Friday, June 26, 2009
Live Shots!
For your viewing pleasure, I've embedded a slide show of several performances so far this season. We’ve had a wide range of performers and musicians this year, from the colorful, gravity-defying Cirque Dreams -Jungle Fantasy, to Gilbert and Sullivan’s The Pirates of Penzance, to the varied and worldly music of Pink Martini, and many more. Enjoy this sample of the first part of Wolf Trap’s 2009 summer season!
Thursday, June 25, 2009
R.I.P. Michael Jackson
How does one even begin to reflect on the life this man has led? Very sad day in the history of music. What a tragedy at the age of 50.
The L.A. Times has a timeline of events during his last minutes and some details on future plans for Jackson prior to his passing.
Wow. I'm pretty speechless.
The L.A. Times has a timeline of events during his last minutes and some details on future plans for Jackson prior to his passing.
Wow. I'm pretty speechless.
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Regeneration Tour Part 1 Contest Winner
Jeffrey Anderson took down the pair of front row tickets to tomorrow's Regeneration Tour 2009 for posting this hilarious Devo reincarnate photo on the Official Wolf Trap Fan Page. Take note of the old school bottle of Popov Vodka and the wall of job rejection letters on the wall in the background.
The 2nd part of the contest begins tomorrow, out at Wolf Trap, on the lawn. Arrive in your best '80s outfit, I'll snap your photo, will post on Facebook, and will have our fans vote on the best costume. The chosen one will receive a V.I.P package to the B-52s concert on August 8, featuring front row seats, dinner for two at our on-site restaurant, limo transportation to and from the show, and a night's stay for two at the McLean/Tyson's Corner Hilton. Can't wait to see those outfits; it's supposed to be a beautiful night, so get in the '80s spirit and join the party!
The 2nd part of the contest begins tomorrow, out at Wolf Trap, on the lawn. Arrive in your best '80s outfit, I'll snap your photo, will post on Facebook, and will have our fans vote on the best costume. The chosen one will receive a V.I.P package to the B-52s concert on August 8, featuring front row seats, dinner for two at our on-site restaurant, limo transportation to and from the show, and a night's stay for two at the McLean/Tyson's Corner Hilton. Can't wait to see those outfits; it's supposed to be a beautiful night, so get in the '80s spirit and join the party!
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Diana Krall Set to Take the Stage
Out here for Diana Krall, but not before opener Frederico Aubele, an Argentine singer-songwriter with some pretty serious hair (Andy Samberg resemblance, no?) and skills as a fusion artist who blends pretty much every genre imaginable including hip-hop, reggae, bolero and tango. Diana Krall is armed with a new album titled Quiet Nights, which incidentally is the most commercially successful release of her career, debuting at No. 3 on the Billboard 200 chart. The album is inspired by her recent visit to Brazil and showcases an intimate, bossa nova-laced collective ode to her musically eclectic superstar husband, Elvis Costello, who was just here last week for a 2.5 hr set backed by his new bluegrass/Americana incarnation, The Sugarcanes, featuring Stuart Duncan, Jerry Douglas, and Jim Lauderdale. Some sounds problems plagued his set early, but that was quickly remedied as he had the crowd singing along from the lawn during the extended 60 minute encore that have become a defining characteristic of his live shows.
Geoffrey Himes with Washington Post Weekend has the review of Krall's Quiet Nights.
Geoffrey Himes with Washington Post Weekend has the review of Krall's Quiet Nights.
Saturday, June 13, 2009
Friday at Bonnaroo from Stereogum. Ok we get it, Grizzly Bear and Dirty Projectors are the Latest Indie Flavor of the Month...
Semi-solid wrap up of Friday's performances from Dirty Projectors, Grizzly Bear, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, David Byrne (who killed it at Wolf Trap this past Saturday,) Animal Collective (saw them a few times recently and aloof in attitude is definitely an accurate description,) Santigold, Beastie Boys, TV on the Radio, and Phish. As is industry standard with most young rock journalists, heavy enthusiasm was conveyed for indie newbies Grizzly Bear and Dirty Projectors, while classic jam-rock warriors Phish and space-rock masterminds Animal Collective were either completely dismissed and/or glossed over. Really, can you maybe discuss Phish's new stuff a little more for those of us who couldn't make the trek to Tennessee?
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
"Outrageously 80s" Costume Contest! V.I.P. Package for B-52s up for Grabs...
Hello fans of Wolf Trap!
In honor of our Regeneration Tour 2009 (featuring ABC, Terri Nunn and Berlin, Wang Chung, and more) at Wolf Trap on June 24, a trip back in time to the synth-pop and new wave era of the 1980s, us Wolf Trap staffers would like to give you an opportunity to show your devotion to this one-of-a-kind musical decade.
As I'm sure we can all agree, music production never was and never will again be the same! Aside from the unique music, fashion design surely stands out as a defining characteristic of the '80s, and provided you have the evidence, we'd like to launch an "Outrageously '80s" costume contest, giving you the chance to prove to us that you are indeed the king/queen of the 1980s.
Contest details are in two parts:
1) On the evening of Regeneration Tour 2009 (Wednesday, June 24), arrive at the show in your most over the top, strikingly obvious '80s wear. I'll be walking around with a camera and if I like what I see, I'll snap a photo and post it on The Official Wolf Trap Fan Page (Facebook.) At this point, I'll ask all of you to browse my selection of photos and vote on your favorite. The photo that garners the most votes will win 1 V.I.P. package for the B-52s show on August 8, consisting of dinner for two at our on-site restaurant, front row tickets, and limo transport to and from the show. Simple, fun and easy! Wear your best 80s gear and enjoy a night of pure luxury on Wolf Trap's dime.
