Icons in music come and go and are often emblazoned in a listener’s memory by their vibrant primes that involved generational hits and unforgettable tours. For undersung icon Todd Rundgren, the focus has been rolling with the punches of the music industry while staying true to who he is as […]

By Max Jackson Spam. Even when out of its can it maintains its shape, and, though strange, when prepared correctly, can be delicious. And just like the food, George Mason’s production of “Monty Python’s Spamalot” keeps true to form and is an absolute treat to watch. Based off of the […]

The George Mason High School theater department’s production of “Spamalot,” a spoof based on the Monty Python works, knocked it out of the park in its final of three performances before a sold out audience at the GMHS auditorium Saturday night. Seasoned observers say it was one of the two best musical […]

In a musical era where electronically produced sounds constitute a majority of the most popular songs, Grecian classic/punk rock band, Barb Wire Dolls, takes a sledgehammer to that standard with their homage to a time when guitar riffs and raw vocals corralled crowds. With an upcoming visit to Washington, D.C. […]

The inaugural production of the Falls Church theater group Creative Cauldron’s 2017-18 season is the Washington D.C.-area debut of the musical “The Mistress Cycle,” the story of four diverse historical figures linked by a commonality – they were all mistresses – and a woman in the present who relies on […]

The array of jovial and sober tunes American folk music possesses tap into a part of our nation’s culture that either enliven or prompt reflection among its listeners in a way few other genres can engender. Charleston-based husband and wife duo Michael Trent and Cary Ann Hearst make up Shovels […]

1st Stage Theater kicked off its 2017-18 season with a contemplative and immersive showing of Stephen Adly Guirgis’ “Jesus Hopped the ‘A’ Train,” a play that highlights the ugliest aspects of prison life and most authentic manifestations of human nature. Following the impassioned shooting of a religious cult leader, Angel […]

As the News-Press learned earlier in the summer with Mud Morganfield, the blues are more than just a musical genre – they’re a way of life. To play them, you have to have ‘em, and that lesson is all the more apparent to blues musicians like Selwyn Birchwood, who will […]

Music can serve as either the subtle, supportive bass line or the guitar-guided melody in anyone’s life at varying times. For Paula Boggs, leading woman of the aptly named “Soulgrass” group the Paula Boggs band, the singer and songwriter shared with the New-Press how reconnecting with her musical roots gave […]

Hidden gems often gleam more intensely once they’re unearthed. That holds true for the signless and sequestered 1st Stage Theater in Tysons, where vibrant performances on the inside are masked by its location in an unassuming strip mall. The theater’s sleepy setting is a product of its infancy. Founding artistic […]