Less than a minute into last night's performance, it was obvious the members of the all-instrumental acoustic guitar duo Rodrigo y Gabriela (pictured right), Mexican natives now based in Ireland, care more about Metallica than Manitas de Plata. We can see why listeners mis-label their music as flamenco — it has a rhythmic precision and intensity that are also found in that style. After seeing all the headbanging and devil horns coming from the crowd, it's clear that their music has little to do with flamenco. We might go so far as to call Rod and Gab the first acoustic metal gods in rock n' roll history. This description of the duo's sound might make the music seem like a gimmick, but a gimmick will rarely deliver such a genuine and passionate performance, totally devoid of extraneous bells and whistles, while selling out the 9:30 Club. Rodrigo y Gabriela did both last night. more ›

Like so many great jazz artists, guitarist Mike Stern got his big break playing with jazz legend Miles Davis. Over the past 25 years, he has become a first rate performer, composer, and bandleader in his own right with fifteen albums to his credit. Still, very few artists have the draw to book a six night stand at Blues Alley. While the word "supergroup" may be a bit cheesy, it's an accurate description of the... more ›

>> Of course, this week's big event is the Congressional Blues Festival, which we told you about yesterday. We'll keep you posted on how it goes, but it should be a fabulous show. The lineup features The Derek Trucks Band, Sweet Betty, Mudcat, and Adolphus Bell. >> Every Thursday, the Thad Wilson Trio plays at Jojo's on U Street. The trumpet/bass/drums trio has an extensive repetoire of standards and occasionally breaks out more adventurous material.... more ›