Thursday, June 21
One of the biggest names in the game,
Jill Scott—who emerged in 2000 with
Who Is Jill Scott—hosts her Summer Block Party at Verizon tonight. Besides Scott, you’ll also learn that
Salt-N-Pepa and
Doug E. Fresh (who essentially invented beatboxing!) are not only still around, but are still performing, despite the fact that neither
of them have put out albums since the late ’90s.
7 PM at Verizon Center, $40 to $171.
With her haunting voice, jazz pianist
Diana Krall has managed to transcend the jazz
world and become at least reasonably popular in the mainstream. She’s
collaborated with
Yo-Yo Ma and is married to Elvis Costello, so she’s hanging out
with all the right
people.
8 PM at Wolf Trap, $35 to $50.
Finally! We know you know it’s summer because you learned about the seasons in elementary school, but you REALLY know it’s
summer because Fort Reno is back. Monday’s show went great, and tonight’s show features the funky dance sounds of
Edie Sedgwick, upbeat acoustic rockers
Art Sorority for Girls, and indie rockers
Brenda. For those of you who don’t know the
deal or need a refresher, here it is: free concert at Fort Reno park,
starts at 7, ends
at exactly 9:30. All ages, no booze, glass bottles, or drama.
Bring a blanket and you’ll probably see someone who will be
famous in a year or two. A DC
institution.
7 PM at Fort Reno, free.
Friday, June 22
When Michael Jackson died three summers ago,
Who’s Bad, the best Jackson cover band around,
happened to be playing the 9:30 Club that night. It was a stroke of
luck for people
who wanted to celebrate the King’s life and was potentially the
only time tickets for a cover band were going for more than
$100 on Craigslist. They’re back this Friday, and you’ll get
all the moonwalking you could ever ask
for.
8 PM at 9:30 Club, $20.
Rocket from the Crypt were famous for their blisteringly fast punk rock, minute-and-a-half songs, and pissed-off attitude.
Since breaking up in 2005, lead singer
John Reis has founded
Hot Snakes, who are just as angsty and high
energy as
Rocket.
8 PM at Rock & Roll Hotel, sold out.
Saturday, June 23
It seems like there’d be a limit to the number of poppy country crossover songs three dudes could put out without having a
big misstep. But with every album,
Rascal Flatts are proving they can appeal to two fan bases—country fans and college students. Their latest,
Changed, hit number three on the Billboard charts and has already spawned a top country hit. Check out their show at Jiffy Lube to
hear “Life Is a Highway,” “What Hurts the Most,” and “Summer Nights.”
7 PM at Jiffy Lube Live, $25 to $80.
Sunday, June 24
She’s had her issues—not every Disney career goes swimmingly, as LiLo can testify—but
Demi Lovato is out of rehab and making music
again (yes, this week is very light on good concerts). She sounds
exactly like you’d expect
a Disney actress turned musician to
sound.
7 PM at Wolf Trap, $30 to $42.
Monday, June 25
LMFAO, they who Party Rock, take Shots, and
have ridiculous hair and questionable talent, take the stage at the
Patriot Center
on the least party-centric day of the week. Let’s see if they
can save Mondays for us
all.
7 PM at Patriot Center, $30 to $114 (really).
If you want to dance for a cheaper price and see someone who will probably be very popular very soon, North Carolina’s
Porter Robinson, a 19-year-old electro-house
deejay, will be spinning at the Fillmore. He’s already played
Lollapalooza, Coachella, and Electric
Daisy Carnival this year, and his music makes you feel like a
robot.
8 PM at the Fillmore, $33.
Tuesday, June 26
The Idler Wheel . . .,
Fiona Apple’s first album in seven years, just
came out to incredible reviews, proving she’s still got it. It’s
sparse, creepy at times,
and affecting—and it coincides with her show at Warner Theatre.
It’s sold out, but you can grab tickets on StubHub for just
a little over
face.
8 PM at Warner Theatre, sold out.
If you’ve never seen
Reel Big Fish live and have an affinity for
BASEketball, the late ’90s, or checkered shorts, then
by all means, check them out (I know I have). You’ll be blown away the
first time,
then realize it’s all schtick the second, third, and, in my
case, fifth (yikes) time you see them. In any case, you’ll get
to see them play “Sell Out” and “Beer,” which might be worth
the price of admission.
6 PM at 9:30 Club, sold out.
Wednesday, June 27
Norah Jones has won nine Grammys, sold 40 million albums, and was called the top jazz musician between 2000 and 2009 by Billboard. It’s
hard to believe she’s only been making music for 10 years. Her latest album,
Little Broken Hearts, came out in April, and is a little poppier than some of her previous releases. The show is sold out, but check Craigslist
and StubHub.
8 PM at Wolf Trap, sold out.
