WASHINGTON — Labor Day weekend may be over, but the fun doesn’t have to stop.
A string of famous music acts are coming to the D.C. area this week, from Madonna to Kelly Clarkson, Jason Aldean to Blues Traveler, REO Speedwagon to Jackson Browne.
Here are eight eclectic concerts to hit this week in the D.C. area:
REO Speedwagon — Thursday at Warner Theatre
Founded in 1967, REO Speedwagon has cemented itself in rock history with hits like “Roll with the Changes” (1978), “Keep on Loving You” (1980), “Take it on the Run” (1981) and “Can’t Fight This Feeling” (1984). This Thursday, the group plays Warner Theatre in D.C. near Metro Center.
Longtime bassist Bruce Hall joined WTOP for a preview:
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Blues Traveler — Friday at The Fillmore
The following night, Blues Traveler hits The Fillmore in Silver Spring, Maryland. WTOP caught up with bassist Tad Kinchla, brother of guitarist Chan Kinchla, who formed the band with his high school classmates in Princeton, New Jersey. Tad joined the band when bassist Bobby Sheehan died in 1999.
“I kind of grew up vicariously with them,” Tad says. “I was in eighth grade when those guys were graduating, so I saw the trials and tribulations of the band as they grew and became a more popular band and its whole beginnings, from playing these really crappy clubs, to these better crappy clubs to kind of a strike of lightning to all of a sudden it’s big amphitheaters and big tours and all of that.”
Blues Traveler got its break by opening for the Allman Brothers Band before landing a pair of radio gems in “Run-Around” (1995) and “Hook” (1995). Most recently, the band completed its 12th studio album, “Blow Up the Moon” (2015), featuring collaborations with a wide array of artists, including The Dirty Heads, 3Oh!3, Jewel, Thompson Square, Hanson and Plain White Ts.
“Genre-wise, there’s like five or six different styles on there,” Tad says. “It’s as eclectic as it gets.”
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Jackson Browne — Friday at Wolf Trap
The same night on the other side of the Potomac River, Wolf Trap welcomes Jackson Browne, who was inducted in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2004 and the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2007 after a string of hits, including “Doctor My Eyes” (1972), “Take it Easy” (1973), “Running on Empty” (1978), “Stay” (1978) and “Somebody’s Baby” (1982). Fun fact: Browne’s concert favorite “The Load Out” was recorded live at Merriweather Post Pavilion in Columbia, Maryland on Aug. 27, 1977.
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5RhoRFZFAUc
Mac Sabbath — Friday at Black Cat
If you’re looking for a change of pace, feel free to hit the Black Cat to see the one-and-only Mac Sabbath, a fast-food group that sings Black Sabbath songs in McDonald’s costumes. The result is undeniably unique, hilariously bizarre and a tad creepy — especially if you’re afraid of clowns.
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Jason Aldean — Saturday at Jiffy Lube Live
If heavy metal Happy Meals aren’t your thing, grab your cowboy hat for Jason Aldean this Saturday at Jiffy Lube Live in Bristow, Virginia. Aldean has landed six platinum-selling albums and rattled off 13 No. 1 hits on country radio, including “Dirt Road Anthem,” “Night Train” and “Burnin’ It Down.” Such songs have been catnip to country fans, to the tune of 21 million downloads, making him the top digital male country artist ever, according to the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).
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Madonna — Saturday at Verizon Center
The concert with the biggest starpower may very well be Madonna at Verizon Center. If you’re putting together a playlist as you head to Chinatown, you have an endless list of hit singles to choose from: “Holiday” (1983), “Like a Virgin” (1984), “Material Girl” (1984), “Into the Groove” (1985), “Open Your Heart” (1986), “Like a Prayer” (1989), “Vogue” (1990), “Take a Bow” (1994), “Ray of Light” (1998), “Beautiful Stranger” (1999), “Music” (2000), “4 Minutes” (2008) and countless others.
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Kelly Clarkson — Saturday & Sunday at Wolf Trap
The original “American Idol” champion belts out her signature voice in a pair of shows Saturday and Sunday at Wolf Trap. Expect to hear such mega hits as “Miss Independent,” “Breakaway,” “Since U Been Gone” and “Because of You,” as well as stuff from her newest album “Piece by Piece” (2015).
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Death Cab for Cutie — Sunday at Merriweather Post Pavilion
The star-studded weekend wraps with Death Cab for Cutie on Sunday at Merriweather Post Pavilion in Columbia, Maryland. The band caught fire with its fourth studio album, “Transatlanticism” (2003), certified gold by the RIAA. After that, Death Cab’s fifth studio album, “Plans” (2005), went platinum, while its sixth studio album, “Narrow Stairs” (2008), reached No. 1 on the Billboard 200. Since then, its seventh album “Codes and Keys” (2011) hit No. 3 and eighth album “Kintsugi” (2015) hit No. 8.
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