So you missed Ben Harper in September, Blues Traveler in October and Van Halen in November. There are only a few weeks left to catch some good shows before the year’s end, but luckily there is plenty to choose from in D.C. this month.
If you are up for an adventure (in the truest sense of the word,) start the month off right with a GWAR show at 9:30 Club Dec. 6. It is the only show in town that could cause you to pee your pants from fear, laughter, disgust or, more likely, a combination of all three. For just $20, what more could you ask for?
The next night, things at 9:30 Club calm down a bit, as Ted Leo and the Pharmacists open a two-night showcase. Although the boys from Brunswick, N.J., have kicked it up a notch on their latest release, it is not exactly GWAR. (Then again, what is?)
Hot Rod Circuit will be racing into town on Dec. 7, with Olympia. Tickets at the Rock n’ Roll Hotel are $10 in advance, $12 at the door.
Big D might be playing with the Kids Table, but combined with openers Whole Wheat Bread, their show at 9:30 Club on Wednesday Dec.12 should be enough to satisfy any appetite.
Apparently, Elmo is not the ageless wonder that everyone thought he was. “Sesame Street Live – When Elmo Grows Up” will come to the Patriot Center at George Mason from Dec. 13-16, just in case you were wondering what happened to Elmo after all those years.
Jukebox the Ghost, GW alums of the Class of 2007, will rock the District once again, this time at 9:30 Club. Our buff and blue brethren are part of the Washington Social Christmas with the Washington Social Club. They are part of a dynamic opening lineup that includes Laura Burhenn of Georgie James, The Dance Party, Exit Clov and the Caverns. Tickets for the Dec. 15 showcase are only $15.
There is nothing better than taking a little Sunday stroll to a holiday concert only to be met by a wall of metal amplifiers and more fireworks and pyrotechnics than there are in the entire state of Virginia. The Trans-Siberian Orchestra is at it again, as they bring their unique classical-metal renditions of Christmas songs to life. Granted, it is more of a family show, but if the Christmas spirit is really moving you, it is worth checking out. However, that Christmas spirit might have to be pushing pretty darn hard in order to get you to shell out $40-$50 for tickets to one of the two Sunday shows at Verizon Center.
The Black Cat will be closed for a few days in the middle of the month for renovations. When they open back up, the Lemonheads will perform with Raccoon and the New Rivals on Dec. 19. It is a great way to reopen, but it is also the venue’s most expensive concert for the month at $17. Looks like they went a bit over budget on those renovations and are trying to recoup some of their expenses.
If you are staying to the bitter end, Rufus Wainwright will be playing a solo performance at 9:30 Club with half-sister Lucy Wainwright Roche Dec. 21. No one is quite sure how the solo artist intends to make his show more “solo” than usual, but if there’s one man that can do it, it’s Rufus.
Happy holidays! Save some of that holiday cash to spend on the Hannah Montana and Miley Cyrus show in January!
December concerts
- GWAR, Dec. 6, 9:30 Club
- Hot Rod Circuit, Dec. 7, Rock n’ Roll Hotel
- Ted Leo and the Pharmacists, Dec. 7-8, 9:30 Club
- Le Loup, Margot and the Nuclear So and So’s, Dec. 10, Black Cat
- Big D and the Kid’s Table, Dec. 12, 9:30 Club
- Jukebox the Ghost, Dec. 15, 9:30 Club
- Trans-Siberian Orchestra, Dec. 16, Verizon Center
- Lemonheads, Dec. 19, Black Cat
- Rufus Wainwright, Dec. 21, 9:30 Club
