2017 has been an absolutely astounding year for DC Music Review and we are truly grateful to our dedicated fanbase.
As 2017 comes to a close we wanted to look back on an amazing year of music and great memories. We hope you enjoy this "best of" gallery assembled by our photographers.
Update: Audio for December 21, 2017 has been added.
As the holidays come around each year and old friends and family are reunited, many people have a tradition of coming together to celebrate. Over the past few years in Baltimore, a new tradition has become a staple of the holiday weekend and a conduit for holiday cheer in the hearts of all the people who are fortunate enough to get into the 8x10: the annual “Very Jerry Christmas” shows hosted by Cris Jacobs and Friends. Cris Jacobs is a name that speaks for itself in Baltimore, playing in the area for years as a solo artist and with his band The Bridge. He has gone on to have a very successful solo career and regularly plays with nationally touring musicians. But for the past four years, just before Christmastime, he comes home to play tribute to the great Jerry Garcia at the legendary 8x10 as a musical gift to his hometown. Guaranteed sellouts every year, the past two years have included an added second night of festivities to give more people a chance to touch the magic of these heartfelt performances.
Playing a mix of Grateful Dead, Jerry Garcia Band, and various covers played throughout the many incarnations of Garcia’s career, there was something for everyone and each song was played with all of the feeling and emotion those songs are drenched in. Accompanied by a cast of stellar musicians, and faced with a wall-to-wall sold out crowd of wide eyes and smiling faces, Jacobs delivered in a way that few musicians can. With blistering guitar solos and fantastic interplay between all the musicians, this was not just a tribute; it was a true celebration of the music we love. It is always a great treat to watch Cris play these songs. He does an absolutely fantastic job of playing the classic Jerry licks and runs that we all recognize, without losing any of his own unique voice in his playing. The love and respect Cris has for this music came through loud and clear, adding to the authenticity of the whole experience.
I did not get to make it to the Saturday night show, but I was lucky enough to be able to attend Friday’s party and I had nothing short of an amazing time. On top of that, I got to spend the show with some great friends that I only get to see once or twice a year during the holidays. The entire show was great start to finish, but if I had to pick personal highlights,“Bird Song” and “China Cat Sunflower>I Know You Rider” in the first set really stood out, and “Shakedown Street”in the second set opener was something I was really hoping for going into the show, so of course I subsequently danced my ass off when they played it. I apologize to anyone that I may have bumped into during that jam, I lose most of my spatial awareness when I hear that song.
If you have a favorite Jerry song or cover, it’s more than likely that it was played over the course of the two-night stand. This band was clearly well rehearsed and covered so much ground in just two shows. Each year, I’m impressed by the quality of these performances, and they serve as a reminder of how lucky we are to have a musician of this caliber who is still so loyal to the hometown crowd and the music scene he has helped create. Thank you Cris for starting this tradition, and I think I can speak for everyone when I say that I hope it continues for many years to come.
This was a very special series of performances for DC Music Review as we had Josh Brick and Jason Herman photographing at Thursday's performance at Gypy Sally's, Matthew Bowers reporting from Friday's 8x10 performance, and Chris Gamber photographing at Saturday nights performance at The 8x10.
Enjoy our gallery from Saturday, December 23rd, by our photographer Chris Gamber of Chris Gamber Photography.
Enjoy our combined gallery from Thursday, December 21st from photographers Jason Herman and Josh Brick below.
Enjoy the full audio from the Thursday, December 21s show below.
The Hamilton Live
600 14th Street NW
Washington, DC 20005
Deep in the heart of downtown Washington, DC, nestled a only few blocks away from many tourist attractions, monuments, and the National Mall exists The Hamilton - part restaurant, part music venue, and above all exceptional in classy in every capacity.
The music venue, The Hamilton Live is hidden in plain sight. Many pedestrians may walk on by The Hamilton thinking it is only a large restaurant. The restaurant is large, but hidden beneath is a world class complex and music venue. Access to The Hamilton Live can be found at the F St NW entrance, around the corner from the doors to the Hamilton restaurant.
Established in 2011, The Hamilton Live has had music royalty pass through its doors and has played host to many revered and storied afterparties. One annual and now legendary afterparty is the one held after the late winter Tedeschi Trucks Band performance held a few blocks away. One will often find one or more members of the band performing well into the wee hours of the morning at The Hamilton.
