Porchfest hang, CapitalBop blowout + my Black Cat debut!

Author

Jamie Sandel
April 25, 2025

Hello family! I hope the changing weather has been as much of a gift for your brain as it has for mine, even if you have a lot on your mind. There’s a lot on mine: video deadlines; our government disappearing people; nonprofit finances; Palestine’s destruction; how cute my cat is; etc.

All jokes about cognitive dissonance aside, making music is still non-optional for me, and though it’s been a slow gig month, I’m excited for a couple upcoming hits, and also to share news from my multimedia work.

Peace! - J

tl;dr: tomorrow (Saturday 4/26) I’m playing bass in a little Porchfest set; Sunday (4/27) CapitalBop launches our new site along with a bunch of video content from yours truly; 5/3 I’ll be part of the May Revels celebration; 5/4 I have a very fun Rhizome gig coming up (more soon); and 5/16 I’ll be playing the Black Cat for the first time (!) with Dono Dono.

EVENTS COMING UP

INDIE JAMS UPTOWN 😎 ———

Tomorrow, 5pm Saturday April 26, I’m jumping in on a set at Petworth Porchfest with a new-to-me group, inside voices. Been a while since I got to bring out the 4-string bass and play some rock music, and I like their songs a lot. Check one out below.

We’re last up on the porch at 1207 Farragut St NW (right in my neighborhood!) where there’ll be music starting at 2pm. And it’s Porchfest, so of course, it’s free!

these days

inside voices · these days · Song · 2023

open.spotify.com/track/6nrNwThI2nzXN4LS7M42KO?si=af32845585f241a1

CAPITALBOP’S STILL GOT IT, BABY! ———

This Sunday, April 28 at 6pm, CapitalBop (the organization I directed for 4 years, and for whom I’m now the treasurer — I know — and the creative media lead) is having a big celebration/fundraiser/concert/thingy to commemorate its 15th year of championing jazz in DC. Even if you can’t make it, donations to the campaign are deeply appreciated to help us survive a very difficult moment for arts nonprofits.

That event will feature the incredible Kweku Sumbry bringing a special group, but it’ll also be the formal debut of our revitalized creative media program, and the unveiling of a full rebrand and redesign of the capitalbop.com site.

CapitalBop is what got me started on the road as a professional video creative, and through this project I’ve finally had the time and resources to edit a bunch of backlog recordings of some very special performances (like the Hamid Drake video below!)

WE’LL PICK WIIIIIIILD MOUNTAIN THYYYYYYYYYMEEEEE ———

Next Saturday, May 3, I’ll be playing with the band in Spring Revels at Glen Echo Park. If you know me, you might know Revels is a sort of family tradition for me. And if you Revels, you know what’s up. Come out and welcome in the May-oh with some English-folk-y traditions if that’s your speed :)

WE’LL PICK WIIIIIIILD MOUNTAIN THYYYYYYYYYMEEEEE ———

Right after on Sunday, May 4, I’m playing a very fun show at Rhizome DC in the evening. Hasn’t been announced yet, but stay tuned for details!

LOOK MA, I’M PLAYING BLACK CAT! ———

I’m always stoked to play with Dono Dono, and especially stoked to do it for my first show playing Black Cat, a club I’ve loved since I was a kid. The show is on Friday, May 16. We’re opening for Rock Creek Kings, a fun rock band I’ve known about for a while now. It probably won’t be a long set from us, but it’ll be a good opportunity to keep workshopping some of Dono’s material. (Stay tuned for our next headliner bill!)