Say Hi at the Black Cat

After my long departure from the DC music scene, while away at college, I made my way back to Black Cat to see Caverns and Say Hi Tuesday night. On a high from watching Champions League Soccer all day, I grabbed a beer and prepared for some great music.

Caverns was the opening band and I was fairly familiar with their music from listening to it on MySpace. After going to the mellow Federal Reserve show the previous night, I wasn't quite prepared for the high energy metal explosion they were about to unleash, but I knew it was going to be electrifying. The guys brought the energy from the beginning and did not let up until the finale. The best part, was that along with the music, they had a light show that was put on by one of the members. It really added to the overall appeal of the show. However, because of the light show, I could not get any pictures. I did manage to get two videos instead.

Next up was Say Hi. I was less familiar with these guys, even though they were the main act. You could see that the crowd was a different mixture as well. It had been a long time since I was surrounded by underage hipsters, but as I was front row, it didn't turn out too bad.

I am a pretty big fan of bands from the Northwest and Say Hi was no exception. The duo stepped up and played a really great set. In between songs, the lead singer would address the crowd with a big smile on his face. He told us that we were one of the best turnouts for a weeknight that they had ever had. We also learned that the band had apparently been heckled pretty hard in Philadelphia the night before (what's up with that, Philly fans?), but that we had made them feel extremely welcome. The band didn't have an encore and just told us the last two songs should be treated as such, which was fine with me, because I'm not a fan of encores either. Overall, it was a great night back in DC.

Say Hi Photos

Say Hi

It's March and winter is finally ending. Take time early in the week to check out Say Hi, on tour now and coming through the IA area. Both shows are supported by local artists: Jerseyites Straight Cousins and Fishtowners Caves of Mercury in Philly and locals Caverns in DC.

3/3/08: Philly @ Johnny Brenda's
3/4/08: DC @ Black Cat

Say Hi - Toil and Trouble

This Week's Releases

This week's release list keeps the good music coming. There are not as many big name releases this week, but we have three albums dropping from DC artists and several other good releases from a mixture of veterans and new favorites. I don't have a specific pick for this week, but I have listened to almost all of the albums for varying amounts of time and there is a lot of quality to be had.

Bob Mould (DC)

District Line - "The Silence Between Us" & Full Album Stream

Shortstack (DC)

The Covers EP - "Her Eyes Are A Blue Million Miles" (Captain Beefheart cover)

The Jet Age (DC)

What Did You Do During The War, Daddy? - "O, Calendar" & Full Album Stream

Nada Surf

Lucky - "See These Bones"

Dead Meadow

Old Growth - "What Needs Must Be"

Sons and Daughters

This Gift - "Guilt Complex"

Lightspeed Champion

Falling Off The Lavender Bridge - "Dry Lips"

Basia Bulat

Oh, My Darling - "In the Night"

Say Hi

The Wishes and the Glitch - "Zero to Love"

Hot Chip

Made In The Dark - "Out At The Pictures" & Full Album Stream

School of Language

Sea from Shore - "This Is No Fun"

The Crystal Method

Drive (Physical release with 4 extra songs)

Say Hi/The A-Sides/The Velvet Teen

The A-Sides - credit
Seattle's Say Hi (To Your Mom), Philly's The A-Sides and California's The Velvet Teen have teamed up for a tour. You have several chances to check them out this week:

10/30/07: Black Cat, Washington, DC
11/01/07: Mojo 13, Wilmington, DE
11/02/07: Johnny Brenda's, Philadelphia, PA

Say Hi (To Your Mom) - Northwestern Girls
The A-Sides - Diamonds
The Velvet Teen - The Raining Curtains