National recording artist JD McPherson will perform on Saturday, July 27 at Reston Town Center.
McPherson and his band, which is known for its 50s-style rock and rock and R&B tunes, are coming as part of RTC’s weekly Saturday night summer concert series. Concerts, which are free and open to the public, take place at the pavilion from 7:30-10 p.m.
RTC wrote the following about McPherson’s work:
His first album, 2012’s Signs & Signifiers, which included the breakout hit North Side Gal, was hailed as “an utterly irresistible, slicked-back triumph” by Mojo and “a rockin’, bluesy, forward- thinking gold mine that subtly breaks the conventions of most vintage rock projects” by All Music Guide. The Washington Post wrote that, “he and his bandmates are great musicians taking ownership of a sound, not just mimicking one.”
The best rock music has a story to tell. McPherson’s most recent album, the 2017 release Undivided Heart & Soul, chronicles a series of upheavals, frustrations, roadblocks, and kismet–a cross-country move, failed creative relationships, a once-in-a-lifetime career opportunity, and learning to love making music again by letting go. That move, from his hometown of Broken Arrow, Oklahoma to East Nashville, has greatly influenced his new crop of songs.
The summer concert series, which is in its 29th season, ends on August 24. A complete schedule is available online.
Photo via JD McPherson/Reston Town Center
Reston Regional Library and Scrawl Books are partnering to host an author talk and book signing with Julie Langsdorf and Angie Kim tomorrow (Saturday).
Langsdorf will discuss her first novel “White Elephant” while Kim will discuss her first novel “Miracle Creek.”
The event runs from 2-3:30 p.m. at Reston Regional Library.
Both authors have earned national praise for their work. Langsdorf lives in the District and teaches yoga. She has also won four individual artist awards from the Maryland State Arts Council.
Kim, a former editor of the Northern Virginia with her husband and three sons.
Tomorrow (June 22)
- Habitat Heroes (10 a.m. to noon) — Help Reston Association track down invasive plants like English ivy. Participants should park along North Shore Drive between Northgate Square and Wiehle Avenue. But be warned: there is poison ivy on this site.
- Family Fun Entertainment Series (10-10:45 a.m.) — Enjoy a one-woman circus by “Wheelie itty Wacky Silly Suitcase.” Parking is free on weekends at Reston Town Center.
- Robotics Workshop (1-4 p.m.) – Participants between ages 6 and 18 will learn how to build and program robots from legos and metal at Reston Regional Library. The event is presented by the Teen Advisory Board.
- Reston Concerts on the Town — Hard Day’s Night brings Beatles’ tunes to Reston Town Center. Attendees are encouraged to bring a lawn chair or picnic blanket to grab a spot at the pavilion.
Sunday, June 23
- Sunday Art in the Park (7-8 p.m.) — Byron Jones, an associate professor of voice, performs a selection of classic songs from American musical theatre at Reston Town Square Park. The event is free and open to all.
- Summerbration Fun Brunch (11 a.m. to 1 p.m.) — Enjoy a performance by Zig Zag the Magic Man at this weekly summer series at Reston Station Plaza. Parking is free on weekends in the Metro parking garage.
New Developments in Herndon High School Filming Case — Police unveiled 10 felony warrants against former Herndon HS drama teacher Raphael Schklwosky after residents contacted the police department with information about unlawful filming at the school. So far, police have identified 10 victims that can be recognized based on pictures and videos. [Fairfax County Police Department]
A Welcome to Expel — Herndon-based Expel secured $40 million in funding. The company offers cloud-based security services. Overall, it has rounded up more than $67 million in funding. [Citybizlist]
Get in the Groove at Reston Station — Scott Kurt and Memphis 59 will perform at Reston Station Plaza tonight from 7-9 p.m. This week’s performance also includes live dance instruction. [Reston Station]
Learning Tree Branches Out — Herndon-based Learning Tree International and Columbus Technologies and Services have partnered up to expand their modern learning solutions audience. [Citybizlist]
Photo via vantagehill/Flickr
Summer Food Service Program Kicks Off — County schools are participating in a program to ensure that students who qualify for free and reduced-price meals continue to receive meals when school is out of session. Meals will be provided on a first-come, first-serve basis. [Fairfax County Public Schools]
Foster Care Information Meeting — Learn more fostering or adopting a child in during this information meeting at Reston Regional Library from 6:30-8 p.m. The meeting will be led by Patricia Aviles-Cubillos from the Fairfax County Department of Family Services. [Reston Regional Library]
Take a Break Concert Tonight — Bad Influence takes the stage today at Lake Anne Plaza from 7-9 p.m. The blues and roots performance is open to audiences of all ages. [Reston Community Center]
Photo via vantagehill/Flickr
During Sunday’s music festival, performers will take to the outdoor stage at Jimmy’s Old Town Tavern in Herndon to raise funds for a local literacy program.
