Backstage: Performing with two is better than one

Tim Bracken, wtop.com

WASHINGTON – This weekend’s top concert picks include two pairs of musical duos.

Husband and wife duo Mates of State will perform Friday at the Rock N Roll Hotel in northeast D.C. at 8 p.m.

Originally formed in 1997, the duo consists of multi-instrumentalists Kori Gardner and Jason Hammel.

The band’s most recent album, “Mountaintops,” plays out like a pop history checklist. Expect to hear a healthy dose of 1980s-inspired synth sounds paired with 1960s-style pop, lots of harmonies and some endearing ballads.

“Mountaintops” could be the band’s most commercial effort to date, but it retains the playful and profound qualities that hardcore fans embrace.

Watch the video for “Palomino” below:

D.C.-based Vandaveer inhabits the world of alternative-folk, smartly showcasing the strengths of Mark Charles Heidinger’s guitar playing and Rose Guerin’s powerful vocal harmonies.

Vandaveer is scheduled to perform Sunday at 8:30 p.m. at IOTA Club and Caf

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