WIN STUFF: Win 2 tix to see Futurebirds at 9:30 Club!

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Revel in the sweet reverb of Futurebirds' folk-rock and alt-country-tinged tunes this Thursday night at 9:30 Club!

Futurebirds hail from Athens, GA, the musical city also home to psych rock weirdos of Montreal. Speaking of Athens' diverse music scene, Futurebirds guitarist Thomas Johnson says, "It’s encouraged in the Athens music scene to do something that pushes the limits a little bit. Or to do something that someone else hasn’t really done, and create your own sound." And create their own sound they did. The bands' six members came together, along with their slew of instruments - acoustic and electric guitars, bass, drums, banjo, and mandolin - to create two EPs and two full-length albums since 2008. Hampton Lullaby, Futurebirds' debut LP, was released in 2010 with the sophomore follow-up Baba Yaga released earlier this year on Fat Possum Records. In the past five years, Futurebirds have shared the stage with such renowned acts as Drive-By Truckers and Grace Potter and the Nocturnals.  

For your chance to win free tickets to see Futurebirds headline 9:30 Club this Thursday night, please do one of the following: 

1. Leave a comment below, using a valid email address, telling us the name of your favorite bird.

2. Retweet this or tweet the following:

I'm entering to win tix to see Futurebirds at 9:30 Club! @ChunkyGlasses #Futurebirds930

A winner will be chosen at random THIS WEDNESDAY AT NOON, so be sure to enter before then! Not feeling lucky? Tickets are on sale through Ticketfly. 

Also check out 9:30 Club's Twitter today at 3:30 p.m. when Futurebirds take over to answer fans' questions! 

WIN STUFF: Win 2 tix to see Robyn Hitchcock & The Venus 3 at 9:30 Club!

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Saturday, April 27, English singer-songwriter Robyn Hitchcock takes the 9:30 Club stage with his current band, The Venus 3.

Hitchcock, formerly of The Soft Boys and The Egyptians, presently works as both a solo artist and with The Venus 3, made up of R.E.M.'s Peter Buck, Scott McCaughey of Young Fresh Fellows, and Ministry/R.E.M.'s Bill Rieflin. The four released their debut album, Olé! Tarantula, in 2006 and followed it up with two more records - 2009's Goodnight Oslo and 2010's Propellor Time. Although clearly invested in his work with The Venus 3, Hitchcock also works independently, releasing his ninth and tenth solo studio albums, Tromsø, Kaptein (2011) and Love from London (2013), respectively. 

Regardless of whether he's working alone, in a group, or collaborating with the likes of Nick Lowe and John Paul Jones, Hitchcock routinely draws attention for his surrealist lyrics and similarities to greats such as Bob Dylan and Syd Barret, whom he cites as influences. Hitchcock also paints, draws, and writes short stories, all of which often appear as album art and in liner notes of his various musical releases. 

For your chance to win a pair of tickets to Hitchcock's 9:30 Club appearance this weekend, please do one of the following:

1. Leave a comment below, using a valid email address, telling us your favorite of Hitchcock's projects.

2. Retweet this or tweet the following:

I'm entering to win tix to see Robyn Hitchcock & The Venus 3 at 9:30 Club! @ChunkyGlasses

A winner will be chosen at random THIS THURSDAY AFTERNOON, so get your entry in before then! GOOD LUCK!

Not feeling lucky? Tickets for the show are on sale through Ticketfly.

LIVE: David Wax Museum w/Kingsley Flood @ The 9:30 Club - 4/4/13

All photos by Joy Asico (joy@chunkyglasses.com | www.asicophoto.com)

The slot of the opening band can be a weird space to occupy. Sometimes it’s filled by the headliner’s label mates, sometimes it’s their friends and sometimes, and perhaps more cynically, it’s a package put together by a PR firm to maximize ticket sales. However the pairing happens, the end result is usually a show that opens with a satisfying but obviously “greener” act that you may catch if you get there early enough, but one that fulfills their duty of warming up the crowd in fine fashion, albeit little consequence.  In the case of David Wax Museum’s latest stop through DC though it was clear that somewhere, someone gets it, because the pairing of the mexi-folk outfit from Rhode Island with up-and-comers Kingsley Flood proved to be a winning combo that played more like a high octane double bill than the average tour package that many have come to expect.

Kingsley Flood are NOT.F@#@ING.AROUNDKingsley Flood took the stage to a half empty room and proceeded to take no prisoners – which is what they just seem to do these days. The DC / Boston based band – lead singer Naseem Khuri resides in the District (watch our interview with him here) while the rest remain up north – has been rising through the ranks of the music world over the past few years, and their live shows in support of their latest release Battles  is a huge reason why.  On record and on stage the band has a bigger-than-life rock star personality that leaves the audience feeling like they just witnessed a stadium-worthy show instead of a barely-out-of-the-bar-band from Beantown, and last Thursday’s performance was no exception. Much like headliners David Wax Museum, Kingsley Flood takes musical inspiration from a wide variety of influences – folk, punk, gypsy, even British Mod – to craft music that is helping to shape a new Americana, one that’s about a whole lot more than an acoustic strum and a torch song.

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