Music & Concerts
Music makes us come together
D.C. is always home to more concerts than you could possibly write about. Here are some of the season’s highlights.
Barns at Wolf Trap
1645 Trap Rd.
Vienna, Va. 22182
Spring highlights:
Antares -March 19
Jeri Sager – March 20
HAPA -March 23-24
Bastianello & Lucrezia -March 26
John Eaton -March 27
Shemekia Copeland -March 28
Richard Marx and Matt Scannell -April 6
Ruthie Foster and John Hammond -April 7
Moya Brennan -April 8
Los Angeles Guitar Quartet -April 9
Julie Murphy Wells -April 10
The Bad Plus -April 13
Livingston Taylor -April 15-16
Luke Brindley -April 22
Lucy Kaplansky -April 23
Buskin & Batteau -April 24
The Bobs -April 28
John McCutcheon -April 29
Bonnie Rideout -April 30
For more information: 703-255-1900 or wolf-trap.org
Black Cat
1811 14th St. N.W.
Washington D.C. 20009
Spring highlights:
Black Lips, Box Elders, The Vermilions -March 19
Close to the Edge featuring DJ Dredd -March 19
Fruit Bats, Blue Giant, The Singleman Affair -March 20
Right Round featuring DJ lilíe -March 20
Magik Markers, Buildings -March 21
The Ruby Suns, Toro y Moi -March 24
Jukebox The Ghost, Tally Hall, Skybox -March 25
The Saturday Night Dance Party -March 27
The So So Glos, The Pharmacy -March 28
The Smith Westerns, So Cow, The Cheniers -April 1
Sorted with DJ Stereo Faith -April 2
HomoSonic -April 4
Tim Barry, Red Clay River -April 5
Exit Clov, Gringo Star -April 8
High on Fire, Priestess, Black Cobra, Bison B.C. -April 11
Freddie T & The People, Brandon Bulter -April 12
Shortstack, Birds of Avalon, Suns of Guns -April 16
Ugly Purple Sweater, La Strada, Lucia Lucia -April 20
Bitch -April 29
Echo & The Bunnymen -April 30
These United States, The Mother Hips -May 15
Thee Silver Mt Zion Memorial Orchestra -May 19
For more information: 202-667-4490 or blackcatdc.com
Blues Alley
1073 Wisconsin Ave. N.W.
Washington D.C. 20007
Spring highlights:
Earl Klugh -March 20
Swing Shift -March 21
Sherrie Maricle & The Diva Jazz Trio -March 22
Gregg Karukas -March 23
Nicole Henry -March 24
Stanley Jordan -March 28
The Outer Bridge Ensemble -March 29
Dan Leonard -April 6
Dani Cortaza -April 7
Bucky Pizzarelli -April 8-10
James Madison High School Band -April 11
Richard Montgomery High School -April 12
Columbia Jazz Band -April 12
The Dave Brubeck Quartet -April 16-18
The World Famous Count Basie Orchestra -April 20-25
Yellowjackets -May 6-8
Teri S -May 12
Larry Coryell Power Trio -May 13-16
Marcus Young -May 18
Spyro Gyra -May 20-23
John Eaton -May 25
For more information: 703-549-7500 or bluesalley.com
DAR Constitution Hall
1776 D St., N.W.
Washington D.C. 20006
Spring highlights:
Fresh Fest with Salt-N-Pepa -March 20
The Moody Blues -March 26
Vampire Weekend -April 3
Phoenix -April 26
For more information: 202-628-1776 or dar.org/conthall
DC9
1940 Ninth St. N.W.
Washington D.C. 20009
Spring highlights:
