The '80s were, unarguably, the decade that was kindest to Roland Orzabal and Curt Smith of Tears for Fears. But the duo has done a fine job of staying afloat in the last decade, too. They survived opening for Spandau Ballet, being covered by Adam Lambert, and in Smith's case, a possible judging stint on that sinking ship of a talent competition, American Idol. Plus, the English pop band is on tour, getting to see some of the same fans that fell in love with them 30 years ago — and now that they have less hair covering their eyes, they should get a pretty good look.
Yo Gabba Gabba! Live! is bringing the popular Nick Jr. show to life with the “There’s a Party in My City!” tour, bringing with it not only a whole load of exclamation points, but usual suspects Brobee, Foofa, Plex, and musician-magician DJ Lance Rock. But the most exciting news of all, boys and girls, is that the rapper (and sometime DMV resident) Biz Markie, who appears on the show, will be giving beatboxing demonstrations (and making us wonder why no one convinced him to get into children’s entertainment ages ago).
The last time Anita Baker released an album (apart from greatest hits packages and a Christmas project) was 2004, with My Everything. Before that, many thought 1994’s Rhythm of Love could be her last LP. Still, Baker’s distinctive, ghostly wail — which sounds like someone singing soul music into a whirring fan — is still the subject of obsession, with artists from Drake to MF Doom drawing inspiration from the Ohio-born songstress. Few care that she’s less than prolific or that she botched the national anthem at the NBA Finals this year — most still seem to be caught up in the rapture.
Nelly
As a rapper, Nelly’s greatest accomplishment is introducing the redundant “r” into song titles (i.e. “Hot in Herre”). As an impresario, his finest triumph to date has been bringing together that lovable band of musicians, the St. Luntatics. As a fashion designer, Nelly will go down in history as the man who introduced the most lasciviously named line of blue jeans in the history of the free world (Apple Bottoms). And as a visual artist, the Missouri native’s crowning achievement was swiping a credit card through the cheeks of a model’s ass in a music video. For all of these reasons, Nelly, we...salute you? Nelly celebrates his 10 years in the game with a performance and party.
The Guerrilla Union hip-hop festival continues to stick with its same winning formula: draw folks in with major rap nostalgia and, once everyone has been corralled, use the opportunity to expose them to a few underground and/or up-and-coming acts. This year, the big names include Snoop, A Tribe Called Quest, Wu-Tang Clan, and Lauryn Hill (a lineup that has fans of '90s hip-hop foaming at the mouth), as well as Rakim, KRS-One, and Slick Rick (which has '80s rap fans twitching in anticipation). And the undercard of strong, underrated MCs, including Wiz Khalifa and Yelawolf, should elicit some mild convulsing as well.
Don Ho, Tiny Tim...gosh, those stars of ukulele and their sausage parties. Luckily, the Strathmore Music Center recognizes that the mighty uke does not discriminate on the basis of gender and can be enjoyed by all. The Ladies of Uke, the North Bethesda venue’s last free Wednesday night concert of the summer, will feature the Sweater Set, Victoria Vox, the Hula Honeys and others, who will cover every possible strain of uke music. And if you arrive a little early and bring your own uke, you may be invited to strum along.
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