2) For those of you who don't want to dress up day-of-show, find an old photo of yourself in your best '80s get-up, write an entertaining wall post on The Official Wolf Trap Fan Page, and attach the aforementioned photo through the "add" feature." I will review the photo and choose the best photo. The winner will receive a pair of front row tickets to the Regeneration Tour 2009. This portion starts now, so dig up those photos!
Have fun!
Graham
In honor of our Regeneration Tour 2009 (featuring ABC, Terri Nunn and Berlin, Wang Chung, and more) at Wolf Trap on June 24, a trip back in time to the synth-pop and new wave era of the 1980s, us Wolf Trap staffers would like to give you an opportunity to show your devotion to this one-of-a-kind musical decade.
As I'm sure we can all agree, music production never was and never will again be the same! Aside from the unique music, fashion design surely stands out as a defining characteristic of the '80s, and provided you have the evidence, we'd like to launch an "Outrageously '80s" costume contest, giving you the chance to prove to us that you are indeed the king/queen of the 1980s.
Contest details are in two parts:
1) On the evening of Regeneration Tour 2009 (Wednesday, June 24), arrive at the show in your most over the top, strikingly obvious '80s wear. I'll be walking around with a camera and if I like what I see, I'll snap a photo and post it on The Official Wolf Trap Fan Page (Facebook.) At this point, I'll ask all of you to browse my selection of photos and vote on your favorite. The photo that garners the most votes will win 1 V.I.P. package for the B-52s show on August 8, consisting of dinner for two at our on-site restaurant, front row tickets, and limo transport to and from the show. Simple, fun and easy! Wear your best 80s gear and enjoy a night of pure luxury on Wolf Trap's dime.
2) For those of you who don't want to dress up day-of-show, find an old photo of yourself in your best '80s get-up, write an entertaining wall post on The Official Wolf Trap Fan Page, and attach the aforementioned photo through the "add" feature." I will review the photo and choose the best photo. The winner will receive a pair of front row tickets to the Regeneration Tour 2009. This portion starts now, so dig up those photos!
Have fun!
Graham
Saturday, June 6, 2009
Saturday Night at Wolf Trap, and I'm Loving Devotchka
Sitting in the press office listening to Devotchka tear through their set before new wave/punk icon David Byrne takes the stage around 9:15 pm, and I'm still in awe of how these four multi-instrumentalists are able to seamlessly blend what is seemingly the most random assortment of instruments into a very cohesive, rock sound. The song currently playing features trumpet, accordion, guitar and percussion, but they often bust out a sousaphone, Theremin to create their unique sonic edge, and I've heard they tour with a string quartet on select dates. The overall product is confident, accelerated, wonderfully accessible gypsy punk with forays into the world music sound with some very obvious eastern European influences. I've found myself getting very into these guys lately, as well as a similar group called Calexico, as I need some time away from murky indie-rock which has dominated my ipod over the past year or two.
Can David Byrne top them? Let's hope so...
Will likely have photos up of each on Monday afternoon courtesy of our house photographer.
Can David Byrne top them? Let's hope so...
Will likely have photos up of each on Monday afternoon courtesy of our house photographer.
Thursday, June 4, 2009
The Decemberists Brilliant New Concept Album
I must admit that prior to the band's release of their remarkable new concept album/rock opera The Hazards of Love, I had never been a big fan of The Decemberists. I moderately enjoyed a few of the tunes off of The Crane Wife, and was pretty turned off the first time I listened to Picaresque, so consequently, I just sort of wrote them off as another run-of-the-mill indie/folk group. I think I made a serious error in judgment. The Hazards of Love is a total gem, and borders on transcendental hearing it live.
I luckily was able to reverse my misperception of them as a result of seeing them perform The Hazards of Love twice in one week, once at The McDonald's Theater in Eugene, Oregon, and the second at Sasquatch Festival at The Gorge. In my opinion, "The Wanting Comes in Waves," "The Rake Song," "Annan Water," and "The Hazards of Love 4 (The Drowned,)" are must listens, with the latter potentially being one of Colin Meloy's finest lyrical triumphs of his career. The Hazards of Love takes you on quite a journey from start to finish, and leaves you feeling as if you just watched a full length movie complete with one of the finest scores of our time. Check out these five performances of select tunes from The Hazards of Love at SXSW 2009, courtesy of NPR.
I luckily was able to reverse my misperception of them as a result of seeing them perform The Hazards of Love twice in one week, once at The McDonald's Theater in Eugene, Oregon, and the second at Sasquatch Festival at The Gorge. In my opinion, "The Wanting Comes in Waves," "The Rake Song," "Annan Water," and "The Hazards of Love 4 (The Drowned,)" are must listens, with the latter potentially being one of Colin Meloy's finest lyrical triumphs of his career. The Hazards of Love takes you on quite a journey from start to finish, and leaves you feeling as if you just watched a full length movie complete with one of the finest scores of our time. Check out these five performances of select tunes from The Hazards of Love at SXSW 2009, courtesy of NPR.
Monday, June 1, 2009
Big Facebook Contest Begins This Week
I plan to announce details for a highly entertaining, highly inclusive Facebook contest this week surrounding our '80s themed Regeneration Tour 2009 coming to Wolf Trap on June 24, so if you're not already, become our fan by visiting "The Official Wolf Trap Fan Page."
Premium tickets up for grabs for the winner. So hit us with your best shot, and fire away! : ) Seemed like a good time to use that Pat Benatar line...
Premium tickets up for grabs for the winner. So hit us with your best shot, and fire away! : ) Seemed like a good time to use that Pat Benatar line...
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