Welcome to Capital Sound!
My new column will focus on covering the music scene in the local area around Washington,, DC. Any night one can hear the rhythms and beats seeping out of the countless venues in and around the city. The area is culturally rich and has one of the best music scenes in the world. If you don’t believe it – please follow this column. If you already know – I hope you stay for the ride. Chances are I am going to stumble across something you like and if you have open your ears you may find something new you will enjoy.
The column won’t be limited to any one style or genre. The DC Theater Arts site hasn’t been up for a month yet and I have already covered a guitar driven blues rock show, the Experience Hendrix Concert, and a Motown, R&B, soul legend Smokey Robinson. My colleagues have covered opera singer Angela Gheorghiu with the Washington National Opera, Yefim Bronfman, and the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, Voices of Light-The Passion of Joan of Arc on the classical side. Then there was Jordan Wright’s interview with Valerie Vigoda from the GrooveLily Band in her Nibbles and Sips Around Town.
Jazz fans will want to read the review of Grammy Award-winning Herbie Hancock’s concert. That is a show I would have loved to have seen. Then of course there are the musicals as well. A lot has been covered in less than a month and there is still more out there. In the months to come – more concerts and musicals will be reviewed covering more of the musical landscape of the region. More artists will be interviewed and fans will be able to come away with greater insights.
This column will weave into what is already being covered on the site and hopefully adding something new or a different angle. It will also add some coverage to bands, musicians who might not be covered elsewhere. The music scene of this area is also made up of some homegrown talent as well. I hope to reach out for some interesting coverage on local and regional musicians who are gifted at their craft. Certainly great bands and musicians will be playing at Constitution Hall, the Verizon Center, Merriweather Post Pavilion, Wolf Trap, the Strathmore, DC Jazz Loft, The Birchmere, The Fillmore, The State Theatre and the 9:30 Club, among many others. And also, someone talented is probably playing in a bar in Adams Morgan, a club in Fairfax, or a venue farther outside the beltway.
Capital Sound will provide a great mix of it all.
Americana, Alternative, Alternative Country, Blues, Bluegrass, Classical, Folk, Fusion, Jam, Jazz, Hard Rock, Heavy Metal, New Age, Reggae, R&B, Soul, Rock, Techno, and Hip Hop, Rap, are just some of the genres that make up the Capital Sound. There are others that don’t fit in the categories and some that fit in multiple categories. Hopefully we can come up with something fresh that captures the sounds of our region. This column is interactive so please feel free to commit. Let us know of a must see band or musician. I have been turned on to so much great music in my life by people telling me to check out this band or musician. Please feel free to share. I welcome your recommendations and feedback here.
I’ll be back soon with another entry exploring the Capital Sound. In the meantime, enjoy the concert reviews, musical reviews, and interviews already on the site and keep an eye open for new ones.
Mike Spain