Bonjour, Ganesh! -March 20
Barefoot Truth -March 21
My Disco -March 23
Miles Kurosky of Beulah -March 24
Natalia Clavier -March 27
A Sunny Day In Glasgow -March 28
today the moon, tomorrow the sun -March 29
The Appleseed Cast -April 13
The Mary Onettes -April 20
The Points -April 22
Nouveau Riche -April 24
Captured! By Robots -May 4
Eluvium -May 17
For more information: 202-483-5000 or dcnine.com
DC Center
1810 14th St. N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20009
Tom Goss Live: Launching his new Marriage Equality EP Politics of Love -April 1
For more information: 202-682-2245 or thedccenter.org
Folger Elizabethan Theatre
201 East Capitol St., S.E.
Washington D.C. 20003
Spring highlights:
Ballets and Brawls: French Music of Court and Countryside -March 19-March 21
A Musical Banquet: Songs for Lute, Voice and Viol -April 9-April 11
For more information: 202-544-7077 or folger.edu
GMU Center For The Arts
4373 Mason Pond Dr.
Fairfax, VA 22030
Spring highlights:
Schleswig-Holstein Festival Orchestra with Lang Lang -April 3
GMU Percussion Ensemble Concert -April 6
GMU Chamber Orchestra -April 13
Academy of St. Martin in the Fields -April 23-25
GMU Wind Symphony and Symphonic Band Spring Concert -April 27
Flutopia Flute Choir -May 4
For more information: 888-945-2468 or gmu.edu/cfa
Iota Restaurant & Bar
2832 Wilson Blvd
Arlington, VA 22201
Spring highlights:
Tom McBride and the Whig Party -March 19
Dead Heart Bloom with Aaron Thompson -March 20
David Ford -March 21
Amy Sullivan and the Whiskey Darlings -March 22
Justin Trawick -April 2
The U-Liners -April 3
El Ten Eleven -April 6
Caravan of Thieves -April 8
The Walkaways -April 24
Red Elvises -May 1
For more information: 703-522-8340 or iotaclubandcafe.com
Jammin’ Java
227 Maple Ave. E.
Vienna, VA 22180
Spring highlights:
Steve Forbert -March 19
Dreaming of Eden + The Chuck Shaffer Picture Show -March 19
Al Petteway and Amy White -March 21
Collective Change – Haiti Benefit Concert -March 23
Jim Weiderís Project Percolator -March 24
The Hint -March 26
Sara Borges and the Broken Singles -March 26
Bill Emerson and Sweet Dixie Band -March 28
Army of Me -March 28
Pierre Bensusan -March 31
Benjy Davis Project -April 1
DC101ís Last Band Standing -April 6, April 13, April 21, April 27
Sara Watkins -April 20
Adrian Belew -April 22
Faze Electro Dance Party with Menya and Ypset and Santi -April 24
Graham Parker and the Figgs -May 1
Michelle Shocked -May 7
Boys Will Be Boys -May 8
Aqualung -May 9
Dan Navarro -May 14
Crash Test Dummies -May 16
For more information: 703-255-1566 or jamminjava.com
Kennedy Center
2700 F St. N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20566
Spring highlights:
The Washington Chorus performs Mozartís Requiem -March 26, Concert Hall
Vocal Arts Society: America Sings Festival Showcase -April 10, Concert Hall
Marietta Simpson -April 21, Concert Hall
Gospel Across America Special -April 24, Concert Hall
Escher Quartet -April 26, Concert Hall
Barbara Cookís Broadway Spotlight: Laura Benanti -April 30, Terrace
Vocal Arts Society: Christine Brewer and Craig Rutenberg -May 7, Concert Hall
Jennifer Koh and Reiko Uchida -May 9, Concert Hall
Mary Lou Williams Women in Jazz Festival -May 20-May 22, Terrace
For more information: 202-467-4600 or kennedy-center.org
Lisner Auditorium
730 21st St., N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20052
Spring highlights:
Grease: The Gay Men’s Chourus of Washington presents a fully staged, all-male production of thie Broadway musical -March 19 thru March 21
Angelique Kidjo -March 27
Caetano Veloso -April 10
Rokia Traore -April 11
Time Machine -Mashina Vremeni -April 13
Music from the Crooked Road: Mountain Music of Virginia -April 16
Joe Bonamassa -April 23
Baaba Maal -April 29
The Fab Faux -May 22
For more information: 202-994-6800 or lisner.org
The Library of Congress-Thomas Jefferson Building
10 First St. S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
Spring highlights:
