Backyard Band
D.C. go-go has always been about the call and response between the band and its audience. So how does a group do that in the time of COVID-19, when listeners are only able to watch online? Backyard Band, led by charismatic hero Anwan Glover, also known for his role in The Wire, addressed that as best they could in their first March 17 live video stream shown on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. The go-go community and curious other viewers, based locally or around the world, made themselves heard to the band via comments posted throughout the performance (with some band members checking out the updates on their own phones). The comments, which included nostalgic references to prior shows and jokes about the go-go nightclub lifestyle, helped the greater go-go family come together with the musicians to deal with this difficult period. For today’s show, the veteran D.C. outfit asked its fans to let them know what songs they want to hear, whose birthdays they want mentioned, and whose names they want shouted out ahead of time via social media (but there was a 4 p.m. Tuesday deadline, so it’s too late to get them in now). Backyard is also billing the show as a Street Antidote performance, named for their raw, bounce beat and hip-hop inflected 2016 album. But expect more than that: Skilled at reaching out to fans of multiple song styles, count on singers Weensey and Sweet Thang to deliver stirring R&B melodies while their rhythm section cranks capital beats that a virus can’t mute. The performance will begin at 10 p.m. on Backyard Band’s YouTube Channel. Free, though donations to the Cash App tag $BYB4LIFEDC are encouraged. —Steve Kiviat
DC Tap Festival
D.C.-born sisters Chloe and Maud Arnold are international tap dance superstars. They’ve performed on pretty much every hit dance show, including So You Think You Can Dance, won praise from Beyoncé herself, and amassed over 50 million views on YouTube videos of their performances. In 2018, Chloe received an Emmy nomination for her choreography on The Late Late Show with James Corden. While the sisters have separate artistic pursuits, they also have a lot in common, including various clothing lines, international dance camps, and their all-women tap dance group, Syncopated Ladies. But another shared pursuit keeps them coming back to their hometown each year—the DC Tap Festival. For 11 years, the festival has brought master dance classes, star tap performances, and industry talks. Each year, dancers of all ages and experience levels flock together to learn from internationally recognized tap performers and choreographers. And until the COVID-19 pandemic forced the Arnold sisters to call off 2020’s festival (initially scheduled for March 23 to 29), the event was on track for its 12th year in business. Fortunately, dancers live by the motto “the show must go on.” So DC Tap Fest is up and running, just online (and now global). Tune in tomorrow for livestreamed dance classes and technique and choreography sessions. If you want a warm-up for the main event, check out the festival’s first livestreamed lesson here. Oh, and out of courtesy for Washington’s health care workers, make sure you don’t literally break a leg. The event takes place March 28 from 12 p.m. EST to 6 p.m. EST at dctapfest.com/onlinetapfest. $10–$75. —Sarah Smith
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