In its short history this establishment has showcased legendary artists including Leon Russel, Chubby Checkers, Ginger Baker, and Little Feat, along with many others. In recent years, rock and roll standouts including Greensky Bluegrass and moe. have also performed at this venue. Because of it's stellar reputation, The Hamilton Live continues to attract the highest caliber of artists.
As you walk into this venue, it is worth taking notice of the giant photographs of musical greats from all genres surrounding you. Accompanying the wall art, you will find a wall studded with autographed concert posters from notable concerts throughout the years (Editorial Note: You should make your way to this wall and admire the posters, they are both beautiful works of art and living and expanding history of this venue.)
Performance Calendar: Please make sure to view The Hamilton's Music Event Calendar or DC Music Review's Hamilton Calendar.
Click for a full size image.
Click for a full size image.
The Hamilton provides two seating options, GA standing and GA seated, with full food and beverage table service. The bulk of the 600 person capacity venue exists on the main level of the venue.
Tip: GA seating is on a first come, first serve basis and fills up ahead of performances. For the best GA seats, you will want to get to the performance early.
Bar Seating: There is additional GA seating and GA standing sections located at the main bar. (upper right corner of map, left)
"Bar Room" Seating: If you prefer a smaller venue space experience, you may enjoy the "Bar Room" towards the back of the venue (On the seating map it is marked "Bar Room") Although it is further from the main stage, there are unobstructed views of the band from above the main crowd in the Bar Room.
Regardless of your seat selection, you are never that far from the main stage and there are television monitors throughout to watch the performance. (These monitors are usually located towards the top of the structural columns.)
Note: There is a GA standing area in front of the stage, however during some performances this GA standing area is replaced by an additional seated section. Please check with the performance details on the venue website.
The Hamilton provides an elevator from the main entrance at street level to the music venue downstairs. Upon entering the main venue entrance, ask the staff for elevator service to the venue.
The Hamilton Live has a large stage. Despite the size of the stage, it is only a few feet above the ground and artists are just a few steps from the audience. There is no barricade between the performers and the audience.
The stage lighting is exquisite and this venue ensure that the light show enhances the performance. In addition to the stage lights, the venue has a projection system and many performers make use of this projection system to illuminate the backdrop behind and add to the performance.
The sound system is very good at this venue and we have noticed no dead or muffled areas within this venue.
The Hamilton Live has a full menu available before and during the performance. Please refer to the following link for a full menu.
There are two bars in the venue, one on the main level, and the other one located up the stairs at the back of the venue. Each bar has television broadcasting the performance. The second floor has two televisions while the main bar has a single television.
Restrooms are located near the main entrance to the venue between the bar and the wall of concert posters. Look for a giant Curt Cobain poster at the entrance to the restrooms.
Artist vending is to the left of the stage along the wall between the stage and the entrance. In addition to vending, artists may be available for a meet and greet and photographs after the performance in this area.
Bonus / Late Night Venue:
The Loft is a significantly smaller venue / bar on the second floor of the complex. Sometimes a space for restaurant overflow, you can also find many bands playing well into the night at The Loft, following their performance at The Hamilton Live. The Loft has also been known to host late night Warner Theater afterparty performances.
Loft Capacity: 80 seated / 175 standing.
Pre-Show
If you arrive at the venue before doors have opened and would like to enjoy a drink or meal before the performance, we recommend The Hamilton's restaurant and bar on the street level. The back bar, which is closer to the venue entrance is normally less crowded than the bar at the 14th Street entrance.
There are also several drinking and dining options ranging from casual to formal sit-down dining within a 1-2 block radius.
Post-Show
If you want to have a post show meal or drink, check out The Loft.
There are other late-night bars and restaurants close by and on the walk back to the Metro.
The Hamilton Live entrance is at approximately 1401 F Street NW and is located approximately 200 feet from the intersection of 14th Street and F Street and between 14th and 15th Street.
Street parking is quite limited around The Hamilton and most of it is metered.
There are several parking options available.
The Hamilton has partnered with PMI parking, just a short walk from the venue for shows occurring on the weekends.
PMI Parking
1325 G ST NW (0.1 mile from venue)
$13 validated self-park after 4 pm and on weekends. (Tickets can be validated at counter at The Hamilton's Entrance on 14th & F)
Please make sure to bring your ticket with you for validation.
