It may not feel like spring with all the "snow" on the ground, but this week you can still take a break even if you're staying in D.C. From blissful pop to hardcore punk, the District has a concert to fit all tastes this week. Here are some of the upcoming concerts we're most looking forward to throughout spring break.
Postelles and Arkells, ft. Ambassadors | U Street Music Hall
March 7, 6 p.m., $15
The Postelles will start spring break a little early, bringing their upbeat indie rock to U Street Music Hall with Arkells and openers Ambassadors.
Catchy without being shallow, The Postelles set a dance hall vibe that fans of all genres can appreciate. Attendees can expect to hear hits like "White Night," as well as some new songs off their upcoming album "And It Shook Me," out April 23.
Fans of bands like OK Go and San Cisco will enjoy their new album and their live show. Their fun, light vibe will be balanced nicely with their tour mates Arkells, who incorporate more classic rock influences, with some strong guitars and darker lyrics.
Those familiar with Canadian electropop singer Lights may have seen openers Ambassadors open for her as well. Ambassadors' songs range from the borderline entirely acoustic "Litost" to electrically influenced "Unconsolable."
- By Tam Sackman
Single Mothers w/ PAWS | DC9
March 7, 8:30 p.m., $10
If midterms have left you with some pent-up rage, slamdance your sorrows away at DC9 with Canadian hardcore band Single Mothers.
Known for its energetic live shows, Single Mothers combine the style of D.C. post-hardcore with lazy, West Coast angst.
With his sarcastic sneer, lead singer Drew Thomson sounds like a more aggressive but no less sharp-tongued version of The Hold Steady lead singer Craig Finn.
Thomson's yells are pushed forward by pounding, fuzz-laden guitar work by Michael Peterson and Justis Krar, whose riffs are so loud and powerful that they feel percussive.
Single Mothers are joined at DC9 with a more reverb-heavy surf punk band, PAWS. PAWS offers a less aggressive but still firmly punk lead-in for Single Mothers.
-By Sean Meehan
Shark Week, Dance for the Dying, The Flying Eyes, Joy Buttons | Rock N Roll Hotel
March 8, 8 p.m., $10
Some may recognize Shark Week, headliners of a packed lineup set to play Rock N Roll Hotel, from their WVAU-sponsored show last year in the Kay Spiritual Life Center. At that show, Shark Week not only proved that they had a great mix of punk and dance-y grooves, but that they also know how to have a good time.
The Rock N Roll Hotel show should be in-your-face with plenty of audience interaction. Shark Week's surf-influenced garage rock alternates between danceable numbers to blasts of angst.
Joining Shark Week are the synth-heavy dance-pop group Dance for the Dying and darker and more ambient band The Flying Eyes.
- By Sean Meehan
Full disclosure: Sean Meehan is a DJ at WVAU.
Django Django | 9:30 Club
March 9, 10p.m., $20
This weekend, Django Django will bring their smooth electro-rock sounds
to a crowd at 9:30 club. The quartet formed back in 2008 across the
pond in Dalston, London.
Imagine being stuck in a desert and having the most mesmerizing hallucinations. If that experience was turned into sound, the result would be a Django Django song.
After three years of musical exploration, Django Django's debut self-titled album was released last year, and received an impressive 7.2 rating on Pitchfork.
Full of eerie synths, bumping bass beats, incessant chanting and all around good vibes, this band's got all the noise anyone needs to get down and boogie on a Saturday night.
-Sydney Gore
Paperhaus, Drop Electric, The Silver Liners, North Country (D.C. Music Download's One-Year Anniversary Show) | Rock N Roll Hotel
March 15, 8 p.m., $10/12
Anybody returning early from a spring break vacation can get a quick dose of D.C. at local online music magazine D.C. Music Download's one-year anniversary show.
The lineup is an eclectic mix of local bands, from the laid-back noise-rock of Paperhaus to the roots rock of North Country. Electronic synth band Drop Electric and the more upbeat synth pop Silver Liners will also be present.
The audience will be less homogenous than at most shows because of the diverse lineup, but the fact that all of the acts are from the District should give it a more intimate community feel, and you may end up staying for something other than what you came for.
- By Sean Meehan
