Brian K. and The Parkway with Karen Jonas & Cat Popper at Jammin Java, Vienna, VA March 29, 2024 Adolescence is one of life’s dirtiest tricks. The moment a teenager figures out how to extract the maximum amount of fun possible from every day, adulthood comes crashing through the wall, piling on responsibilities, joys, sorrows, frustrations, ambitions, disease, death and so much more. […]
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Bobby Mahoney and the Seventh Son – The Garage, Boyds, MD on March 21, 2024 Bobby Mahoney and the Seventh Son are a band from New Jersey that plays that rock ‘n’ roll these kids need today – the life-affirming kind of music that involves way, way more than wearing a flannel shirt and swaying listlessly behind the microphone gaping longingly […]
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Favorite Child at Jammin’ Java, Vienna, VA w/ Griefcat openingFebruary 29, 2024 Northern Virginia’s own Favorite Child celebrated the release of its second CD, entitled Monsters & Saviors at Northern Virginia’s own Jammin’ Java, drawing an impressive near-capacity crowd on a Thursday night. Full disclosure – I used to work with Favorite Child’s front-and-center rhythm […]
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Brigitte Calls Me Baby and The Montaines – DC9, Washington, DCFebruary 16, 2024 Actress Kim Darby in the role of suburban mom-extraordinaire Jenny Meyer in Savage Steve Holland’s cult favorite “Better Off Dead” delivered one of those movie lines that would stick in my mind for the rest of my life. This hysterical, twisted high […]
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Dave Alvin and Jimmie Dale Gilmore with The Guilty OnesDead Rock WestThe Birchmere, Alexandria, VirginiaAugust 16, 2023 Flying down the highway, bound for The Birchmere for this show, I was enthralling my bestie with the 1991 installment of my never-ending Chronicles of Concerts Past, expounding the circumstances of that first time I saw Dave Alvin […]
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Mike Viola at John and Peter’s Place in New Hope, PA April 27, 2023 The first thing I gotta say is that John and Peter’s Place, where Mike Viola had the opportunity to play on April 27th, is an amazing performance space. It’s legendary. Look around the room, and the walls are covered with posters featuring […]
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Chuck Prophet and The Mission Express Club Café, Pittsburgh, PA March 3, 2023 Out on the road performing a few shows around the US in advance of an upcoming European tour, Chuck Prophet and The Mission Express came out swinging as they took the stage in Pittsburgh and voraciously tore into a two-hour celebration of […]
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Erik V. Huey/StarbellyPearl Street Warehouse, Washington, DCFebruary 10, 2023 OK. So, I did not know about Erik V. Huey or the Surreal McCoys before I saw the show. Sue me. God, am I glad I went. Erik Huey’s performance – the release party for his first solo album; a new collection of songs entitled “Appalachian […]
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Chuck Prophet Acoustic Trio w/Mark ErelliUnion Stage, Washington, DCJanuary 7, 2023 Victorious over a battle with lymphoma, Chuck Prophet is back on the road playing gigs. The Chuck Prophet Acoustic Trio features the 60% of the Mission Express comprised of himself (of course), his wife Stephanie Finch on keys, vox, guitar and Vicente Rodriguez on […]
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Freedy Johnston at City Winery, Washington, DC October 6, 2022 “….I might play some happy songs,” mused Freedy Johnston from the stage. Then he picked up his setlist, glanced over it carefully, looked back at the audience and said something like “…welp, …none of those on HERE.” And so it was – the happy moments could […]
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