Earth Day on The National Mall - Unlike Any Other Year

For a few reasons -

The first being NO RAIN - Can you believe it!? I kept thinking the resurrected Blind Melon (minus Shannon Hoon of course) would be kept on-hand for precisely this type of fortuitous situation...maybe next year.

Secondly, I found the lineup to be much more robust and diverse than in years past. 2009 only showcased three or four bands I believe, two of which were moe., and The Flaming Lips. This year's lineup featured upwards of ten acts, including Passion Pit (!), Booker T., Mavis, Bob Weir, Jimmy Cliff, and Sting, who to me, seems happier performing solo than with the Police. Of course, how can I forget Earth Day vets the Roots, who performed an individual set before backing several other artists. Jimmy Cliff (check him out at Wolf Trap on Thursday, June 10), sounded heavenly accompanied by Bob Weir's bouncy, hopeful riffs, and John Legend's silky vocal harmonies. It was a pristine performance, arguably the best of the day.

Last, the crowd was wildly diverse in comparison to D.C.'s typical urbanite demo. Hipsters, hackey sackers and tastefully dressed hippies seemingly dominated the vast lawn, likely due-in-part to the increasingly popular Passion Pit, whose dance-pop synth riffs brought an army of 20-30 somethings to the dance-floor (er, grass).

It was a great day for D.C., and clearly the best rally in recent years. Things got a little weird when James Cameron's Avi's kept welcoming me to Pandora...but I tried my best to play along.

Enjoy the excellent photos from Brandon Wu...you can catch his work on a weekly basis in the Washington City Paper and the Washington Post.

The Wolf Trap Interview: Luke Brindley

What do we know about Luke Brindley? Superbly talented local musician? Yep. Owns Jammin' Java with his brothers? Indeed.

Key facts of course, but as one of the most highly publicized and recognizable local musicians in the metro area, I think we all could be a little more informed. I recently had the chance to sit down with Luke to chat about what he has been up to since we last spoke in 2008, in advance of his Barns at Wolf Trap headlining gig this Thursday at 8pm w/special guest The Alternate Routes. Three hours of the best local music around, for a little over the price of a movie ticket. Come on people.

Check out the Q&A below.

Question: Since I last spoke to you in late 2008, can you speak to any major evolution in your music?

Yes a lot has happened! We’ve started a new record. I’ve been touring a lot more and expanding my base beyond just the east coast. I went to England earlier this year to play some shows and get a taste of the scene there (I had been hearing great things - and they’re true!) And you know, I’m always trying to grow as a writer. I’ve been writing a lot for me new record and when I can focus on that I am pretty satisfied.

Question: How would you contrast Solo Guitar against your Five Songs EP?

Well, Solo Guitar is just instrumental guitar so that’d be the obvious difference. I put it out to showcase the guitar music I’ve written (and one piece by Bruce Cockburn) I play all the songs in my sets pretty often. “Dervish” especially gets a great response. People aren’t used to seeing a singer/songwriter play instrumental guitar music in the middle of a set of songs.

Question: I’ve heard this show will be rife with special guests…can you leak any names?

Well the big special guests are The Alternate Routes. They’re one of my favorite bands. I’ve been recording at their studio out in Gainesville, VA and their bass player Chip Johnson is co-producing my next album. I’ve also been writing with their singer Tim Warren. Chip is playing bass for my set and they’ll be joining me on some songs too. Also, for the band we’ve got Todd Wright (Pat McGee Band, Lucy Woodward, Better than Ezra), Ryan Smyth (Holler Wild Rose), Jess Bennett (Parliament Hill) and Bryan Dawley.

Question: From the 100 songs you wrote for your next full length album, how do/did you narrow those songs down to about 10?

We’re still working on it! A big part of the process for me is playing the songs live and if they work live and I don’t tire of playing them and am still moved by them then they are “keepers”.

Question: Who or what gave you the idea to make a publicly funded album? Did you anticipate this level of success?

I had seen other artists do it and was skeptical at first but then, after talking to them, decided to ask my fans to support me. Jill Sobule and Ellis Paul were influences on my approach and locally, Shane Hines and his manager were very helpful!

I really didn’t know what to expect but all the artists I spoke had extremely positive things to say so we came up some incentives and a budget and started getting the word out. The fans have been so amazing - people have been hosting house concerts, donating here and there and helping me spread the word. It’s been so encouraging to know that they are behind me in this way and every time I sit down to write, or hit the road or am in the studio I have them on my side supporting me in this way.

Question: As of (4/8/10) you had roughly $18,800 donated for your future album; your goal is $35,000- How long do you project it will take you to reach that point? How did you come up with the figure of $35,000?

We’re going to put a deadline on it soon and make one final push to reach our goal. The figure of $35,000 includes a modest recording and promotion budget for a full length record. I came up with that budget with Steve Bursky, manager of Owl City, Stephen Kellogg and the Sixers, Dispatch, etc over coffee in NYC last summer.

