Best Of 2016: Matt Tarka

Photo © Stefanie Ambrose

I attended a baker’s dozen worth of shows in 2016. Mostly in the DC/MD/VA neighborhoods. Here’s my recap of some musical adventures this year.

February 26: Tedeschi Trucks Band @ Warner Theatre; Washington, DC
March 10: Brad Roberts (of Crash Test Dummies) @ Jammin Java; Vienna, VA
May 9: Old 97’s, Heartless Bastards @ 9:30 Club; Washington, DC
May 23: Air Traffic Controller @ IOTA Club & Café; Arlington, VA
June 17: The Jayhawks, Folk Uke @ World Café; Philadelphia, PA
June 22: The Cure, The Twilight Sad @ Merriweather Post Pavilion; Columbia, MD
July 5: Bob Dylan & Mavis Staples @ Wolf Trap Center for the Performing Arts; Vienna, VA
July 17: Tedeschi Trucks Band, North Mississippi All-Stars, Los Lobos @ Wolf Trap; Vienna, VA
September 8: Dinosaur, Jr., Cloud Nothings @ 9:30 Club; Washington, DC
October 14: Noelle Tannen & the Filthy No-Nos @ Tree House Lounge; Washington, DC
November 3: Mike Mills (of R.E.M.) @ Strathmore Center for the Performing Arts; North Bethesda, MD
November 4: South Rail, Clones of Clones, Olivia Mancini @ Sofar Sounds; Washington, DC
December 3: Jay Byrd, Justin Jones @ AMP By Strathmore, North Bethesda; MD

And here’s a host of records that I’ve been listening to: either released in 2016 or some good ole chestnuts on my turntable.

The Jayhawks, Paging Mr. Proust (Thirty Tigers)
Dinosaur, Jr., Give a Glimpse of What Yer Not (Jagjaguwar)
R.E.M., Life’s Rich Pageant (I.R.S.)
Green Day, Revolution Radio (Reprise)
The Get Up Kids, Red Letter Day (Doghouse)
Wilco, Being There (Reprise)
Mojave 3, Puzzles Like You (4AD)
My New Mixtape, Alone Together Forever
The Who, Who’s Next (Decca)
Mazzy Star, I’m Less Here (Rhymes of an Hour)
Jawbreaker, Unfun (Shredder)
Bill Janovitz, Walt Whitman Mall
Horse Feathers, Thistled Spring (Kill Rock Stars)

We reviewed Matt Tarka’s Surely Late on November 18.