The event, “Turn Up the Volumes,” is set for Sunday (June 9) from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. at the tavern, which is located at 697 Spring Street in Herndon.
The festival is a fundraiser for the Rotary Club of Herndon’s Imagination Library program.
In the program, members mail a book each month to children in Herndon from their birth to age 5.
Since the initiative began in 2005, the club has mailed more than 100,000 books to children.
The event, which features Big Whitson, Catchin’ Toads, Bald Chicken Brown, and Acoustic Mutiny, is free and open to all.
Reston’s outdoor venues will come to life this summer as Reston Community Center puts on six entertainment series over the next several weeks.
“Everyone likes to get outside in the fresh air during the summer months,” said RCC Executive Director Leila Gordon. “RCC is taking our ‘show on the road’ with these series and bringing people together right where they are. We want families and friends to enjoy the spirit of Reston all summer long.”
In addition to traditional staples like Thursday dance nights at Lake Anne Plaza and performances at Town Square Park in Reston Town Center on Saturday mornings, RCC has added two new entertainment series to its line up.
In “Lunchtime with the Arts at Mason,” student performers from George Mason University’s College of Visual and Performing Arts offer free lunchtime concerts on select Thursdays until October 24 at Reston Town Center’s Town Square Park from 12:30-1:30 p.m. Performances range from show tunes to euphonium ensembles. The series kicked off on May 9.
Reston Station will be home to the “Summerbration Fun Brunch” series, which brings entertainment and activities to Reston Station Plaza starting tomorrow (June 1). Attendees will get the chance to enjoy music and engaging activities on Saturdays and Sunday through August 25. The program takes place from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Parking is free on weekends in the Metro garage.
“Summerbration” concerts, which take place on Fridays from 7-9 p.m. at Reston Station, will continue this year. The concert schedule includes familiar groups like Scott Kurt & Memphis 59 and the band Oasis Island Sounds. Several concerts will also include professional dance instruction. Three hours of validated parking is available in the ParkX garage. The series ends on August 23. RCC presents this series in cooperation with MSE Productions, Inc. and Reston Station, the event’s host.
A Family Fun Entertainment Series in Reston Town Center’s Town Square Park also continues on Saturdays from 10-10:45 a.m. This series is geared toward kids and begins on June 15. The series is presented by RCC in cooperation with MSE Productions, Inc. and is hosted by Reston Town Center Association. Garage parking is free on Saturdays.
On Sundays, Sunday Art in the Park with the Shenandoah Conservatory continues at Town Square Park. The first performance is set for Sunday (June 2) from 7-8 p.m. This series is presented by RCC and Reston Town Center Association in cooperation with Shenandoah University.
All series are free and open to the public.
Photo courtesy Reston Community Center
Reston Community Orchestra is closing out its 2018-2019 season with a Boston Pops-style concert.
The finale, titled “Delicious & Delectable,” is set for Sunday (May 19) at 4 p.m. at Reston Community Center Hunters Woods.
The highlight of the show is the Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto No. 2 with soloist Thomas Pandolfi. Light snacks and beverages will be offered during the show.
The first 36 patrons to make an advance donation of $15 to the RCO can reserve a table with refreshments close to the orchestra. A $90 donation holds a table for six.
Reservations are due by May 13 and can be submitted online.
RCO is funded in part by the Arts Council of Fairfax County, the Virginia Commission for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Arts.