Jean-Guihen Queyras and Alexandre Tharaud -March 12
Curtis Contemporary Music Ensemble -March 15
Voces Intimae -March 26
Juilliard String Quartet -April 9
Henschel Quartet -April 14
Alexander String Quartet, Afiara String Quartet -April 16
Jack Quartet -April 30
Woodley Ensemble -May 14
Ensemble Caprice -May 28
Mahan Esfahani -May 29
For more information: 202-707-8000 or loc.gov/concerts
Lyric Opera House
140 West Mount Royal Ave.
Baltimore, Md. 21201
Spring highlights:
Norah Jones -March 30
David Gray -March 31
Angie Stone and Leela James -April 17
For more information: 410-685-5086 or lyricoperahouse.com
Merriweather Post Pavilion
10475 Little Patuxent Parkway
Columbia, MD 21044
Spring highlights:
My Morning Jacket -May 1
Sugarland -May 16
The Bamboozle Roadshow featuring All Time Low and Boys Like Girls -May 21
For more information: 800-551-SEAT or merriweathermusic.com
Music Center at Strathmore
5301 Tuckerman Lane
North Bethesda, MD 20852
Spring highlights:
The Celtic Tenors -March 12
Ari Allal -March 24
Naomi Kudo -March 25
US Royalty with DJ Will Eastman -March 26
Tom Wopat -March 28
David Garrett -March 31
E.M. Spencer -April 2
Sezen Aksu -April 4
Gato & the Palenke Music Co. -April 9
George Winston, A Solo Piano Concert -April 9
Romeo and Julia Koren -April 13
Songs of the Earth: Celebrating the 40th Anniversary of Earth Day -April 23
Patti LuPone presents ìThe Gypsy in my Soulî for Strathmoreís 2010 Spring Gala -April 24
Nancy Wilson -May 7
An Evening with Rosanne Cash and Mark OíConnor -May 8
For more information: 301-581-5100 or strathmore.org
National Philharmonic-Music Center at Strathmore
5301 Tuckerman Lane
North Bethesda, MD 20852
Spring highlights:
All Brahms -March 20, March 21
Brahms Requiem -March 27
From Mozart to Mahler -April 17, April 18
Vivaldiís Gloria -May 1
The Polish Masters and Schumann -May 22
For more information: 301-493-9283 or nationalphilharmonic.org
Ram’s Head Live
20 Market Place
Baltimore, MD 21202
Spring highlights:
Charm City Devils -March 19
Mat Kearney & Ingrid Michaelson -March 20
Ben Folds -March 24
Mr. Greengenes -March 26
Julian Casablancas -March 28
The Fabulous Thunderbirds -March 31
The Big Pink with A Place To Bury Strangers -April 1
Artic Monkeys -April 7
Bone Thugs-N-Harmony -April 8
Steel Panther -April 9
Hotspur -April 10
2U: U2 tribute band -April 17
Mastodon -April 20
Jakob Dylan and Three Legs -April 22
Josh Gracin -April 23
Gogol Bordello -April 29-30
Who ís Bad: A Michael Jackson Tribute Band -May 1
Charlie Mars -May 12
Get the Led Out -May 15
For more information: 410-244-1131 or ramsheadlive.com
Ram’s Head on Stage
33 West St.
Annapolis, MD 21401
Spring highlights:
Eddie from Ohio -March 19-20
The Machine Unplugged -March 20
Amos Lee -March 20
Celtic Crossroads -March 21
HAPA -March 22
Ledisi -March 27
Tower of Power -March 28
Alice Smith -March 31
Pat McGee -April 1
Rhett Miller -April 3
Keith Emerson & Greg Lake -April 5
Christopher Cross -April 10
Joan Osborne -April 11
Gary Wright -April 15
Sonny Landreth -April 16
Lalah Hathaway -April 18
Swing Out Sister -April 20
Ambrosia -April 21
Colin Hay -April 25
The Church -April 27
Mick Taylor -May 6
Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings -May 7
Sia -May 8
Chris Botti -May 10-11
Vonda Shepard -May 12
Phil Vassar -May 14-15
Beth Nielsen Chapman -May 24
Toad the Wet Sprocket -May 29
For more information: 410-268-4545 or ramsheadonstage.com
Rock & Roll Hotel
1353 H St. N.E.
Washington, D.C. 20002
Spring highlights:
Junior League Band -March 19
Epic Dance Party with DJ Doc Rok -March 19
Garutachi with DJ Austin and DJ Ca$$idy -March 20
Bio Ritmo -March 20
Solar Powered Sun Destroyer -March 25
Shearwater, Wye Oak and Hospital Ships -March 26
Woods, Real Estate, Surf City -March 27
Japandroids, Love Is All, Tennis System -March 29
Gang Gang Dance, Highlife -March 30
Rattler -April 3
100 Monkeys -April 7
Pants Velour, Fuzzy G, The Canon Logic -April 10
ThíLegendary Shack*Shakers -April 13
Liars, Fol Chen -April 14
Trams Am, Nice Nice, Jonas Reinhardt -April 15
Mixtape -April 17
The Apples In Stereo -April 18
The Blue Line, Poor But Sexy, Drunk Tigers -April 23
Amanda Blank -April 24
Free Lobster Buffet -April 30
The Album Leaf, Sea Wolf -May 4
Imperial China -May 7
Patrick Wilson, Dovemen -May 8
Caribou, Toro Y Moi -May 10
Greg Laswell -May 24
Cobra Collective, Death by Sexy, Dead Heart Bloom -May 28
Black Dog Prowl -May 29
For more information: 202-388-ROCK or rockandrollhoteldc.com
The Birchmere
3701 Mt. Vernon Ave.
Alexandria, VA 22305
Spring highlights:
Average White Band -March 19-20
David Wilcox & Patty Larkin -March 21
Jonathan Butler -March 23
Carrie Newcomer & Peter Mayer -March 25
Jonatha Brooke & Lori McKenna -March 26
Ashford & Simpson -March 27
Anuhea & The Green -March 29
Bob Schneider -March 30
Robert Earl Keen -March 31
Keller Williams -April 2
Vivian Green -April 5
Keith Emerson & Greg Lake -April 6
Lizz Wright -April 7
Joan Osborne -April 8
Christopher Cross -April 9
Fourplay -April 12
Todd Rundgrenís Johnson -April 13
Michael McDonald -April 15
Guy Clark -April 17
Angie Stone -April 18
Swing Out Sister -April 19
The Wailiní Jennys -April 20
Colin Hay -April 23-24
Gentlemen of the Night -April 25
America: 40th Anniversary Tour -April 30, May 1
The English Beat -May 3
Kathy Mattea -May 6
Shawn Colvin -May 7
Shelby Lynne -May 11
Iris Dement -May 13
Chatham County Line -May 14
Virginia Coalition -May 15
Sweet Honey in the Rock -May 21-22
Toad the Wet Sprocket -May 27-28
Sonny Landreth & Tom Principato -May 29
Alex Bugnon -May 30
For more information: 703-549-7500 or birchmere.com
The Red & The Black
1212 H St. N.E.
Washington D.C., 20002
Spring highlights:
The Pubcrawlers -March 15
Rest Assured -March 17
Bellmer Dolls -March 19
One for the Team, The Prisms -March 21
YARN, Sgt Dunbar The Hobo Banned, Andrew Karnavas -March 25
Ravenous, FOX Japan, Caustic Casanova -March 26
Benyaro, Chris Merritt -March 28
Andalusian Dog -April 1
Shapiro, The Winter Sounds, Achtung Panda -April 4
East Coast Caravan -April 9
The Honeyguns -April 10
Lake Street Dive -April 13
Jounce -April 15
Horsehead -April 16
Deleon -April 17
For more information: 202-399-3201 or redandblackbar.com
The State Theatre
220 N. Washington St.
Falls Church, VA 22046
Spring highlights:
The Legwarmers -March 19-20
Tower of Power -March 26
Divas of Pop Dance Party -March 27
Rebirth Brass Band -March 31
The Soft Parade: The most authentic tribute to the Doors-April 2
The Legendary Rhythm and Blues Revue -April 3
Easy Star All-Stars -April 4
Anonymous -April 8
Cherry Poppin Daddies -April 15
Jimmy Thackery & The Drivers -April 18
Cowboy Junkies -April 23
The Machine -April 24
The Church -April 25, April 27
Taj Mahal Trio -May 1
Sematic and Charm City Devils -May 7
Donna The Buffalo -May 14
For more information: 703-237-0300 or thestatetheatre.com
Verizon Center
601 F St. N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20004
Spring highlights:
Alicia Keys -March 25
Bon Jovi with Dashboard Confessional -March 29
Nickelback -April 13
For more information: 202-628-3200 or verizoncenter.com
Warner Theatre
513 13th St., N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20004
Spring Lineup:
Norah Jones -April 2
Trans-Siberian Orchestra -April 11
Widespread Panic -April 20-21
Elvis Costello & The Sugarcanes -April 22
Mark Knopfler -May 2
For more information: 202-397-SEAT or warnertheatre.com
9:30 Club
815 V St., N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20001
Spring highlights:
Anvil w/Misstallica -March 20
The Dan Band -March 27
Wiz Khalifa -March 28
Nada Surf -April 2
Wale & KíNaan -April 4
Black Rebel Motorcycle Club -April 5
The Temper Tramp and Florence & The Machine -April 6
King Sunny Ade -April 7
Mayhem -April 7
Ted Leo and the Pharmacists -April 8
NEEDTOBREATHE w/Will Hoge & Matt Hires -April 9
US Air Guitar -April 10
Pick Up The Phone Tour featuring Blue October -April 11
George Clinton and PFunk -April 12
Badfish -April 14
Martin Sexon -April 16
Jedi Mind Tricks -April 17
Kidz In The Hall -April 18
The Disco Biscuits -April 20
Rock Bottom Remainders -April 21
Jovanotti -April 22
Jakob Dylan -April 23
AP Tour: Never Shout Never, Hey Monday, The Cab, Every Avenue, The Summer Set -April 25
Ozomatli -April 28
Motion City Soundtrack -April 28
Kaki King -April 29
Citizen Cope -April 30, May 1
Shout Out Louds -May 2
Sia -May 4
Corinne Bailey Rae -May 13
Dr. Dog w/ Deer Tick -May 14
For more information: 202-265-0930 or 930.com
Music & Concerts
Underdog glorious: a personal remembrance of Jill Sobule
Talented singer, songwriter died in house fire on May 1

I’ve always prided myself on being the kind of music consumer who purchased music on impulse. When I stumbled across “Things Here Are Different,” Jill Sobule’s 1990 MCA Records debut album on vinyl in a favorite Chicago record store, I bought it without knowing anything about her. This was at a time when we didn’t have our phones in our pockets to search for information about the artist on the internet. The LP stayed in my collection until, as vinyl was falling out of fashion, I replaced it with a CD a few years later.
Early in my career as an entertainment journalist, I received a promo copy of Jill’s eponymous 1995 Atlantic Records album. That year, Atlantic Records was one of the labels at the forefront of signing and heavily promoting queer artists, including Melissa Ferrick and Extra Fancy, and its roster included the self-titled album by Jill. It was a smart move, as the single “I Kissed A Girl” became a hit on radio and its accompanying video (featuring Fabio!) was in heavy rotation on MTV (when they still played videos).
Unfortunately for Jill, she was a victim of record label missteps. When 1997’s wonderful “Happy Town” failed to repeat the success, Atlantic dumped her. That was Atlantic’s loss, because her next album, the superb “Pink Pearl” contained “Heroes” and “Mexican Wrestler,” two of her most beloved songs. Sadly, Beyond Music, the label that released that album ceased to exist after just a few years. To her credit, the savvy Jill had also started independently releasing music (2004’s “The Folk Years”). That was a smart move because her next major-label release, the brilliant “Underdog Victorious” on Artemis Records, met a similar fate when that label folded.
With her 2009 album “California Years,” Jill launched her own indie label, Pinko Records, on which she would release two more outstanding full-length discs, 2014’s “Dottie’s Charms” (on which she collaborated with some of her favorite writers, including David Hadju, Rick Moody, Mary Jo Salter, and Jonathan Lethem), and 2018’s stunning “Nostalgia Kills.” Jill’s cover of the late Warren Zevon’s “Don’t Let Us Get Sick” on “Nostalgia Kills” was particularly poignant as she had toured with him as an opening act.
Jill was a road warrior, constantly on tour, and her live shows were something to behold. My first interview with Jill took place at the Double Door in Chicago in early August of 1995, when she was the opening act for legendary punk band X. She had thrown her back out the previous day and was diagnosed with a herniated disc. To be comfortable, she was lying down on a fabulous-‘50s sofa. “I feel like I’m at my shrink’s,” she said to me, “Do you want me to talk about my mother?”
