Free live music alert, summer edition: Fort Reno Concert Series kicks off

June 22, 5:30 PMDC Live Music ExaminerChristina Lee

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  Pash, Photo: Shantel Mitchell

Six months ago, coordinator Amanda MacKaye decided to cut the number of shows for this year's Fort Reno Concert Series from 18 to 12. She then received 160 submissions to fill in just 36 slots.

“It obviously took a lot longer to go through (all of the submissions). There was a lot of consideration involved,” MacKaye told David Malitz of The Washington Post. “The best part was that there were maybe 30 to 40 bands that I knew. The rest I hadn't heard. And that's awesome.”

More bands, less slots – perhaps the main reason then why this year's series, while shorter, should prove to be as diverse as ever. Consider these local picks who will all be kicking it off tonight:

• The gentle charm of Ingrid Michaelson resonates between the two musicians that make up The Sweater Set. Maureen Andary and Sara Curtin had initially met in a D.C. church as choir girls, though they reunited a singers and ukulele player duo. The end result is largely folk, though a bit of Andary's classical jazz past also tends to surface.
• Under the influence of James Brown, jazz keyboardist Will Rast aspired to create his own brand of funk. But in the smooth tracks of The Funk Ark, no one resounding voice ever bursts through. Rather, each of the band's nine instrumentalists – armed with electric guitars, saxophones, trumpets and bongos – all get chances to shine.
• Two years ago, Pash seemed to fill a void left behind when Pretty Girls Makes Graves broke up and Rilo Kiley played less twang, more rock. And while Pash is a group of four, it tells the story of just one – that of heartbroken vocalist Meredith Munoz. To say that the 25-year-old puts her heart on her sleeve is an understatement, since the band's 2007 release, The Best Gun, was actually an effort to win someone over. (Ultimately it did, though distance got in the way.)

Today, 7:15 p.m., Fort Reno Park, Chesapeake St. and Nebraska Ave. NW, 202-355-6356.

UPDATE: Due to a collision, Metro officials are advising that all patrons avoid riding the Red Line. If you still want to use public transportation to attend the event, refer to the list of Red Line bus detours that Katherine Hill, D.C. Transportation Examiner, has provided.