The Scene

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

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…)

After first getting started with Folk music and Jazz music, Festivals have long been the domain of Jam Bands. However, over the past few years there’s been an increasing tendency towards hip-hop festivals. Rock the Bells started back in 2004 as a one time – one place festival, but has expanded over the past five years to a touring festival that will land in 10 cities across the US and Canada this summer. It’s coming to the Merriweather Post Pavilion in Columbia, MD on Sunday, July 12th. The shows kick-off at Noon. It’s the second consecutive year that the show will hit Merriweather. This year’s festival is going to have about 30 acts on 2 stages. Tickets go on sale May 2nd at 10am. Full list of artists after the jump. (more…)

Fairfax County puts on a huge festival every year at the Fairfax Government Center that it has called “Celebrate Fairfax“. Now, to me, that is an incredibly strange name, what are we celebrating about Fairfax? Anyway, it used to be called the Fairfax Fair before they tried to get all original with its name. Name aside, it is one of the best chances to catch local and national acts outside at one event in northern Virginia. This year it is Friday, June 5th – Sunday June, 7th and will be headlined by Blues Traveler (Friday, June 5th – 8pm), The Fixx (Saturday, June 6th – 3pm), The Sugarhill Gang, Tone Loc and Naughty by Nature (Saturday, June 6th – 7:30pm)and Phil Vassar (Sunday, June 7th – 3:30pm). Get your tickets now. Checkout after the jump for the complete line-up. (more…)

As I’ve mentioned before, Wolf Trap’s Filene Center is one of the best venues to catch a show (partly because of its BYOB policy). Every year in addition to the great line-up of shows, there is a Louisiana Swamp Romp to celebrate cajun music/zydeco on a beautiful summer afternoon. In its 20th year, the Swamp Romp looks like it will be going better than ever.  This year it will be on Sunday, June 7th at 2pm in the afternoon. Tickets are general admission, so get your favorite New Orleans beverage and head to Wolf Trap in Vienna, VA. Check out the line-up after the jump. (more…)

We don’t spend much time talking about Bluegrass on this blog, but there’s always some great roots music going on somewhere. This Memorial Day Weekend you may want to travel to western Maryland to catch some of the best bluegrass musicians in the country at DelFest. It should be a good way to kick off summer. Pack up your camping gear, some instruments (if you have them) and head to Cumberland, MD May 22-24. DelFest hasn’t announced who is playing when as of yet, but check out who is playing after the jump. (more…)

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…)

Saturday the 21st and Sunday the 22nd are two big days in Fairfax. I know that people think that the Fairfax Fair is a big deal, but for the past 3 years, the Throwdown Local Music Festival has been the premier event in Fairfax to hear great local music. Be sure to drop by T.T. Reynold’s and The Auld Shebeen to Rock out. Also keep in mind that this may be the one of the last times to have an all-out “Throwdown” at T.T. Reynold’s.

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