That sense of humor, which permeated and enriched her music, was one of many reasons to love Jill. I was privileged to interview her for seven of her albums. Everything you would want to know about her was right there in her honest lyrics, in which she balanced her distinctive brand of humor with serious subject matter. Drawing on her life experiences in songs such as “Bitter,” “Underachiever,” “One of These Days,” “Freshman,” “Jetpack,” “Nothing To Prove,” “Forbidden Thoughts of Youth,” “Island of Lost Things,” “Where Do I Begin,” “Almost Great,” and “Big Shoes,” made her songs as personal as they were universal, elicited genuine affection and concern from her devoted fans.
While she was a consummate songwriter, Jill also felt equally comfortable covering songs made famous by others, including “Just A Little Lovin’” (on the 2000 Dusty Springfield tribute album “Forever Dusty”) and “Stoned Soul Picnic” (from the 1997 Laura Nyro tribute album “Time and Love”). Jill also didn’t shy away from political subject matter in her music with “Resistance Song,” “Soldiers of Christ,” “Attic,” “Heroes,” “Under the Disco Ball,” and the incredible “America Back” as prime examples.
Here’s something else worth mentioning about Jill. She was known for collaboration skills. As a songwriter, she maintained a multi-year creative partnership with Robin Eaton (“I Kissed A Girl” and many others), as well as Richard Barone, the gay frontman of the renowned band The Bongos. Jill’s history with Barone includes performing together at a queer Octoberfest event in Chicago in 1996. Writer and comedian Julie Sweeney, of “SNL” and “Work in Progress” fame was another Chicago collaborator with Sobule (Sweeney lives in a Chicago suburb), where they frequently performed their delightful “The Jill and Julia Show.” John Doe, of the aforementioned band X, also collaborated with Jill in the studio (“Tomorrow Is Breaking” from “Nostalgia Kills”), as well as in live performances.
On a very personal note, in 2019, when I was in the process of arranging a reading at the fabulous NYC gay bookstore Bureau of General Services – Queer Division, I reached out to Jill and asked her if she would like to be on the bill with me. We alternated performing; I would read a couple of poems, and Jill would sing a couple of songs. She even set one of my poems to music, on the spot.
Jill had an abundance of talent, and when she turned her attention to musical theater, it paid off in a big way. Her stage musical “F*ck 7th Grade,” a theatrical piece that seemed like the next logical step in her career, had its premiere at Pittsburgh’s City Theatre in the fall of 2020, during the height of the pandemic. The unique staging (an outdoor drive-in stage at which audience members watched from their cars) was truly inspired. “F*ck 7th Grade” went on to become a New York Times Critic’s pick, as well as earning a Drama Desk nomination.
In honor of the 30th anniversary of Jill’s eponymous 1995 album, reissue label Rhino Records is re-releasing it on red vinyl. Jill and I had been emailing each other to arrange a time for an interview. We even had a date on the books for the third week of May.
When she died in a house fire in Minnesota on May 1 at age 66, Jill received mentions on network and cable news shows. She was showered with attention from major news outlets, including obits in the New York Times and Rolling Stone (but not Pitchfork, who couldn’t be bothered to review her music when she was alive). Is it wrong to think that if she’d gotten this much attention when she was alive she could have been as big as Taylor Swift? I don’t think so.
Music & Concerts
Tom Goss returns with ‘Bear Friends Furever Tour’
Out singer/songwriter to perform at Red Bear Brewing Co.

Singer Tom Goss will bring his “Bear Friends Furever Tour” to D.C. on Sunday, June 8 at 8 p.m. at Red Bear Brewing Co.
Among the songs he will perform will be “Bear Soup,” the fourth installment in his beloved bear song anthology series. Following fan favorites like “Bears,” “Round in All the Right Places,” and “Nerdy Bear,” this high-energy, bass-thumping banger celebrates body positivity, joyful indulgence, and the vibrant spirit of the bear subculture.
For more details, visit Tom Goss’s website.

Aussie pop icon Kylie Minogue brings her acclaimed “Tension” world tour to D.C. next Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. at the Capital One Arena. Tickets are still available at Ticketmaster.
The show features songs spanning her long career, from 1987 debut single, “The Loco-Motion,” to “Padam, Padam” from her album, “Tension.”