(Photo courtesy of Nancy Lisi)
Northern Virginia can be a pretty chaotic place. If you’ve ever braved I-66 in rush hour, Tysons Corner during a sale weekend or Dulles Airport during a holiday season, you can attest to that.
One thing I find that helps soothe my anxiety amidst the chaos is listening to some acoustic, unsynthesized, uncomplicated, easygoing and great music.
King Street Bluegrass has just what the doctor ordered.
They’re a homegrown bluegrass quintet that has called Alexandria home for the past five years. The band consists of members John Georgiou (lead guitar and vocals), Nancy Lisi (guitar, bass, clawhammer banjo and vocals) Robert Swain (banjo, guitar and vocals), Justin Lago (bass), Dave Brunson (bass, guitar and vocals), and Stacey Sinclair (fiddle and vocals). Obviously, they specialize in bluegrass, but the band also plays traditional country music as well as some classic rock favorites.
King Street Bluegrass gets its name from the main street in Old Town Alexandria where the band first started jamming together in 2008. They continue to hit up Alexandria hotspots, most recently playing at King Street Blues and Tiffany Tavern, but the band’s motto is “have pickin’, will travel!” and they tour all over the region playing different venues and for different benefits.
The band prides itself on its community involvement and tries to give back wherever and whenever possible. One of the founding acts of the Kingman Island Bluegrass and Folk Festival in D.C., Kingstreet Bluegrass plays to support Living Classrooms Foundation, a hands-on education and job training program for the area. The group also regularly supports animal welfare and rescue by playing at Telegraph Station to raise money with fellow local bluegrass band the Catjammers every Thursday.
Their sound is rootsy, earthy, acoustic and calming. They may not be able to make NoVA’s traffic any more harmonious, but they can at least help to make the commute a bit more relaxing and bearable.
Check out the band’s website or follow them on Twitter at @KingStBluegrass.
Upcoming Shows:
Friday, July 19 – Public House No. 7, Falls Church | 8 p.m.
Saturday, July 20 – Timberline Ski Resort, Davis, WV | 7 p.m.
Friday, August 2 – Shaw’s Tavern, Washington, D.C. | 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, August 3 – Corn Fest at Whole Foods, Springfield | noon
Sunday, August 4 – Howard County Fairgrounds, West Friendship, MD | 5:30 p.m.
