows going on this summer and a handful of mini festivals. Sunday, June 14th is The Ultimate Doo-Wop Show at 8pm in the File center at Wolf Trap. Tickets are $22 in the Lawn and $40 in-house. (more…)

If you were going to recreate woodstock at an amphitheater, the best place to do it would be at Wolf Trap’s Filene Center. Sure it might not be the best place to completely relive the ’60s, but at least you can bring your own booze. Anyway, get your tickets for Tuesday, August 11th, 2009. (more…)

Good news for those jazz fans out there. Not many vocalists have received the acclaim that Jane Monheit has with her new album “The Lovers, the Dreamers and Me”. Monheit will be coming to Rams Head Tavern in Annapolis, MD on Friday, March 6, but we’re also in luck as she’s performing with John Pizarelli at The Ferguson Center for the Performing Arts in Newport News, VA on March 5th. We don’t get much quality vocal jazz in the DC area and its going to be great having her perform on both sides of the Potomac. (more…)

One of the most outrageous funk acts of the last  3 and a half decades has been George Clinton and his various groups. George Clinton is currently touring with Parliament Funkadelic and is making two stops in the DC area. Tonight, February 21st, he’ll be “tearin’ the roof” off of Rams Head Live in Baltimore, MD. Next week, Friday, February 27th, the Mothership will land at the 9:30 Club in Washington, DC. For the 9:30 show, Sam H will be opening up – Doors open at 8pm. Two funk filled nights with the funkiest man in the universe. The 9:30 Club show will be my first live George Clinton experience, I can’t wait!

In general, Iota Club and Cafe in Arlington, Virginia has a reputation for getting some great up and coming indie rock bands almost every night of the week. However, this week they’re taking it up a notch with Future, a band that has an original mix of funk, hip-hop and rock. As far as up and coming bands with an original style go, Future is one of the best acts from Virginia that you can catch. In January, Future was the DC 101 feature band. Catch Future at Iota on Friday, February 20th. The show starts 9:00pm with DJ Chuck X kicking things off. Cost: $10 at the door.

Here’s this year’s line-up for the Warped Tour at Merriweather Pavillion in Maryland this summer. It’s coming to town on July 14th, 2009, show starts at 11:00am. (more…)

Valentine’s Day falls on a Saturday this year, which means that the night before is Friday the 13th. Now I don’t know why, but for some reason that is supposed to be a scare us. There are a lot of reasons for people to go out and see some live music on Valentine’s day: maybe you have a special someone that you want to take on the perfect date (I suggest Blues Alley), maybe you are lonely and want to party your night away with some good music or maybe you see this as a good opportunity to find other single people. Whatever your occasion get out there and enjoy some of the great live music in the area. See after the jump for the calendar. (more…)

Baltimore’s Sidebar is a great place to go each of the next two Fridays if you are nostalgiac for the 1960s.  On the first Friday of every month, DJ Amanda Otto hosts Reaction, “a mod party for the new millenium,” with bands and guest deejays.  This week her guests will be DJ King Gilbert and The Hot Pursuit.

“DOO-LANG,” “Baltimore’s 1st Annual 60’s Girl Groups Celebration,” will happen next Friday.  DJ Matt Walter will be spinning girl group discs and The Motorettes will play a set of classic girl group tunes.  Be my little baby and be there!

Last Saturday, dozens of music fans crammed into the Sidebar, a place with a lot more charm than cubic footage, to see eight diverse bands pay tribute to The Clash.  I arrived for the last hour of the “video brunch” prelude:  Clash videos and documentaries projected on a screen with bloody marys (highly recommended!) and mimosas on special.  I caught every set of every band in its entirety except that I missed the first few songs of The Mandroids‘ set while I ran from closed take-out joint to closed take-out joint looking for dinner, before eventually settling on surprisingly good chicken tenders from 7-11.  Each band brought something different to the stage, contextualizing The Clash within larger spheres of influence.  In lieu of a detailed review of each band, a rundown of highlights from the night follows after the jump.  (more…)

For about five years, the Ottobar in Baltmore has hosted Sing Your Life, a Smiths/Morrissey karaoke night, three or four nights a year.  Thursday night’s Valentine’s event will be special, because the promoter just announced that the night will be capped by the debut of The Smiths tribute band Sorrow’s Native Sons, featuring two founding members of previous The Smiths tribute band Dreaded Sunny Day.  Expect Sorrow’s Native Sons to play several more gigs in the coming months around the DC and Baltimore area.  The night will begin with a set of acoustic Smiths and Morrissey covers by Johnny Love of Johnny Love & Speed.