PMI Lot Phone: 202-785-9191 x:445
There is parking at 1424 F Street NW, right next to The Hamilton. However, this will set you back $27 on weeknights; $20 on weekends.
DC Music Review has partnered with SpotHero to provide you discounted parking options. Using this link by SpotHero you can find discounted prepaid parking close to the event.
WMATA Metro Center station is a two block walk from the venue. This metro stop services the Red, Blue, Silver, and Orange lines.
For more information about The Hamilton, please check their FAQ page.
Disclosure:
DC Music Review was not paid, nor compensated to write this review of The Hamilton or any other entity contained therein. All opinions are based on our first hand experience of this venue.
DC Music Review has an affiliate program with SpotHero. By using this service you help DC Music Review provide content to you.
Next Thursday, December 28th, at Baltimore Soundstage, The John Kadlecik Band will return to charm city to bring a little extra warmth to the holidays. Playing a mix of original material, Grateful Dead and Jerry Garcia classics, as well as many other choice covers, this is a must see show for anyone in town. Lead by Guitarist John Kadlecik (Furthur/Dark Star Orchestra) and always accompanied by a cast of stellar musicians, if you’re into the Dead or Jerry Garcia these are guys you should definitely check out. Bring the family and have a dance party with us! Thursday, December 28th at Baltimore Soundstage. Doors at 7, show at 8. $25
The Hall Williams Band is the latest super group from the Baltimore-DC area that should be added to your listening queue. The four piece band, made up of Hall Williams (vocals, guitar), Lorenzo Sands (bass), Rodney Dunton (drums), and Justin Taylor (keyboards), recently put out their first album In His Own Words, featuring a special appearance from Jeff Goodman (keys) and Carl Talley (pedal steel). Although the band has played together in various configurations before, it wasn’t until recently that this “sparkly" jam band found their current sound.
Although they characterize themselves as a blend between The Dave Matthews Band, ALO, The John Butler Trio, and The Jerry Garcia Band, their sound is distinctly unique. While there are noticeable elements of inspiration borrowed from other talents, once The Hall Williams band gets grooving, their sound is entirely their own.
Their debut album In His Own Words is a blend of everything — folk, rock, funk, and more than anything, soul. You can tell that the band put their all into their work and thoroughly enjoy what they’re doing.
The lyrics are simple and easily digestible, reinforcing the idea that this is an album to have fun with, to sing along to. This is an album to be shared among friends.
Leading off with the titular track “In His Own Words,” Williams croons soulfully before diving into his role of story teller: “You tell a story/It all ain’t true/I’ll tell the story/That’s what I’ll do.” This first track is breezy, setting the tone for the album, which later on proves to be an uplifting, easy, and enjoyable listen.
The soft cymbals leading into the intro of, “What You Believe,” signals the beginning of a jam. It’s impossible to hear this song without at least bobbing along. And, if you’re like me and get caught up in the music, you won’t even notice the stares of passerby’s as you dance along in cereal aisle at Whole Foods. The vocals echoing the lyric “I will carry you” combined with the accompaniment of the entirety of the band, illustrate that this is a song that would make for a stellar live performance, inviting listeners to sing and dance along.
“Go” is a good come down from the previous track, slowing down the tempo. The band picks their groove right back up with my personal favorite — “Same Man” — a track that leads off with Neil Young vibes. However, the quick introduction of the synthy twangs of the pedal steel guitar and drums twist the song into an original jam piece. The lyrics are playful and reminiscent of a children’s nursery rhyme: “It’s raining it’s pouring the old man is snoring…”. While at times the rhymes can be slightly overwhelming, they pose a sharp juxtaposition to the chorus, which adopt an almost melancholy tone in the lyrics. Positioning the reflective lyrics atop a high tempo beat makes for a compelling mixture, wherein I caught myself feeling an unexplained sense of nostalgia.
“Willie’s Light” builds on the feeling from the previous songs, adopting a hopeful and optimistic tone with the repeated chorus of, “I’m telling you that there is a way.” Although clocking in at just over eight minutes, it doesn’t once drag on, with the jam break in the middle exuding the epitome of experience and supreme talent. The album could have easily ended with this track, with the pedal steel guitar playing us out, however “Movin' Forward” provides the perfect outro for this debut album. Just as the title implies The Hall Williams Band is looking to the future. The heartfelt and optimistic ending has all the right rock ’n roll elements that’ll leave you wanting for more.
