Why Gentrify?!

[youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=khA5zJYZrYw]

5/23

The Sketches, a local pop-rock band, will perform at the 9:30 Club with Honey Chuck and the Dreamscape Project. Cost is $12. Recognize our city in the above video?

5/24

The Urban Verbs, a new wave band from DC will perform at the 9:30 Club on Saturday with Martin Royle at 6 pm. Cost is $20.

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

KRS-One, the revered hip-hop legend, will perform at the Black Cat at 9 pm on Saturday with Kokayi.

[youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iWa4UpajKTc&feature=related]

5/25

Kuku, a Nigerian acoustic guitarist and singer with a U Street open-mic following, will perform at Bohemian Caverns on Sunday at 7 pm. Cost is $10.

[youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ow-Xz-fOhH4&feature=related]

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]

[youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lqt6FoiQZl4&feature=related]

I’ve been talking about musician/singer David Ford for several days now.  He’ll be performing with headliner Augustana, seen in the video above (not bad huh?), at the 9:30 Club at 7:30 pm.  They will be joined by Wild Sweet Orange.  Cost is $15.

X, a punk band from Los Angeles that formed in 1977 and whose first LP was produced by Doors’ keyboard player Ray Manzarek, will perform at the 9:30 Club tonight at 7:30 pm with fellow rockers, the Detroit Cobras (see video below). Cost is $25.

[youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v8ZhLBO9NZY]

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.

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=j215D4E4f60]

Hudson, a jazz/rock quartet from Chicago, will be groovin’ at Busboys and Poets tonight at 9 pm. Cost is $10.

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

Pup Tent, a strange local rock band, will be performing at the Velvet Lounge at 9 pm with The Midgetmen and Misguided Lemming. Cost is $7.

[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.