John Mellencamp show at DAR Constitution Hall in DC John Mellencamp has always had a canny understanding of the lure and value of nostalgia. It permeates a number of his best-known songs — many of them recorded more than 30 years ago — and it remains a draw to the fans who see his shows […]
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Brandi Carlile at the Anthem with Hanseroth Twins opening After almost two decades of relentless touring, Brandi Carlile is — sort of —taking a break from the road. The Grammy Award winning songwriter, activist, and author has scaled back this year, scheduling only a few festivals and select dates through the end of 2024 with […]
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Jason Isbell – Lyric Opera House with Palehound When Jason Isbell introduces himself and The 400 Unit at the top of his shows, he no longer says, “We’re from Muscle Shoals, Alabama, for the most part.” That reality sunk in Tuesday night as Isbell and his band stopped at the Lyric Performing Arts Center in […]
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Grace Potter at the Anthem with Brittney Spencer Opening Each time she walks onto a stage, Grace Potter says “all bets are off, and no promises made.” She describes the set list for each show as the “pilot” and makes room for “detours” that ensure she never delivers the same show twice. That philosophy was […]
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Turnpike Troubadours with Lucero and Reckless Kelly at the Anthem In July 1990, I attended a songwriters’ workshop and acoustic show that featured Guy Clark, Joe Ely, John Hiatt, and Mary Chapin Carpenter at Houston’s Tower Theater. The show was part of the Marlboro Music Festival, and the press kit included coupons and a […]
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Robert Earl Keen sauntered slowly onto the stage at The Birchmere, waved to the crowd, and proceeded to say that he “didn’t have any answers” for his appearance at the venerable Northern Virginia club last week. Sitting in a chair with nothing but an acoustic guitar and two water bottles on a table beside him, […]
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Patty Griffin made an unusual decision for a touring musician, deciding to stay off the road this summer to focus on new music. Given that she lives in Austin, a city where temperatures reached more than 100 degrees for 40 days in a row in July and August, it was a choice she came to […]
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James McMurtry at Birchmere with BettySoo Toward the end of James McMurtry’s sold-out solo acoustic show at The Birchmere, the songwriter decided to perform what he described as a “happy song.” “It does maintain a certain amount of cynicism that McMurtry songs require, but nobody dies in it, so it’s a happy song,” he said […]
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John Doe zigs when others zag. At an age where many are content to look back and rest on their laurels, the 70-year-old is fronting tours with punk icons X, recording a new album, playing with a folk trio, and promoting an independent film noir in which he is the lead. “I’m fortunate,” he says […]
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Jason Isbell at Wolf Trap with SG Goodman Years ago, Steve Earle had an infamous quote: “Townes Van Zandt is the best damn songwriter in the world, and I’ll stand on Bob Dylan’s coffee table in my boots and say that.” I don’t own cowboy boots, and I don’t know where any of Dylan’s coffee […]
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