In His Own Words is meant to be listened to loud, and ideally live, with room for riffs and elongated musical interludes. Thankfully, The Hall Williams Band frequents the The Depot in Baltimore and is hitting the road to DC among other places soon in the coming new year.
Their debut album was released digitally (iTunes, SoundCloud, Spotify, CD Baby) and on CD last month, and can be purchased at their shows and off their website.
Hall Williams Band
In His Own Words
Released: 2017
Track Listing:
1. In His Own Words
2. I Will Always Be Here For You
3. What You Believe
4. Go
5. Same Man
6. Willie's Light
7. Movin' Forward
Deep in the heart of Prince George's County, Maryland and right outside of Washington, DC exists a wonderful homegrown bluegrass talent, Moose Jaw Bluegrass. DC Music Review was happy to find this talented group performing at the Vinyl Lounge at Gypsy Sally's on November 24th. Moose Jaw Bluegrass is comprised of five talented artists — four Maryland artists: Jason Roe, Addison Barlett, Josh Taylor, Chris Ousley, and Canadian fiddle player Stacey Sinclair.
Moose Jaw Bluegrass combines hard-hitting originals, eclectic covers, and driven bluegrass favorites to create a unique and energetic sound sure to entertain. Moose Jaw is Prince George’s County, Maryland’s premiere working-class bluegrass ensemble! They perform traditional, not-so-traditional, original, and not-so-original tunes for audiences throughout the mid-Atlantic region. Moose Jaw’s full acoustic lineup creates high lonesome melodies reminiscent of the bluegrass all-stars.
For more information about Moose Jaw Bluegrass and upcoming appearances please visit their website or Facebook page.
Enjoy photos by our photographer Mark Raker of Mark Raker Photography.
Be sure to listen to their cover of "Crazy" by Gnarls Barkley.
Looking beyond the holiday season and New Year's celebrations there is a rather unique performance taking place at the 9:30 Club on January 7th, "BOAT BURNING: Music for 100 Guitars."
The event bills itself as "a unique and truly massive event featuring a once-in-a-lifetime array of musicians from all across the District's vibrant music scene." This year's edition will be the most ambitious yet, with 100 guitarists placed throughout the venue. Guitarists will not be on stage, but rather will be placed throughout the venue. Accompanying these guitarists will be three separate drummers and several orchestral instruments on stage. All musicians will be led by a conductor in the middle of the performance hall.
Opening the evenings festivities will be no other than Trinary System, featuring Mission of Burma's guitarist Roger Miller. To add to this unique experience DC multimedia artist and guerrilla projectionist Robin Bell of Bell Visuals will create a light show.
All net proceeds from the concert will benefit Bread for the City.
See what others have said about past performances:
“Immersive... Guitarists station themselves around the perimeter of the room and let it rip, producing harmonic overtones similar to those heard in Gregorian chant... Immense sound...”
--Washington Post
“Boat Burning's Andras Fekete is a mad man... Case in point: the band’s annual mass guitar orchestra, with nearly 70 guitarists...
--Washington City Paper "The Year In Review"
“...the bleeding edge of DC music... Boat Burning: Music For Massed Guitars combines multiple groups of electric guitars with cellos, percussion and voices... bring earplugs for your earplugs...”
--The Pink Line Project
Please click on the concert poster for the full size image.
If you have not witnessed a past performance, here is a small taste of what a 55 guitar performance looks and feels like. This year, the 9:30 Club event will host almost twice as many guitars and will take place in a two-level venue.
To purchase tickets, please see 9:30 Club's website or use the following link.
To learn more about Boat Burning: Music for 100 Guitars, please use the following link.
For more about Bread in the City, please use the following link.
David Barbe, Athens, Georgia rock legend came to the DC9 Nightclub in Washington, DC on December 14th and brought Athens upstarts New Madrid with him. Barbe's influence in the music landscape has been significant. A fixture of the Athens music scene since the early 1980s, Barbe was the bassist in Bob Mould's post Husker Duband, Sugar and has produced almost all of the Drive-By Truckers albums. Today, he is currently running the University of Georgia's Music Business School and was inDC in support of his latest album, 10th of Seas, his first album in seven years, and one in which he performed on all instruments.
