Downtown Boys brings its politically charged sounds to Black Cat on Friday to benefit the ACLU.
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 1
Lee Bains III & the Glory Fires, The Sniffs @ DC9. 8:30 P.M. $12. All ages, inaccessible venue.
Lee Bains III & the Glory Fires makes classic rock and roll. The Georgia- and Alabama-based four piece is decidedly throwback and would not sound out of place on classic rock stations. The once-Sub Pop signed band has released two full-length albums, with their latest being 2014’s rousing, Deconstructed. The record is a ride through southern fried rock not unlike The Black Keys, but turned up higher. The band has a new album coming out this year on Don Giovanni records, once home of D.C.’s Priests.
9:30 Club: White Lies, Vows. 7 P.M. $25. All ages, accessible venue.
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 2
Allison Crutchfield & the Fizz, Radiator Hospital, Pinkwash @ Black Cat. 7:30 $12. All ages, accessible venue.
What do you do when your relationship is falling apart and your partner is also the co-lead of the band you are in? Allison Crutchfield wrote an album about it. Crutchfield, the twin sister of Waxahatchee’s Katie Crutchfield, played in the impressive band, Swearin’. That group broke up due to the separation of Allison and her then-boyfriend Kyle Gilbride. Crutchfield was lost but then found a purpose playing in Waxahatchee. During that time, she composed Tourist in This Town, which documents the end of her relationship. The mood is not all dour, as Crutchfield made a decidedly pop record. Tourist in This Town is an early highlight of 2016 and a strong showcase of Crutchfield’s song writing abilities.
U Street Music Hall: Isaiah Rashad. 7 P.M. Sold Out. All ages, accessible venue.
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 3
Downtown Boys, Two Inch Astronaut, Loi Loi, Kosi @ Black Cat. 8 P.M. $15. All ages, accessible venue.
Downtown Boys is the band we need right now. The political band from Providence, RI takes no shit from anyone. The group’s post-punk dance jams are a rallying call against fascism, racism, sexism—you name it. In both English and Spanish, singer Victoria Ruiz takes on targets and reads them for filth. This show is not just another Downtown Boys show, but also a benefit for the ACLU. If you want to get political but a protest isn’t your thing this is a perfect way to help out.
U Street Music Hall: Escort. 7 P.M. $20. All ages, accessible venue.
The Hamilton: Rhett Miller, Joe Purdy. 6:30 P.M. $20.00 – $39.75. All ages, accessible venue.
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 4
Chad Valley, Computer Magic, Br’er @ Black Cat. 9 P.M. $15. All ages, accessible venue.
Chad Valley is the synth-pop project of Hugo Manuel of Oxford. His 80’s inspired songs caught the ears of bloggers in 2010, leading to the release of his first full-length, Young Hunger in 2012. That release saw Chad Valley collaborating with artists like Twin Shadow and Active Child. In 2015, Chad Valley released his second record, Entirely New Blue, an album with hints of 90’s house and R&B.
Rock and Roll Hotel: Steve’n’Seagulls, The Virginia Southpaws. 8 P.M. $17. All ages, accessible venue.
SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 5
No one plays D.C. on Super Bowl Sunday.
