WEDNESDAY: Bob Dylan doesn't care anymore; that's been made clear. The man released the weirdest Christmas album ever, and that's quite a feat. But he was — as much as he denied it — the voice of a generation and the finest songwriter of his time.
Unfortunately, his singing has worsened — if that's even possible. If you still love him, you can attend his concert at the Patriot Center.
» George Mason University, Patriot Center, 4500 Patriot Circle, Fairfax; 8 p.m., $57.50; 202-397-7328.
Check out our feature on Bob Dylan's craziest moments.
Photo by D.A. Pennebaker, Patriotcenter.com.
TUESDAY: Oh, Dane Cook. It's always sad when a comedian who's actually funny — yes, he can be stupid and sexist, but he's got great timing — goes off to do idiotic movies about bumbling blue-collar workers and Jessica Alba's underwear. We're happy to see Cook back doing comedy on a stage, with no bimbos or shopping carts in sight. It's where he belongs.
» Patriot Center, George Mason University, 4500 Patriot Center, Fairfax; Tue., Nov. 3, 7 p.m., $33-$103; 202-397-7328.
Photo by Jonathan Alcorn/The Washington Post
EXPECT A STAMPEDE of fashionistas at the Tysons Galleria Neiman Marcus Saturday, 1-4 p.m., when heel boy Christian Louboutin makes an appearance. The Parisian footwear designer will sign shoes (purchased at the store, one per customer) and participate in a Q&A with Roopal Patel, accessory editor for Neiman.
» 2255 International Drive, McLean, Va.; 703-761-1600.
TIMES ARE GETTING tougher for folk singers on indie labels, but Erin McKeown found a clever way to raise funds for her new album, "Righteous Babe). She filmed four performances in and around her home, calling the series "Cabin Fever." For less than the price of a concert ticket ($10 for each episode or $30 for all four), fans could watch the performances over her Web site and get a sneak peak into the sound of her new album.
So there's got to be some personal experience in "The Lions," when she sings: "There's a risk, there's a twist, in anything worth doing." Her move to Righteous Babe after a series of albums on Nettwerk is a big transition, but one that makes a lot of sense: her bold voice and brassy lyrics have more in common with Ani DiFranco than with most major-label folksters.
While she sounds like a happy Fiona Apple on the swaying, bouncy "The Foxes," McKeown is really at her finest on the moodier, mellower songs on "Hundreds of Lions." The haunting "(Put the Fun Back In the) Funeral" finds McKeown singing of depression with a nearly hollow voice over sparsely plucked guitar. And when it sounds like she's trapped inside a coffin ("I can't breathe, I can't breathe / in this box, ahh / I can't breathe"), the song becomes all the creepier.
Continue Reading "A Mild Case of Cabin Fever: Erin McKeown, 'Hundreds of Lions'" »
FRIDAY: Here's what our co-workeers said when we mentioned that Kelly Clarkson has a show this Friday at the Patriot Center:
"Doesn't she have a new album out?" (Yes, it's called "All I Ever Wanted.) "Didn't she say something on her blog about Kanye West?" (Yes, she called him "a sad human being.") "Aww man, now I've got 'Since U Been Gone' stuck in my head." (Great, now we do, too.) "I met her a couple of years ago and she told me she had a puppy named Nemo." (Hmm, good to know.) "Didn't she have some video with people singing in the shower?" (Yeah, we're not even going near that one.)
»Patriot Center at George Mason University, 4500 Patriot Circle, Fairfax, Fri., Oct. 9, 8 p.m., $49.50-$59.50; 202-397-7328.
SUNDAY: He looks like your typical Texas troubadour — rugged, hat-wearing, bar-dwelling modern cowboy with seen-it-all-eyes. But Tom Russell is no parochial player. On "Blood and Candle Smoke," which he recorded with members of Calexico, the singer-songwriter culls inspiration from his travels to the African desert and dive bars in Canada; from literature; Native American lore; and the vast, sweeping, dusty, bloodstained history of this crazy country of ours.
He'll be telling his musical stories at Jammin' Java on Sunday; that's a journey no fan of Americana should miss.
» Jammin' Java, 227 Maple Ave. E., Vienna, Va.; Sun., Oct. 4, 7 p.m., $22; 703-255-1566.
Photo courtesy Colin Young Wolff
AT THE MTV VIDEO MUSIC AWARDS last month, everyone in the audience was stunned when Kanye West rudely stole Taylor Swift's moment by storming the stage. Many were wondering why he would do such a thing, but reggeaton stars and first-time VMA nominees Wisin y Yandel were just wondering what the heck was going on.
"Remember that we don't speak the language, so we did not know exactly what was being said, but we felt that something inappropriate was taking place," said Wisin (born Juan Luis Morera Luna) in Spanish — his "La Revolucion" with Yandel is this year's top-selling Latin album. "And our heart just went out to that young lady."
While they may not speak English, their infectiously danceable Latin hip-hop is crossing cultures, being played on English-language music networks and radio stations. Their "Abusadora" was nominated for the MTV VMA for best pop video, becoming the first nominated song written entirely in Spanish in the history of the awards.
Continue Reading "The Language of Dance: Reggaeton Club Stars Wisin y Yandel" »
MONDAY: Pink isn't the most accomplished musician or lyricist you've ever encountered, in fact, she sort of embodies the concept of getting by on personality. But what a personality — she's angry and funny and sassy in a way that makes you want to be her friend. And you can dance to every single song. Bonus: The Ting Tings are her opening act.
» RELATED: "Still a Rockstar: Five Reasons Why Pink Rules" [Express, Sept. 2009]
»Patriot Center at George Mason University, 4500 Patriot Circle, Fairfax, Mon., Sept. 28, 8 p.m., $40-$50; 202-397-7328.
Photo by Michael Loccisano/Getty Images
THIS IS A TALE of two Ashleys.
One rode the "High School Musical" wave to stardom, ditched her blonde locks and started a pop career. The other started as a pop singer, is a natural brunette and is jumping at taking Disney's fortunate franchise in a natural direction — the stage.
Ashley Tisdale and Ashley Moniz have more in common than you'd think — but there's only one you can see as Sharpay in "High School Musical" at Wolf Trap this week.
A 22-year-old recent graduate of the University of California at Irvine, Moniz, is stepping into Sharpay's sassy shoes for the touring version of "High School Musical" after working as part of the ensemble and as an understudy last year.
For some, Sharpay may have been a tough role to take on — she's the cutthroat drama queen trying to keep star-crossed lovers, Troy and Gabriella, out of the annual school musical — but Moniz said she really connected with the character.
Continue Reading "Class Trip: 'High School Musical' Comes to Wolf Trap" »
PACK YOUR PICNICS, grab the kids and put on your elf ears — "Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers" is coming to Wolf Trap in all its bombast.
Naturally, the multiple screens will fill with the nail-biting adventures of Frodo and his hairy-footed friends — all in dazzling high definition. But the story gets a boost in this case — released from the confines of a movie theater, Howard Shore's epic-tastic musical score will also boom from the instruments of a live orchestra as the City Choir of Washington provides the vocals.
It's a movie, it's a night at the symphony, it's a nerdy Tolkienphile's dream.
Continue Reading "The Frodo Live Tour: Wolf Trap Hosts 'The Two Towers'" »
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