music | ALXnow

Published April 9, 2026 at 8:30AM

The Squirrel Nut Zippers perform at The Birchmere (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

The Birchmere music hall, Alexandria’s most prominent musical venue, celebrated its 60th anniversary earlier this month.

The 500-seat music hall at 3701 Mount Vernon Avenue opened in 1966, and has featured notable musical artists and performers across various genres, including Ray Charles, Johnny Cash, Linda Ronstadt and Dave Matthews. Originally founded in Arlington’s Shirlington neighborhood, the venue moved to Alexandria’s Mount Vernon Avenue in 1981. It has been at the current 3701 Mount Vernon Avenue location since 1997.

Around Town

Alexandria’s MAYSUNS win Wammie Award for best rock band

By James Cullum

Published March 30, 2026 at 3:45PM

The MAYSUNS (Left to right - Gabriel Harr, Max Powell, Beck Moniz and Nathan Argust) relaxing at a mural of musical legends outside St. Elmo's Coffee Pub in Del Ray, July 9, 2025 (staff photo by James Cullum)

Alexandria rock band MAYSUNS took home a regional Wammie Award for best rock band Saturday night.

It’s the third Washington Area Music Award for the band, which won best rock album and best song in 2023. The award ceremony was held at Capital Turnaround in D.C.

Around Town

Group of Del Ray dads rock for more than a decade in local band, ‘The Derds’

By James Cullum

Published March 5, 2026 at 3:45PM | Updated March 5, 2026 at 7:08PM

The Derds (left to right) Alan Paez, Brian Siebenlist, James Crowe, Dan Wolfe and Greg Sullivan practicing at Crowe's home in Del Ray (staff photo by James Cullum)

Every Tuesday night for more than a decade, a group of Del Ray dads have gotten together in James Crowe’s basement to rock out.

Last Tuesday, the five-member band officially known as The Derds practiced the lineup for their upcoming annual St. Patrick’s Day show at Evening Star Cafe’s No. 9 Lounge in Del Ray at 2000 Mount Vernon Avenue. The show is from 7:30-10 p.m. Friday, March 13, featuring performers from the Del Ray Strings and the Boyle School of Irish Dance.

Around Town

Several Alexandria artists named finalists in regional Wammie Music Awards

By Katie Taranto

Published February 23, 2026 at 2:00PM | Updated February 23, 2026 at 5:16PM

Wammie Awards crowd (via The Wammie Awards/Facebook)

Eight Alexandria artists have advanced as finalists in the 37th annual Wammie Music Awards, as competition narrows down in the regional program.

Several musicians made the cut from Alexandria’s initial 14 nominees, receiving 12 finalist nominations for their work across multiple genres, including hip-hop, pop, funk and more. Winners will be announced during this year’s live awards show on Saturday, March 28, at D.C.’s Capital Turnaround.

Around Town

Several Alexandria artists nominated in regional Wammie Music Awards

By Katie Taranto

Published December 19, 2025 at 12:30PM

Wammie Awards crowd (via The Wammie Awards/Facebook)

Fourteen Alexandria artists and groups have received nominations in a program recognizing musical talent across the D.C. area.

Alexandria’s nominees for the 37th Annual Wammie Music Awards represent several genres, from funk and folk and hip-hop and pop. The voting period for the 2026 awards is now open and will run through Jan. 15, ahead of the March 28 awards show in D.C.

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Free concert Thursday with music and poetry from Alexandria’s incarcerated teens

By James Cullum

Published October 22, 2025 at 2:45PM

A mural on the wall at the Northern Virginia Juvenile Detention Center at 200 S. Whiting Street in Alexandria's West End (staff photo by James Cullum)

The Northern Virginia Juvenile Detention Center is holding a free concert Thursday night (Oct. 23) with music created by youth residents.

The event is the culmination of three days of workshops with the nonprofit Sound Impact, and will be held at the NVJCD (200 S. Whiting Street) from 6 to 7:30 p.m.

News

Macy Gray to perform ‘On How Life Is’ 25-year anniversary show at Birchmere

By James Cullum

Published October 14, 2025 at 3:30PM

Macy Gray will perform at the Birchmere Music Hall on Nov. 4, 2025 (via Facebook)

Grammy winner Macy Gray is performing her greatest hits at The Birchmere Music Hall in Alexandria next month, and spoke with ALXnow for a few minutes.

Gray is performing across the country this and next month on the final leg of an international tour marking the 25-year anniversary of the release of her hit album “On How Life Is”. The Nov. 4 concert is her second appearance performing in Alexandria, after she sang at The Birchmere in 2023, and she says she’ll be performing the entire album, plus a few covers and new songs.

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Alexandria Choral Society singing with Alexandria Children’s Chorus on Oct. 26

By James Cullum

Published October 14, 2025 at 9:30AM

The Alexandria Choral Society is singing with the Alexandria Children's Chorus on Sunday, Oct. 26, 2025 (via Facebook)

The Alexandria Choral Society is collaborating with the Alexandria Children’s Chorus later this month for a concert that invites audiences to listen “with your heart, mind, and spirit.”

The “Do You Hear What I Hear” concert will explore sound and silent spaces in musical pieces such as “The Sound of Silence” and “Ain’t No Grave” at Westminster Presbyterian Church (2701 Cameron Mills Road). The concert will be held on Sunday, Oct. 26, from 3 to 5 p.m.

News

Two Alexandria choruses qualify to compete in international competition

By James Cullum

Published October 7, 2025 at 1:30PM

The Alexandria Harmonizers (via The Harmonizers)

Two Alexandria-based choruses have qualified to perform in the Barbershop Harmony Society’s international competition next year in St. Louis, Missouri.

The Alexandria A Cappella Collective’s choruses, the Harmonizers and Metro Voices, recently competed at the Barbershop Harmony Society’s Mid-Atlantic District Competition in Cape May, New Jersey, qualifying to compete at the event, which will take place from June 28 to July 6.

News

Popular Del Ray open mic marks third anniversary Wednesday

By James Cullum

Published September 12, 2025 at 11:45AM

The What-Have-You open mic night is held every first and third Wednesdays at Evening Star Lounge in Del Ray (courtesy photo)

A popular open mic night in Del Ray is celebrating its third anniversary next Wednesday (Sept. 17).

Greg Roth and Gabe Fry started the What-Have-You open mic at Evening Star Cafe (2000 Mount Vernon Avenue) in September 2022, and since then — with the exception of January — have hosted the event from 8:30 to 11 p.m. on the first and third Wednesdays of the month. Next Wednesday’s event has a numbers, acronyms, and abbreviations theme, with musicians asked to perform hits from bands like R.E.M., AC/DC, INXS, and the B-52s, among others.

News

Del Ray musician’s new musical to premiere in Bethesda

By James Cullum

Published September 10, 2025 at 7:30PM | Updated September 11, 2025 at 2:38PM

Del Ray musician Neal Learner (via Facebook)

A Del Ray musician will premiere his latest musical next month in Bethesda, Maryland.

Neal Learner’s “French Cupcakes” will be performed Oct 10-12 and 17-19 at the Bethesda Writers’ Center (4508 Walsh Street). The Bethesda Little Theater is producing the play, which features a cast of 15 actors who tell the story of a legendary cafe similar to one in Learner’s college town of Ann Arbor, Michigan.