Why Gentrify?!

Thanks to all who left a post to qualify to win David Ford’s “Songs for the Road”!  The lucky winner of the CD is “Spence.”  Spence currently lives in Columbia Heights.  He’s hails from New Jersey, but has lived in DC for four years, attended George Washington University, and now works as an IT contractor in Rosslyn, VA.  Spence discovered Ford after a college friend, a fellow guitarist, told him about Ford last year, and says he was a fan instantly after the first listen.  Why Gentrify?! is happy to reward good taste, so congrats to Spence!

For the rest of you who didn’t win, you can still attend the concert tomorrow at the 9:30 Club at 7:30 and get the full David Ford effect.   Here’s one last video.

[youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xe7d7141m4Y&feature=related]

Why Gentrify?! continues with the David Ford interview. Remember, Ford will be appearing at the 9:30 Club on Thursday, May 22 with Augustana and Wild Sweet Orange. Remember to post a comment on any David Ford post to qualify to win his album “Songs for the Road.”

MightyMe: How have you grown since your band Easyworld broke up and what’s it like being a solo artist, compared to being a member of a band?

David Ford: I learned a lot about mistakes I’ve made. The [music business] can take the purity out of what you’re doing and bastardize it. I didn’t necessarily see eye to eye with the group at times. When you find yourself compromising, it’s detrimental to the creative process.

[youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PPuxFWMOw3Y]

MM: I’ve seen you playing a guitar, piano, drums, bass, accordion, and banjo…when did you learn to play all of these instruments? Are you more of a jack-of-all-trades?

DF: I dabble a lot. I’m more of an enthusiast than an expert. Playing instruments is a hobby.

MM: What is the idea behind these live one-take videos with you playing multiple instruments?

DF: It’s something I do in my live shows. It kind of makes the show more interesting. It’s difficult to be more entertaining when your playing for an hour on your own. I like to put on a show. It keeps a level of excitement.

–

We’ll wrap things up tomorrow. It will be the last day to qualify for the CD giveaway. The winner will be announced on Thursday.

[youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sLBRUZOxnTw&feature=related]

Wye Oak, an indie rock duo from Baltimore, consisting of Andy Stack and Jenn Wasner, both in their early 20s, will perform at the Black Cat tonight at 9 pm. They’ll be joined by Dead Science and Yukon. Cost is $8.

Check out Stack drumming below. One handed drumming is pretty impressive, at least to a non-drummer such as myself. Seems like a good workout. What is the keyboard/synthesizer for? I don’t hear it.

[youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQTt4JtLn9c&feature=related]

Dear appreciated readers, Why Gentrify?! will give one lucky random reader David Ford’s “Songs for the Road” album.  Between now and next Wednesday (5/21), all readers who post a comment about David Ford on Why Gentrify?! will be entered into the pool; one person will be selected randomly and announced on 5/22.  I will be talking more about David Ford, as he is extremely talented and will be performing at the U Street Corridor’s very own 9:30 Club next Thursday, May 22 with Augustana.  Ford was recently at the 9:30 Club with Sara Bareilles in April.  This guy is deep and very gifted.  I had the opportunity to interview Ford, so look forward to what he had to say about his music next week.  Check out his video for “Go to Hell” which was filmed live and in which he plays all the instruments (no easy feat, and I hear he does it even better live):

[youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NVky7hwuebU&feature=related]

There’re a whole lot of concerts going on!

5/16 (tonight)

DeVotchka, the four-piece multi-instrumental that blends Eastern European sounds with rock, will perform at the 9:30 Club with Basia Bulat at 9 pm. Cost is $15.

[youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nj6SO_yKMe8]

Los Campesinos!, the Welsh seven-piece indie pop-rock band, will perform at the Black Cat with the Aquarium and Pash at 9 pm. Cost is $12.

5/17 (Saturday)

Junior League, will bring its bluegrass, country, and folk music to the Black Cat at 9 pm. Cost is $10.

[youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JXB_vOB0emI&feature=related]

The Speaks, a local five-member rock band with fame in Asia, will be play at the 9:30 Club with Monako and Dreaming of Eden at 6 pm. Cost is $12.

5/18 (Sunday)

[youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MQw4PevmCws]

Alice Smith, the R&B, soul, jazz, etc. chanteuse with a powerful voice and some DC roots, will perform at the 9:30 Club at 7:30 pm with Res. Cost is $18.

Bishop Allen, the indie rock band from Brooklyn will perform at 8 pm at the Black Cat with the War on Drugs and Deleted Scenes. Cost is $12.

Yo Majesty, a female hip-hop crew known for its electro-rap jams, will perform at DC9 at 9 pm with Innerpartysystem. Cost is $12.

[youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BZSKvSz1roQ]

Serj Tankian, the Armenian-American frontman from metal band System of a Down, will rock out and thrash at the 9:30 Club tonight at 7:30 pm. Cost is $25. He’s doing his solo album thing and definitely has a political-bent and seems a bit quirky.

[youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CCRuCAcAZK0]

Cut Copy, the Australian dance-pop group with the ’80s sound, performs at the Black Cat at 8 pm with Jacksonville, FL rock band Black Kids (huh?). Cost is $15.

I had to include a Black Kids video, it’s retro catchy!

[youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vaa4eGOtrTg]

[youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dSyxy-gjboM]

Red Racer, the local DC quartet that creates “pop-addicted rock and roll,” will perform at the Black Cat with Mother at 9 pm.  Cost is $8.

[youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dKXlgISd3iA]

The Black Keys, the Ohio-based blues rock duo, will be performing at the 9:30 Club at 7:30 pm tonight and tomorrow, 5/13, with the Buffalo Killers. Cost is $25 (shows are sold out). The Black Keys have a newly released album called “Attack & Release.”

Local rock group the Wild Fictions will perform at the Black Cat at 9 pm tonight with Drew Danbury and Lode Runner. Cost is $8.

Well, U Street is always full of action, and more importantly, always full of music. Here’s the weekend roundup of where you can catch a show:

Polvo, the influential indie rock band from Chapel Hill, NC is reunited for their first show in almost a decade. They will be performing with Sir Arthur & His Royal Knights at 9 pm tonight (5/9) at the Black Cat. Cost is $13.

[youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TA1DoMNL3GA]

Dorothy Norwood and Friends will put on a Mother’s Day Gospel gala at the Lincoln Theatre on Saturday, May 10 at 7:30 pm. Tickets are $40. I think I read that Dorothy was born in 1935. She has been well-preserved. Check out this classic footage:

[youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iKqN4cic3JA&feature=related]

Drive-By Truckers, the Southern rock band, known for its “three axe attack” (that’s guitars, not actual axes, of course) will perform at the 9:30 Club tonight (5/9) and Saturday at 9 pm with the Dexateens. Cost is $20.

[youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C3icBcr1_Tw]

The Scare, the Australian punk rock band will perform at the Black Cat on Sunday (5/11) at 9 pm with Police & Thieves and Lion of Judah. Cost is a mere $8.

[youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hxe9Xgxd7is]

There are a few recommended acts performing in the U Street Corridor tonight:

Lady Pcoq and the Plumes, a popular spoken word acoustic band will be at Duke’s City at 6 pm. The are a fusion of jazz, fun, Latin, soul and jazz. The performance is free.

El-P, an indie rapper and founder of Definitive Jux label, will rap at the 9:30 Club with DJ Mr. Dibbs, the Mighty Quinn, Dizzee Rascal, and the Busdrivers at 7:30 pm. Dizzee Rascal has been mentioned in the Post lately as a British rapper seeking fame on this side of the pond. Cost is $20.

[youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yww1JSBYcjo&feature=related]

British Sea Power is an eccentric rock quartet from Brighton, England known for their strong lyrics. They will be performing at the Black Cat with the Rosebuds at 8 pm. The cost is $15 ($13 in advance).

[youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w2n-7K0Ef6Y]