Music, The Features, We Love Music

The Winning Ticket: Neutral Milk Hotel @ Merriweather Post Pavilion, 7/25/14

NeutralMilkHotelFAs a way to say thanks to our loyal readers, We Love DC will be giving away a pair of tickets to a 9:30 Club concert to one lucky reader periodically. Keep your eyes open for opportunities to find out what tickets we’re giving away, and leave a comment for your chance to be the lucky winner!

Today, we are giving away a pair of tickets to see Neutral Milk Hotel at Merriweather Post Pavilion in Columbia, Md., on Friday, July 25, 2014. You can win tickets today before they go on sale to the public tomorrow!

Once upon a time, Jeff Mangum wrote some songs and put together a band, which he ended up whimsically calling Neutral Milk Hotel. They put out a few albums of well-received fuzz pop in the ’90s, and then they went away. But people never forgot those albums–On Avery Island and In the Aeroplane Over the Sea–and eventually Mangum came back, reunited his band and went on tour. The tour was very well received! And so Mangum announced touring would continue for now. And everyone lived happily ever after.

For your chance to win these tickets, simply leave a comment on this post using a valid email address between 9am and 4pm today. Feel free to leave any comment, but perhaps share your favorite song by Neutral Milk Hotel! One entry per email address, please. Tickets for this show are also available through Ticketfly starting Friday, Feb. 7.

For the rules of this giveaway…

Comments will be closed at 4pm and a winner will be randomly selected. The winner will be notified by email. The winner must respond to our email within 24 hours or they will forfeit their tickets and we will pick another winner.

Tickets will be available to the winner at the Guest List window at Merriweather Post Pavilion one hour before doors open on the night of the concert. The tickets must be claimed with a valid ID. The winner must be old enough to attend the specific concert or must have a parent’s permission to enter if he/she is under 18 years old.

Neutral Milk Hotel
w/ Circulatory System
Merriweather Post Pavilion
Friday, July 25
doors @6:30pm
$36-$46
All ages

Music, The Features, We Love Music

Hot Ticket: The Virgins (Opening for The Killers) @ Merriweather Post Pavilion, 8/10/13

The Virgins (Photo courtesy Sacks & Co.)

The Virgins (Photo courtesy Sacks & Co.)

The Killers are playing at Merriweather Post Pavilion tomorrow, Saturday, Aug. 10. But they are bringing with them an interesting band from New York City, The Virgins. The Virgins’ frontman Donald Cumming started up the band and put out an album in 2008. Five years later, Cumming returned with a new lineup and released a second album, Strike Gently, in March.

Critics have heralded the return of The Virgins as a kind of post-punk Dire Straits. To me, they sound quite a bit like The Cars! After embarking on the tour with The Killers, We Love DC caught up with Cumming to ask about touring, playing guitar and putting out records — three things The Virgins plan to do a lot of in the near future!

Mickey: How has been being on the road, particularly opening for The Killers?

Donald Cumming: It’s a lot of fun. We are really enjoying it. It’s been cool. We played some club shows on our own, and now we are on The Killers’ tour, which is a very different experience. But they are both very fun. It’s great to play for lots of different people.

MM: How did that come about? Did The Killers contact you? How did you connect?

DC: I got an email out of the blue from somebody connected to them, asking if we were available for the dates. It all came together very quickly. Our new record [Strike Gently] has just come out. It was something we were really excited to do. When I heard it was possible, I said, we would love to do that.

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Entertainment, Music, Special Events, The Features, We Love Music

The Winning Ticket: Win before you can buy: Sweetlife Festival 2013!

sweetlife

The lineup for the 2013 Sweetlife Festival was announced yesterday, and features internationally acclaimed acts Phoenix, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, and Passion Pit, as well as up-and-coming artists, including DC’s own Shark Week! Today We Love DC is giving away a pair of GA lawn tickets to the festival, before you can buy them! The festival will be held at Merriweather Post Pavilion on May 11th. (#sweetlife2013)

For your chance to win a pair of tickets to the 2013 Sweetlife Festival, simply leave a comment on this post using a valid email address until 4pm today. One entry per email address, please.

