The Hamilton Live: January and February 2023 Highlights
From celebrating Mardi Gras to a Prince Purple Party, The Hamilton Live is ushering in the new year with a blend of jazz, rock, and blues.
Over the years, The Hamilton has become known for presenting on its underground Live stage some of the newest and most notable acts from New Orleans, particularly in the months surrounding Mardi Gras.
In its own way, this serves to complement the discernible Big Easy influence and inspiration of The Hamilton’s extensive food and drink menus. New Orleans will be represented this season by next-generation musical acts Flow Tribe (1/27), The New Orleans Suspects (2/3), and The Soul Rebels (3/22).
But before all that love for Louisiana, The Hamilton Live will show some love to D.C. First up is a performance by the pioneering go-go gurus in Rare Essence, a band launched more than four decades ago by a group of elementary students in Southeast D.C. tinkering around with a then-new percussive style of funk (1/15).
That will be followed a few days later by another go-go legend, Eugene “Junie” Henderson of hitmaking go-go band Experience Unlimited or E.U., leading the Prince tribute band All Star Purple Party also featuring former members of Prince’s one-time band the New Power Generation (1/20).
Other festive performances on tap this winter at Hamilton Live include Junior Marvin & The Legendary Wailers, featuring the longtime lead guitarist and vocal contributor Julian Junior Marvin stepping out front after decades “playing and singing Bob Marley & the Wailers hit songs the way Bob intended them to be heard” (1/13); Andy Falco & Travis Book, two members of the Grammy-winning bluegrass band The Infamous Stringdusters, joining forces to celebrate the Grateful Dead’s Jerry Garcia (1/26); and Red Baraat with the annual “Festival of Colors,” a Bollywood-inspired multi-city festival celebrating the joyous Indian holiday of Holi led by dhol player and bandleader Sunny Jain (3/4).
Valentine’s Day will be marked by a pair of shows, the first the annual “Newmyer Flyer’s Love Songs: The Beatles, Vol. 10,” featuring a litany of area vocalists performing from the Fab Four’s epic catalog of songs about romance (2/11), and My Funny Valentine Starring Tony Sands as Frank Sinatra (2/14).
And while the lineup of free shows held Friday and Saturday nights in the Hamilton Loft is mostly stacked with local and regional cover bands, an anomaly or two emerges every now and again, including up-and-coming blues artist from Fredericksburg Ash Chevalier (1/27) and perhaps the best known, and hardest-working, indie-folk artist around town Justin Trawick (2/4).
The Hamilton is at 600 14th St. NW. Visit www.thehamiltondc.com or call 202-787-1000.
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