Question: Your blog what-exit.com exposes us to the foodie side of your persona. What do you think of Wolf Trap’s flatbread paninis?

Good question! I will have to try one this Thursday. But yes the food blog is fun. Besides playing it’s something I enjoy about being on the road. I love discovering interesting regional food especially. Joe Kwon from The Avett Brothers does this as well. I have some ideas about taking this concept further and I’m excited about it!

Question: Your website reveals the option for fans to book a Living Room show. Are these pretty popular, and how generous are people with their cash? Given your rep as a foodie, I bet you’re not seeing a lot store bought vegetable plates and cold cuts at these shows.

Yes! The living room shows are the best. They are a great night for everyone. We’ve done maybe a dozen in the last 6 months - they are all different and really reflect the personality of the host which is part of what makes them so cool!

Question: You’re very open and candid with your fans. They can contact you whenever and it looks like you encourage that. Some artists don’t like that. Has this method helped you cultivate a more loyal fan base?

I think so. I try to be pretty open and available to people. I hate pretension. I think one can be confident and serious but still have real gratitude and humility. I look at what I admire in other people and try and have those qualities I guess.

Question: Your “pay what you can” model for CDs at shows is pretty progressive. I like it…but it puts a lot of pressure on you to perform a high quality show…not that you don’t strive to do this already. Can you speak a bit more to this model of CD sales?

Well it was suggested by Derek Sivers, founder of CDBaby. I’ve been doing it at almost every show for 6 months. I sell a lot of CDs when I play for a new audience and this an even more effective way to get the music into people hands. Ideally everyone goes home with music - and I don’t want money to come between that happening - so I suggest people pay what they want. Some pay less, some pay more but in the end it’s good for everybody.

Fresh Wolf Trap Video Content: March - At A Glance

This could be my favorite Wolf Trap: At A Glance video yet. I am a big Battlefield Band fan so the opportunity to film and hang out with them during their Barns gig was pretty special. Pay specific attention to the 3:38 - 3:52 timeframe...a great joke is cracked at the expense of Alasdair White which gets me chuckling every time I hear it.

March: At A Glance features some rare opera footage from the semi-staged John Musto/Mark Campbell opera, Bastianello, Battlefield Band of course, Chilean folk masters Inti-Illimani featuring Francesca Gagnon, and patron footage from our annual Box Office Opening Day at the Filene Center. You can witness the die hards who slogged it out in the rain from 12am - 10am for their crack at the best tickets in the house.

13 Summer 2010 Shows On-Sale Tomorrow

13 new ones, all listed here, on-sale tomorrow at 10am sharp. Several have serious sell-out potential, so tomorrow isn't the best day to sleep much past 9:30. And a little insider tip--you can save on service charges if you purchase tickets on-site at the Filene Center box office.

Shows that I anticipate selling out and potentially going to lawn only after just a few days:

Steve Miller Band - one of the best shows of the summer, and a lock for a sellout.

Pat Benatar and REO Speedwagon - Only Pat Benatar's 2nd time at Wolf Trap, and REO Speedwagon's debut. Picture you and 7000 other people pumping your fist along to the anthemic "I'm Gonna Keep on Lovin' You", "Hit Me With Your Best Shot", and "Take it on the Run." That image alone will make tickets GO FAST.

Rodrigo y Gabriela - Huge debut for Wolf Trap. This fast paced flamenco-pop duo will primarily perform selections from their new album 11:11, a tribute to a slew of metal and hard-rock bands that influenced their burgeoning career.

They may not instantly sell out, but don't sleep on Train, or Crowded House .

Season Kickoff Contest Running! Initial Prize Awarded on Monday!

Our season is complete. 107 total shows (not including our Children's Theatre-in-the-Woods performances) in roughly 100 days. It's gonna be a huge summer. And what better way to usher in a huge summer than a huge season kick-off contest hosted on Facebook which will award a grand prize V.I.P. package of:

-A pair of FRONT ROW tickets to your favorite show
-Dinner for two at Ovations Restaurant (our on-site restaurant)
-Accommodations at the Hilton McLean
-Transportation provided by Reston Limo to and from the hotel
-And more!

103 shows are announced at this point, but we will roll out the final four on April 19.

How to Enter & Official Rules

Visit Wolf Trap's Official Fan Page.

View the Summer 2010 Shows photo album and find your one favorite show of the summer.

Click anywhere on the photo of your favorite artist(s) and tag yourself for a chance to win tickets to that show!

Only one entry per week, per person. So you can only tag yourself THREE times total.

Contest runs from April 5 to April 25. Each week during the promotion, Wolf Trap will choose two random winners to receive a lawn party for four to their favorite show with gourmet picnics from Meals Beneath the Moon. Lawn pass winners will be chosen at random on April 12 and April 19.

Grand Prize winner will be chosen April 26.

We're up to over 100 tags, but we want more involvement, so get in there and tag! I'll post the remaining four shows on April 19th so you can look forward to some fresh photos.