The Scene

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

There are a lot of wine festivals going on this summer in the DC area and many of them have music. This weekend is the 28th Annual Vintage Virginia, May 30th and May 31st. This year’s performers include Big Sam’s Funky Nation, On the One, Robert Jospe Sextet, DJ Williams Projekt and Beleza Brasil. Follow these links for the scheduels for Saturday and Sunday.

The great thing about small jazz clubs is that it’s hard to miss a big jazz act on the weekend. This weekend one of the hottest B-3 Organists, Joey DeFrancesco, will be playing at Blues Alley from Thursday May 28th through Sunday May 31st. Each night he’ll be performing twice at 8pm and 10pm for a grand total of 8 performances. It’s a great opportunity to make a night out of some great music in Georgetown.

Every summer there are a lot of concerts that happen outside in communities. One of the places where there is one of these outside concert series is at Rehoboth Beach, Delaware a place that happens to be a very popular DC vacation spot. The Rehoboth Beach Bandstand will be holding concerts on the beach (FOR FREE!!!) on weekends throughout the summer. If you are visiting Rehoboth for the weekend, this is a must-go destination. Maybe you should check-out the schedule now and figure-out when you want to go to the beach based on when you there is a band playing that you want to see. Check-out the schedule after the jump. (more…)

With good weather in the forecast for the first weekend in a longtime, it’s time to venture out this Memorial Day Weekend and experience all the live music that Washington, DC has to offer. People usually take Memorial Day to be the official start of Summer (in advance of the Summer Solstace of course) and that means that the summer concerts will begin really heating up. While Delfest will be taking place all weekend in Western MD, there’s some great music going on around town. Friday you might want to go to Iota and check out Eric Brace, Last Train Home and Vandaveer at 9pm or maybe head out to Fat Tuesday’s in Fairfax to see Redshift, Agents of the Sun and Three Legged Fox at 10pm. On Saturday take a trip out to Annapolis and catch Clones of Funk at The Whiskey at 9pm. The Dirty Dozen Brass Band will be jammin’ at The State Theatre on Sunday at 9pm – if I had to pick one show to hit this weekend, this would be it. Things die down on Monday, but everyone will probably be busy at barbeques anyway. See everything going on this weekend after the jump.

(more…)

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…)

Morrissey, who has cancelled shows this week in England, turns 50 next week.  Tomorrow night, fans will gather to celebrate Mozzer’s half-century at the Ottobar in Baltimore.  The debut of the newly reconsituted Smiths tribute band Sorrow’s Native Sons will be the highlight of the evening.  Chris Quinn, formerly of Girlfriend in a Coma, and still of Treading Lemmings, will reprise his role as perhaps the best ersatz Moz in the world.  Expect to hear some of The Smiths weepiest odes, like “Please Please Please Let Me Get What I Want This Time,” which never made a Girlfriend in a Coma setlist, mix with livelier numbers like “Still Ill.”

Will we sing “Unhappy Birthday” to Morrissey?  Yeah, probably.

Two great local/regional shows are happening in Northern Virginia on Saturday Night. You may want to forgo your trip to the Nissan Pavillion and wait for a better act than Kenny Chesney before you experience some amphitheatre action. First, the DJ Williams Projekt is back in town and playing at Whitlow’s again. The show starts around 10pm and tickets are usually $5 at the door. The DJ Williams Projekt is seriously the best band you can catch for $5, there’s no reason to miss this show. Unless of course you want to go out to Vienna, VA. Politicks and The Echo Boom are playing at Jammin’ Java Saturday. I’ve seen both bands several times and they are both great, I must say that The Echo Boom is one of the most original groups playing on the DC local music scene right now. That show starts at 10:30pm.

Americans love to celebrate holidays that not only have nothing to do with the United States, but also that have little to do with the national heritage that they are celebrating. Tuesday is Cinco de Mayo and that means that Americans will be celebrating the 1862 victory of the Mexican Army over French troops in Puebla, Mexico. All in all it’s just another reason for people to go drinking and there’s going to be plenty of that in the DC area with music to boot. Check after the jump for the full listing of shows. (more…)

Ben Harper is dropping by the 930 Club on Monday, May 4th to promote his new album, “White Lies for Dark Times“. The title of the album seems to speak for the current economic problems that we are facing. the official release date for the album is Tuesday, May 5th, so get the leg up on everyone and go to the show and buy it there. Or pre-order the album here.  He’s no longer with The Innocent Criminals and now has the back-up band the Relentless7 for his 9th studio album. Doors open for Monday’s show at 7:00pm. Don’t miss this show!