Photo via RCC
A husband and wife singer-songwriter team is set to perform at the Deepwood Sessions, a series of house concerts hosted in Reston, this Friday (April 5).
Chris and Jenna Badeker, who met and began singing together in college, formed Wild Harbors in 2017, according to their website. The duo describes their sound as alternative pop with “gutsy, lyric-driven songs laced with intricate vocal harmonies.”
They recently released their first full-length album, “Monument,” on March 15.
The 7 p.m. show asks attendees each for $10. Each concert for the Deepwood Sessions has a suggested minimum donation, which goes to directly to the artist.
According to the website, the series hosts acoustic and unplugged concerts featuring independent artists with a variety of styles and musical genres.
RSVP-ing in advance is strongly recommended.
The Reston Community Center (RCC) is planning a concert and meet-and-greet with acclaimed pianist George Fu.
The event is set for Thursday, April 4, from 2:15-3:30 p.m at the CenterStage (2310 Colts Neck Rd). The concert will be free and appropriate for all ages.
A Facebook post for the event says Fu will be joined by Chelsea Wang, a classmate from the Curtis Institute of Music, for a four-hand piano recital.
The concert is part of the RCC’s ongoing Meet the Artists series. Fu was previously featured in the RCC’s Meet the Artists series in 2016.
Fu has worked with a variety of orchestras, including performing as a soloist with the National Symphony Orchestra, and is returning to Reston following a stint at the London Conservatory of Music.
Photo via Facebook
Ahead of her tour stop at Reston Community Center, Grammy-nominated jazz singer and songwriter Jazzmeia Horn shared with Reston Now details on her upcoming album and when Restonians can expect to see her again.
Horn told Reston Now her 2017 album “A Social Call,” which earned her a Grammy nomination in 2018, was a bold, political statement. Her next album “Love and Liberation” will explore how the act of love is a liberating choice, adding that listeners can expect some love songs.
Horn’s own self-love story came from accepting her deeper voice. Now, she wants to encourage her daughters to embrace their individuality.
The album is set to debut this summer.
Horn is also working on plans for a world tour. While she said she doesn’t think she’ll back at RCC this year, Restonians might see her next year on the second half of her tour.
She is set to perform on CenterStage (2310 Colts Neck Road) at 8 p.m. on Saturday (March 30). Tickets cost $20 for Restonians and $30 for everyone else.
“I want everyone to have a great experience — to have an openness and to enjoy the music and be free,” Horn said.
Photo by Jacob Blickenstaff
Luke Brindley will bring folk rock and acoustic guitar music to the Deepwood Sessions, a series of house concerts hosted in Reston, this Friday (March 8).
Based in Virginia, Brindley is a fingerstyle guitarist and singer-songwriter. He also runs with his brothers a music venue, bar and cafe in Vienna called Jammin Java.
He released the “Dream Songs EP” in 2018.
The 7 p.m. show asks attendees each for a $15 minimum donation. Each concert for the Deepwood Sessions has a suggested minimum donation, which goes to directly to the artist.
According to the website, the series hosts its acoustic and unplugged concerts featuring independent artists with a variety of styles and musical genres.
RSVP-ing in advance is strongly recommended.
Herndon’s Board of Zoning Appeals narrowly threw out a zoning violation for a local house concert series at its meeting on Thursday (Jan. 24).
Chris Devine, the host of The Crib, said he decided to challenge that citation on Dec. 20 after meeting with staff three days earlier. Devine told the Board of Zoning Appeals that the staff appeared unfamiliar with house concerts, which he likened to a sports fan who has fellow fans over to watch the show and asks for money to help cover food and drink costs.
Zoning Administrator David Stromberg testified on Thursday night that the Town of Herndon first received an anonymous complaint last year on Oct. 30 alleging that 70 people entered Devine’s single-family townhouse. Stromberg said that evening surveillance then took place during two scheduled concert dates.
After two more complaints on Dec. 8 and Dec. 10 mentioning a lack of visitor parking, a notice of violation was issued on Dec. 14.
“[This] activity constitutes an Indoor Entertainment use and is not a permitted use on the subject property pursuant to the Town of Herndon Zoning Ordination,” the citation said.