Before this performance, audience members gathered around the venue to share and relive anecdotes of Athens, Georgia's rich and magnificent music history. Barbe made an unexpected appearance before the show to greet friends and fans who, in some cases had traveled all the way from Athens to attend this performance.
Graham Powers of New Madrid
Barbe took to the stage with New Madrid, playing as Inward Dream Egg. During this performance, Barbe played many songs from 10th of Seas, which had a distinctive Athens and gritty southern rock feel. Audience members swayed in unison to a steady drumming backbeat, supplanted with a compelling bass line. Several songs had a syrupy feel with celestial guitar performances that, at times washed over that steady backbeat of the drum and bass components of the song. Tying each song together was Barbe's distinctive voice and vocal delivery. This concert's setlist consisted of complimentary songs, one song would have a simmering or gritty sustained tension in them while the next song would be an energetic or gleeful rocker which would allow stored up musical tension to be released. Guest saxophonist Ethan Evans, long time friends with New Madrid, lent his dynamic musical voice throughout the evening, adding to the smooth groove of a song, and at other times adding brass panache. As Barbe walked off stage he was greeted by many fans, greeting them with a smile, an open hand to shake, and conversations to be had.
After a brief intermission, New Madrid took the stage. New Madrid consists of Graham Powers (lead guitar, vocals), Phil McGill (guitar, vocals), Ben Hackett(bass, vocals), Alex Woolley (drum, vocals). Each member of this band is exceptionally talented and ensures a very memorable performance. One last highlight occurred as David Barbe retook the stage, on the drums, for the last song of the set. This was Barbe lending a hand, as it turned out that Alex Woolley played while sick that night was clearly suffering towards the end. This highlighted another of Barbe's musical talents, in addition to his vocals, guitar, and bass proficiencies. As the last song ended, the crowd cheered for an encore. Not expecting an ailing Woolley to perform an encore, Barbe told the crowd “This will be an experiment”. The encore was quite stellar and beautifully executed as Hackett, Powers, and McGill succeeded in turning to Barbe on drums and exchanging musical moments.
New Madrid has a devoted following from Athens that extends beyond their native Georgia. Several individuals proudly wearing their University of Georgia sweatshirts said that New Madrid traditionally comes to the DC are only one or two times a year, and they never miss a performance.
Following the performance, New Madrid and David Barbe talked with fans and shared stories. Barbe was gracious, sharing anecdotes and an endless depth of musical knowledge with audience members. At DC Music Review, we hope that Barbe does not take another 7 years to release his next album and returns to Washington, DC soon, and we look forward to New Madrid's next appearance.
Photo Gallery
Photo Gallery
Photo Gallery
Enjoy photos by our photographer Jason Herman of Jason Herman Photography.
Both Davide Barbe and New Madrid's music can be found on the following platforms.
This past Friday night in Baltimore, Jazz is PHSH brought their jazz fusion interpretations of Phish’s catalogue to the beloved 8x10 in Federal Hill. Founded by brothers Adam and Matthew Chase (formerly members of Phish tribute band Strange Design) they were accompanied by a rotating cast of musicians from the jazz and jam music communities. Friday night’s show would feature the two Chase brothers, Matthew (guitar), and Adam (drum), a small horn section consisting of Carl “Geerz” Gerhard (trumpet and a legendary part of "Phishtory") and Jay Rodriguez (saxophone), Josh Thomas on keys, and Baltimore born bassist Corey Baker who was featured prominently throughout the evening.
The first set started with a bang as the band went right into “Carini.” With no vocalists, the horn section will typically take over the role, playing the vocal melodies. Such was the case on “Carini" as they played with the structure of the song to fit the jazzy/funky format that gives the band their signature sound. Next to come was a short but energetic version of “NICU” that set the stage for a funky extended “Tweezer,”which was one of the highlights of the show. Using their jazz fusion sound, blended with Phish’s tension and release jamming style, they created some great sonic space during this jam and found some really funky grooves. It was a great rendition of one of the most sought after songs in the Phish catalogue. "Brother" came next, a song rarely played by Phish anymore. With a punching bass line and a double time tempo, the rhythm section really stood out on that song. "Wilson" got the crowd involved as soon as they heard those familiar chords signaling them to start the Wilson chant. Matthew Chase took a blistering guitar solo during the Phish rocker that had the attendees moving. The rhythm section got another chance to shine during the funky "Meat," as Corey Baker (bass) switched instruments with drummer Adam Chase.They really went for the jazz sound, as they completely left the structure of the song for a while. Each musician did some unique freeform playing and interpretation that was really different from what a fan would expect the song to typically sound like. This performance was Adam's first on stage appearance on bass which made it an even more unique concert.