For the rules of this giveaway…

Comments will be closed at 4pm and a winner will be randomly selected. The winner will be notified by email. The winner must respond to our email within 24 hours or they will forfeit their tickets and we will pick another winner.

Tickets will be available to the winner at the will-call window of the Merriweather Post Pavilion on the day of the festival. The tickets must be claimed with a valid ID. The winner must be old enough to attend the specific concert or must have a parent’s permission to enter if he/she is under 18 years old.

Comment away!

Entertainment, Music, Special Events, The Features, We Love Music

We Love Music: Virgin Free Fest, or The Festival of Lines, 10/6/2012

photo by Alexia

Since festivals offer so much to see in so little time, and everyone may have a different experience, we decided to get a few perspectives on Saturday’s Virgin Free Fest. We Love DC’s music writers Alexia and Jonathan write about their experiences, and guest writer Sarah Jackson shares her thoughts too.

Alexia: Who knew that the drive to Saturday’s Virgin Free Fest at Merriweather Post Pavilion would be a portend of the dreary, largely agonizing day that would follow. What should have been a breezy, 1-hour drive from DC to Columbia, Maryland, where Merriweather is located turned into a three-and-a-half hour punishment- two hours of which were spent in an almost complete standstill after taking the exit to Merriweather.
At three o’clock, when I had imagined myself jumping and dancing along to The Dismemberment Plan on the West Stage I was instead sitting in my car on Brokenland Parkway, a mere stone’s throw from the venue, so close, but yet so far. At one point we could see the field and the side of the stage, and even hear the din of the music, but that was only depressing/enraging, as we were stuck in the hell of festival traffic. The only entertainment we experienced was watching people get out of their cars to pee on the side of the road. Eventually, after passing all of the full parking lots, we located parking approximately (not exaggerating) a mile away from the venue. I think there were supposed to be shuttles, but none passed us as we walked in the herd of festival-goers to the venue.

Ben Folds Five, photo courtesy of Virgin Free Fest

By the time I got in to Merriweather I was, not too surprisingly, in a foul mood. Thankfully I didn’t miss too much of Ben Folds Five’s set, and got to watch them do their thing from the sunny lawn. Their set was, for the most part, upbeat and energetic. Somehow hearing “Brick” in a festival setting, as popular as it was for the band, seemed inappropriate. The introspective, heartfelt song was a little too personal and quiet for the atmosphere of constant gabbing and partying going on all around as the band performed. They were at their best for the setting with bouncier numbers like “Kate” and “Army” which had the audience singing along and getting into the groove.

Much of the rest of the day was an overcrowded, dirty, cold blur. I fought my way through the hordes to catch Santigold’s set, which I was looking forward to. Unfortunately as much as I like her music, and appreciated her fun dancers, it was so crowded that it was hard to see much, and I didn’t really connect with the performance onstage.

I managed to make it back to the Pavilion stage for a good portion of Alabama Shakes’ set, which was actually great. I’d never heard the band before, and the singer’s vocals were powerful, soulful, engaging.

M83, photo courtesy of Virgin Free Fest

While a disproportionately large part of my day felt like it was spent either being cold (and I was a smart one who brought an extra sweatshirt along- there were plenty of people walking around in halter-tops and short-shorts), inhaling dust from the herds of people clomping around, searching for my friends (extremely crappy cell service the whole day) or waiting in lines (20-plus-minute lines for everything from getting a drink to taking a pee in a dark port-o-potty with no toilet paper) there were, thankfully, a couple redeeming high points by the end of the night. After waiting in line for probably a half-hour while listening to M83, my friends and I got to ride on the beautiful, lit-up ferris wheel which was adjacent to the stage on which M83 was performing. This was a magical moment. We had, for that brief time, a perfect view of the stage, awesome lights, perfect sound, and the scary-big crowd in front of the stage, which I was so thankful not to be in. Continue reading

