Brightest Young Things

all words and photos: Paul Goodman

If you're into Citizen Cope, it is not hard to understand how Cope sold out the 9:30 Club on Saturday night. If you're not, well, it's hard to imagine the super mellow Citizen Cope caring. Having spent his youth in and around DC, Citizen Cope aka Clarence Greenwood has a big following in the DC area. In addition to selling out the 9:30 Club on Friday and Saturday, he sold out Ram's Head Live! last Saturday night.

This Saturday night marked the last night of a ten-month tour promoting Greenwood's new album, "Rainwater LP" which he released on his own label. Greenwood bounced from album to album on Saturday night, launching the show with a stark acoustic rendition of "Salvation", a track from his self-titled release in 2002.

Counterbalancing Greenwood's calm delivery -- sometimes he barely moves his mouth while singing -- was the massive sound of his band. An organ, a keyboard, drums, and a bass guitar fill out Cope. The crowd showed Cope plenty of love and the applause going into the encore was one of the loudest moment's I've experienced at the 9:30 Club.

They didn't spare any love for Cope's opener, Gin Wigmore, either, and the young, upbeat singer smiled shyly as the crowd booed when she announced her last song.

Previously in Live DC:

• 2/3: Live DC: The Asteroids Galaxy Tour @ RnR Hotel
• 2/3: LiveDC: Smith Westerns @ Black Cat
• 2/2: PHOTOS: Elizaveta @ Jammin' Java
• 2/1: PHOTOS: H Street Karaoke Championship
• 1/31: LiveDC: Carsie Blanton @ Black Cat
• 1/31: LiveDC: Loose Lips/ Lightfoot/ Paperhaus/ Ugly Purple Sweater @ Black Cat
• 1/30: LiveDC: Jeff Mangum @ Lincoln Theatre
• 1/30: LiveDC: Coeur de Pirate @ 930 Club
• 1/26: LiveDC: Ryan Adams @ Strathmore
• 1/25: LiveDC: GHOST @ RNR Hotel