Stromberg said that the zoning ordinance doesn’t really define a “commercial use” versus “non-commercial use” for indoor entertainment, adding that he did not consider who was receiving the money from the tickets.
All of the attendees’ donations and tickets go to the artist, according to The Crib’s website.
Devine said at the meeting that he’s taken steps to remediate any confusion that could result from a cursory review of the house concerts.
He said that he changed the wording on the website from “ticket” to “suggested donation” to clear up any concern about where the money goes. He also removed reference to a limited liability corporation he had set up for potential professional endeavors unrelated to the house concerts.
“I am certainly free as a homeowner to invite into my home anyone that I choose, including those fellow music lovers who want to support those artists through a donation,” Devine said in response to a definition of commercial activities referring to open attendance. “While I have not had the occasion, I can also refuse to anyone at any time for any reason, therefore attendance to my home is not open to the public.”
Since launching in 2015, The Crib has hosted nearly 50 house shows with 28 different independent artists, according to its website. Each show lets the artist perform two 45-minute sets of original music. Seating is on a first-come basis with a capacity of roughly 40 people.
After several locals testified in support of The Crib, the board voted 3-2 to overturn the violation.
The Crib’s next scheduled performance is set for Feb. 8 and will feature Dustin Furlow and Matt Thomas.
Image via Board of Zoning AppealsÂ
Singer-songwriter Kevin Daniel will perform in January as part of the Deepwood Sessions, a series of house concerts hosted in Reston.
Based out of Brooklyn, Daniel’s music mixes Americana, country and blues. He released his second EP, “Myself Through You,” in early 2018.
The 7 p.m. show on Friday, Jan. 18, has a $10 suggested donation. Each concert for the Deepwood Sessions has a suggested minimum donation, which goes to directly to the artist.
The sessions help cultivate the Deepwood neighborhood community and provide a platform for independent artists to showcase their music.
According to the website, the series hosts its acoustic and unplugged concerts with a variety of styles and musical genres.
RSVP-ing in advance is strongly recommended since space fills on a first come first serve basis and also provides the location of each concert. The events are family-friendly and attendees may bring wine and beer.
Photo via Kevin Daniel/Facebook
Herndon High School’s band program is hosting a free concert in order to honor veterans on Nov. 7 (Wednesday).
The Tag Day Concert, which is set for 7 p.m., aims to celebrate and recognize members of the American military with patriotic songs, according to event organizers.
The concert will focus on World War II as the marching band prepares to go to Normandy, France to participate in a parade marking the 75th anniversary of D-day.
The band is raising money to offset the cost of next year’s trip.
The concert is free and concert-goers should park in front of the school and enter through door 11. The event will take place in the auditorium of Herndon High School.
Photo via Herndon High School Band/Facebook
The Bluegrass Barn concert series, which celebrates bluegrass music, will kick off next month at Frying Pan Farm Park in Herndon. Concerts are held on Sundays from 7-9 p.m.
Season passes for all eight shoes and reserved seating are available online.
The series is sponsored by the Friends of Frying Pan Park, Vienna Hardwoods and Eastman Guitar and Mandolins in cooperation with Fairfax County Park Authority. Tickets are $18 in advance and $20 at the door.
The program breakdown is below:
- October 21: The Plate Scrapers, a traditional bluegrass band from western Maryland
- November 4: Gina Clowes Project, featuring Gina, who was raised in Virginia and has taken a national role as the banjo player for Chris Jones and the Night Drivers
- November 11: Donna Ulisse, a veteran songwriter and singer who was named Songwriter of the Year in 2016 by the International Bluegrass Music Association
- January 27: Only Lonesome, a band nominated by the Washington Area Music Association as the Best Bluegrass Group from 2013-2016
- February 10: Laurie Lewis, a Grammy Award-winning musician and international renown singer and songwriter who has recorded nearly 20 albums since her debut in 1986
- February 24: Nothin’ Fancy, a band based in Virginia
- March 24: Highland Travelers, a new band formed after The Boxcar and Ramblers Choice combined
The series will close off with a final show by the Becky Buller Band on April 14. Buller was the first person to win in both the instrumental and vocal categories at the International Bluegrass Music Awards.
Photo via Frying Pan Farm Park