Entertainment, Music, Night Life, The Features, We Love Music

We Love Music: Gotye @ Merriweather, 9/30/2012

 

photos courtesy of Gotye

Chart-topping Australian artist Gotye* and his band played an outstanding show at Merriweather Post Pavilion on Sunday, September 30th. They are in the midst of a world tour, and joining them for this leg were openers Jonti and Missy Higgins. Gotye and his group of super-talented multi-instrumentalists radiated enthusiasm, talent and boundless energy onstage. The weather may have been cold and drizzly, but their exuberant performance was enough to lift the audience up.

Most of you readers may have only heard Gotye’s number one hit “Somebody That I Used To Know”, and I will admit, I hadn’t heard much more than that myself before Sunday night. Back in April I caught part of Gotye’s impressive set at the Coachella Music & Arts festival, which was so packed the crowd was sprawled densely well beyond the borders of the tent he was performing in. What I did catch was super, and enough to know I wanted to see more. Sunday night Gotye and his band owned the stage, showcasing their talents on a host of instruments- organic and electronic, from lap-steel guitar to midi pads, synth-drums to two full drum-kits, and Gotye never seemed to stop moving the entire time.

They started out the night with the hypnotic, groovy “The Only Way” from Gotye’s 2006 album Drawing Blood, and it was instantly apparent that we the audience were in for an exciting ride. The band’s energy was high, Gotye especially- partway through the song running to one of the drum kits and having two-kit drum freak-out, ending the song full tilt. Most of the music was from Gotye’s most recent album Making Mirrors, and the energy level never really dropped for the entire night. In addition to the amazing musicianship of all the players, the audience was treated to beautiful, weird, trippy and even hilarious videos and visuals playing on a huge screen behind the band along with almost every song. The combination was a completely entertaining multimedia extravaganza. Continue reading

Entertainment, Music, The Features, We Love Music

Virgin Free Fest line-up announced

Virgin Free Fest posted the line-up with set times for Saturday’s festival on their website today.

While the free tickets disappeared almost as soon as they went “on free” back in August, a limited number of “FREEMIUM” tickets are available through Ticketfly or at the Merriweather Post Pavilion and the 9:30 Club Box Offices.  

FreeFest Freemium Package ($49.50) – includes GA ticket, a charitable donation to Virgin Mobile USA’s homeless youth shelter, FreeFest t-shirt, souvenir cup that comes with free fountain drinks throughout the festival, and early admission to festival grounds.

Music, The Features, We Love Music

The Winning Ticket: Rascal Flatts w/Little Big Town @ Merriweather 9/2/2012

photo courtesy of Rascal Flatts

Today we are giving away a pair of tickets to see country music stars Rascal Flatts, along with Little Big Town and Kristen Kelly at Merriweather Post Pavilion on Sunday, September 2nd! Rascal Flatts are on tour in support of their new album, Changed, which was released in April.

For your chance to win these tickets simply leave a comment on this post using a valid email address until 4pm today. One entry per email address, please. 

For the rules of this giveaway…

Comments will be closed at 4pm and a winner will be randomly selected. The winner will be notified by email. The winner must respond to our email in 24 hours or they will forfeit their tickets and we will pick another winner.

Tickets will be available to the winner at the will-call window at Merriweather Post Pavilion one hour before doors open on the night of the concert. The tickets must be claimed with a valid ID. The winner must be old enough to attend the specific concert or must have a parent’s permission to enter if he/she is under 18 years old.

