Ahh, summer in the city. For those of us that stuck around the District during the summer months, we all know that it’s been quite the wild ride. Quite frankly, we’re all a little bit exhausted. We worked hard, we partied hard, we ate well, and we caused trouble wherever we could. But perhaps the best perks of summer, as many of us will attest to, were the amazing concerts that graced the D.C. metropolitan area.
Despite the sickening extra charges added to any Ticketmaster show, there’s no better feeling in the world than spending your hard-earned summer cash on a concert ticket to support one of your favorite bands. From the tiny H Street shows at Rock and Roll Hotel to the larger 9:30 Club and the amphitheatre concerts at Merriweather and Nissan Pavilion, as well as the massive two-day Virgin music festival in Baltimore, there was truly something for everyone as summer 2007 rocked-out in style.
Summer 2007 was also the summer of rock and roll reunions. With both the Smashing Pumpkins and The Police making summer appearances in the area, there was plenty of room for musical nostalgia and guilt-free sing-a-longs. On the day of the Pumpkins’ newest release, “Zeitgeist,” the 90’s alt-rock supergroup played a sold-out three-hour show at 9:30 Club to the delight of old die-hard fans (see “WEB UPDATE: Smashing Pumpkins return to D.C.” July 17, 2007.) For those not lucky enough to score tickets to that show, fans were given a second chance to catch them headline the second night at the Virgin music festival, held at Pimlico Racecourse in Baltimore where the band played both new songs and old favorites, including “Zero,” “Tonight Tonight,” and “Today,” among others.
On the first night of Virgin Fest, the bigger-than-life trio known as The Police, comprised of none other than Sting, Andy Summers and Steward Copeland, returned to the stage after breaking up in the mid-1980s to the delight of thousands of screaming fans. Playing old favorites like “Roxanne,” “Message in a Bottle,” and “Every Breath You Take,” Sting was surprisingly still able to hit those high notes while still rocking out on his bass guitar.
Other bands that played the first day of Virgin Fest included Modest Mouse, The Fratellis, Amy Winehouse, Cheap Trick, Ben Harper and the Innocent Criminals, LCD Soundsystem, and the Beastie Boys, all of whom delivered excellent shows- even Ms. Winehouse, who sounded great but looked as if her mind was somewhere else (the inevitable rehab, perhaps?).
The festival’s schedule made it impossible to catch every band due to its two main stages plus a dance/DJ tent, so many big names were forced to play at the same time (Smashing Pumpkins or 311 or M.I.A.?!). Nevertheless, the festival’s atmosphere on the infield grass of the racecourse provided a carefree environment for great music, decent but overpriced food and drink, and lots of opportunities to get crunk.
The second day of V-Fest included Girl Talk, Regina Spektor, Matisyahu, Spoon, Panic! At the Disco, Infected Mushroom, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Wu-Tang Clan, The Crystal Method, Interpol, Velvet Revolver, 311 and M.I.A., and The Smashing Pumpkins serving as the headliner on the main stage to end it all. With that kind of line-up, festival-goers seemed fine with shelling out over $150 for two days of great music.
One of the highlights on the second day of the festival was the Israeli psychedelic trance group Infected Mushroom, which was held in the dance tent and featured a cameo by none other than the Jewish reggae/rap superstar Matisyahu. With so many drugged-up, sweaty electronic music fans crammed into one space, the dance tent provided the perfect atmosphere to escape the intense sunrays without sacrificing any of the crazy that makes any music festival unique.
In early August, the H St., N.E. hot-spot Rock and Roll Hotel hosted Canadian indie rock heroes Tokyo Police Club, with GW alums Jukebox the Ghost and Syracuse indie-rockers Ra Ra Riot. While the Hotel always provides for a fun show in a small, claustrophobic atmosphere, the intense summer heat and limited downstairs air conditioning allowed for some pretty intense schvitzing.
Also in August, several great concerts came through Northern Virginia, including Cold War Kids and Muse at the Patriot Center at GMU, as well as Ratdog and the Allman Brothers at the Nissan Pavilion. Although two completely different shows with completely different crowds, both the Muse and the Allman Brothers shows proved to be excellent concerts.
With one of the most intense light shows and what may have been the loudest speaker system ever, Muse delivered an over-the-top performance that showcased their latest album, “Black Holes and Revelations,” as well as older material from “Absolution” and “Origin of Symmetry.” Opening band Cold War Kids proved to be indie-tastic as the California based quartet played an energetic show, featuring their singles “Hang Me Up to Dry” and “Hospital Beds.”
Ratdog delivered a solid opening set for the Allman Brothers, with former Grateful Dead rhythm guitarist Bob Weir nailing old Dead tunes, as well as other songs and covers, to the delight of thousands of tie-dye shirted fans. Once the Allman Brothers took the stage, Gregg Allman, along with guitarists Derek Trucks and Warren Haynes and the rest of the band, crooned the audience with their timeless singles, including “Ain’t Wastin’ Time No More,” “Ramblin’ Man,” “Jessica” and an extended version of “Crazy Love,” among others.