"46 Days" continued the first set in rocking fashion as "Stash" brought the set to a close. "Stash" is one of those songs that seems like it was meant for a jazz group: the melody and structure of the song really worked with the fusion sound that Jazz is PHSH has perfected. They don’t simply cover the songs, but rearrange them to add more space for the musicians on stage.
The second set started with another song that is rarely performed by Phish these days: "Camel Walk." This was the start of a common theme of the second set: funk. A tight and polished version of the quirky "Cars Trucks Buses" set the tone for the real meat of the second set, as the one-two-punch of "Ghost" and "Bathtub Gin" followed. These two Phish favorites are always welcome at any show, and tonight would prove no different. It was cold outside, but the funk that would come out of "Ghost" would keep everyone inside the show warm and fuzzy as we danced. Jazz is all about interplay, and there would be no shortage as the horns and rhythm section weaved in and out of each other setting up another great guitar solo to bring the song to a peak. "Bathtub Gin" featured more of the same. As a jam vehicle for Phish it proved the same for Jazz is PHSH. The jam extended into a funky space that kept the dance party going strong. After the extended dance party, the crowd got some downtime as the set closed with two Phish classics — "Lawn Boy" and "Dinner and a Movie." After a short encore break, the band returned to the stage for one last song, "Golgi Apparatus." A short but sweet high energy song, it was a fitting way to close the show. Even though there were no vocalists on stage, it didn’t stop the crowd from singing the familiar "I saw you, with a ticket stub in your hand" chorus.
This was another fine night of music in Baltimore at the 8x10, and another great show from Jazz is PHSH. We are always excited when these guys play in the DMV and we hope they come back soon.
Enjoy photos by our photographer Chris Gamber of Chris Gamber Photography.
Hayley Jane and the Primates returned to DC last Thursday, headlining at Pearl Street Warehouse, the new venue by the Wharf. When last we saw them, it was Halloween weekend and they came as "Jenny and the Gumps."
Hayley Jane and the Primates have been riding a wave of success this year, bringing in glowing reviews, finding tighter harmonies, and playing with jams more. This show was a strong display of just how good they are, and why Live for Live Music said, “This rising star has got the “IT” factor. She has deeply soulful pipes and vocal range topped off with a mesmerizing stage presence.”. What makes these shows so much fun to watch is the band's confidence and exuberance that is downright infectious. This isn't your average concert. Their shows are jam-packed with personality and emotion, creating a spectacle that is both exceptionally entertaining and deeply moving.
They opened the show with two songs you won't find on either of their albums, "In My Mind" and "We Found Out," before moving into a version of "I Can Do It (Poo Jam)" that got a bit spacey before coming to a powerful close. Gina Sobel of Choose Your Own Adventure, who opened the show, joined them on flute for "Make it Alright," a song that has become a consistent jam vehicle for the group and one they seem to enjoy bringing other folks in on. Towards the end of the night they treated the audience to a cover of David Bowie's "Magic Dance." And for the encore they brought out "Man Acrylic" and "To The Moon," with teases of Billie Holiday's "Blue Moon" and Tony Bennett's "Fly Me to the Moon."
We've got audio below of Choose Your Own Adventure's opening set. Make sure to check out "Spoiler Alert" and their set closing cover of Vulfpeck's "Back Pocket." The former will be on a new album they just laid down some tracks for this week. We're expecting it to be released in the coming months, so be sure to keep an eye out for that.
And for those of you going to YEMSG, Hayley Jane and the Primates will be doing a pre-party at the Cutting Room. They're doing a tribute to the 90's called "Party of 5" so get your tickets because that is sure to be a blast. And you can find their latest album, We're Here Now, on iTunes and Spotify.
Check out photos of the show by Josh Brick Graphics:
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