Rascal Flatts

w/Little Big Town, Kristen Kelly

Merriweather Post Pavilion

Sunday, September 2/5:30pm doors/$45-$75

 

Entertainment, Fun & Games, Music

The Winning Ticket: M3 Rock Festival

As a way to say thanks to our loyal readers, We Love DC will be giving away a pair of tickets to a concert to one lucky reader each week. Check back here every Wednesday morning at 9am to find out what tickets we’re giving away and leave a comment for your chance to be the lucky winner!

This week we are giving away double trouble with a sweet two-part M3 Rock Festival Prize Pack. That’s right, one lucky winner gets a pair of tickets to the M3 Rock Festival Kix-Off Party on Friday, May 13th AND a pair of tickets to the day long 80’s rock extravaganza M3 Rock Fest on Saturday May 14th!

Between these two epic parties you’ll catch the likes of Kix, Whitesnake, Lita Ford, Tesla, Slaughter, Warrant, L.A. Guns, the one and only Sebastian Bach, and many more! That’s more hair metal than you can shake a can of Aquanet at! So enter to win tickets to this insane event that celebrates the days when Metal meant crushing a beer can on your forehead, driving donuts in a Firebird in the High School parking lot, and playing air guitar to music made by men who had spent more time on their hair than the ladies! This one’s going to be be balls to the wall, wicked awesome, and seriously bitchin’!

For your chance to win these tickets simply leave a comment on this post using a valid email address between 9am and 4pm today. One entry per email address, please. If today doesn’t turn out to be your lucky day, check back here each Wednesday for a chance to win tickets to other great concerts. Tickets for this concert are available on Ticketfly.

For the rules of this giveaway…
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Entertainment, Fun & Games, Music

The Winning Ticket: Sweetlife Festival 2011

Check this out DC. The second annual Sweetlife Festival is happening at Merriweather Post Pavilion on Sunday, May 1st. It boasts a line-up that is “sweet life” personified in the form of the following bands:

The Strokes • Girl Talk • Lupe Fiasco • Crystal Castles • Cold War Kids • Ra Ra Riot • Walk the Moon • U.S. Royalty • Modern Man

This festival and its mega-watt line-up is a far-cry from seeing Hot Chip in a tent in Dupont Circle like we did at last year’s. A festival of this size with a line-up this impressive is a major booking coup for Sweetgreen and to celebrate their victory they have given We Love DC a pair of lawn tickets to give away for this week’s ticket raffle!

Tickets for Sweetlife Fest are $55 and go on sale on Friday, March 18th at Noon through Ticketfly. But you have a chance here to win a pair of tix from us before they go on sale! Winning these will make you just about the coolest music fan in the greater DC area for at least a whole day!

The Strokes!!!! Girl Talk!!!! Lupe Fiasco!!!! Crystal Castles!!!! Ahhhh!!!!

For your chance to win these tickets simply leave a comment on this post using a valid email address between 9am and 4pm today. One entry per email address, please. If today doesn’t turn out to be your lucky day, check back here each Wednesday for a chance to win tickets to other great concerts. Tickets for this concert are available on Ticketfly.

For the rules of this giveaway…
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Entertainment, Music, We Love Music

We Love Music: Virgin Mobile FreeFest 2010 @ Merriweather Post Pavilion 9/25/10

Virgin Mobile FreeFest 2010 was just about as perfect a day as one could ask for. The weather was phenomenal, the crowds and lines were manageable, and the music was spectacular. An irresistible atmosphere of fun prevailed over Merriweather Post Pavilion as Virgin and I.M.P. presented three stages jam-packed with a variety of great musical acts. The one genre that eclipsed all others however was dance music; the day featured a killer line-up of electronic-inspired groups that kept a large portion of attendees in a near-constant state of dance-frenzy.

I split my FreeFest experience between the Dance Forest and the Main Stage. Although I intended to check it out, I did not venture over to the West Stage once all day; thanks in large part to the caliber of the performances I was already watching. From Will Eastman dropping some DJ science early in the day all the way through to LCD Soundsystem’s mega-finale, I had a fantastic time at Virgin Mobile FreeFest 2010.

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