The Birchmere

Around Town

The Birchmere Music Hall turns 60, several shows canceled in April lineup

By James Cullum
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.

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Around Town

Old Town-based Little Theatre of Alexandria secures 24 nominations in regional theatre awards

By James Cullum
A packed house at the Little Theatre of Alexandria (staff photo by James Cullum)

The Little Theatre of Alexandria has garnered two dozen nominations in a regional awards program for D.C.-area theatre.

The Old Town-based theater secured 24 nominations in this year’s Washington Area Theatre Community Honors Awards (WATCH) for five productions across 36 categories, the program announced Sunday. A total of 94 productions received nominations this cycle, split between 37 musicals and 57 plays across the region last year.

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News

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

By James Cullum
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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Around Town

Virginia native Phil Vassar brings ‘Paradise’ tour home to The Birchmere

By Ryan Belmore
Phil Vassar will perform at The Birchmere on Oct. 26. (Photo Credit: Phil Vassar on Facebook)

Country music star Phil Vassar returns to his Virginia roots this month, bringing his “25 Years of Paradise” tour to Alexandria’s Birchmere Music Hall on Oct. 26. The Lynchburg native celebrates the 25th anniversary of his breakout No. 1 hit “Just Another Day in Paradise” with an intimate acoustic performance that promises nightly setlist changes and covers of musical legends like Billy Joel and Elton John.

For Vassar, who attended James Madison University before moving to Nashville in the 1980s, performing at the Birchmere holds special meaning. “I used to go there when I was starting out as a musician, and I went to James Madison,” Vassar said in an interview with ALXnow on Wednesday. “It’s just such a historic venue, and I just love coming to rock.”

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News

Alexandria pastor’s Charlie Kirk comments lead this week’s top stories

By James Cullum
The Rev. Dr. Howard-John Wesley delivers his Sunday sermon at Alfred Street Baptist Church in Alexandria, Va., on Sept. 15, 2025. During the sermon, Wesley criticized the decision to fly flags at half-staff for slain conservative activist Charlie Kirk, calling Kirk "an unapologetic racist." (Screenshot via YouTube)

It’s been quite a week, Alexandria. Here’s a look at our top stories.

Our most-read story this week is on Rev. Dr. Howard-John Wesley sermonizing against President Trump’s decision to fly flags at half-staff across the country for slain conservative activist Charlie Kirk. Speaking at the historic Alfred Street Baptist Church, Wesley condemned the Sept. 10 assassination, but said he should not be expected to honor Kirk, who he called an “unapologetic racist who spent all of his life sowing seeds of division and hate into this land.”

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Around Town

Steve Earle, Happy Together Tour, and Robert Glasper headline packed June at The Birchmere

By Ryan Belmore
June 2025 calendar at The Birchmere (via The Birchmere)

The Birchmere, “America’s legendary music hall”, has an impressive June 2025 calendar scheduled, featuring a mix of iconic performers spanning multiple genres and generations.

The month kicks off with Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter Steve Earle performing a special solo acoustic show on June 3. Billed as “50 Years of Songs & Stories,” Earle will be joined by Zandi Holup for the 7:30 p.m. performance. Tickets are priced at $69.50 and $39.50.

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Simpsons voice actor performing with Bruce Springsteen cover band at The Birchmere next week

By Vernon Miles
Hank Azaria and The EZ Street Band (photo via Facebook)

If you go to see the EZ Street Band perform the music of Bruce Springsteen next week, you might notice their Springsteen’s voice is suspiciously similar to Simpsons bartender Moe Szyslak, Chief Wiggum and others.

Actor Hank Azaria is headlining with the EZ Street Band performing tributes to artist Bruce Springsteen.

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Bacon Brothers and Kamasi Washington performing at Birchmere this month, but there’s bad news…

By Vernon Miles

On the one hand, it’s very cool that Kamasi Washington is performing at The Birchmere — his new album Fearless Movement is great — along with the Bacon Brothers, but there’s some bad news for Washington and Bacon fans.

The Bacon Brothers, a musical duo featuring Kevin and Michael Bacon, are returning to The Birchmere this weekend. Washington is playing on Wednesday, July 31. Unfortunately: both shows are sold out.

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Grammy-winning saxophonist David Sanborn dies before final show at The Birchmere

By James Cullum
Saxophonist Davis Sanborn (via Facebook)

Six-time Grammy-winning jazz saxophonist David Sanborn died on Sunday, just days before his scheduled appearance at The Birchmere in Alexandria.

Sanborn, who was 78, died after an extended battle with prostate cancer “with complications,” according to an announcement on his Facebook page. The announcement said the artist had maintained a regular touring schedule despite battling the cancer since 2018, and that he had dates schedules into next year.

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