On any given Friday night, the U Street corridor is bustling with a rather unique blend of hipsters, young professionals and students from nearby universities.
At Indulj Restaurant and Lounge, a small eatery nestled just steps away from the U Street Metro station, you can also catch Marlee in the Mixx, a local progressive band bringing down the house. The nine-piece collective has been performing their signature “In the Mixx Fridays” series since last year and has performed at a myriad of shows across the country and around the world since forming in 2011.
Perched in Indulj’s front window, Marlee in the Mixx regularly performs fan favorites including their renditions of Kendrick Lamar’s “Don’t Kill My Vibe,” Beyonce’s “XO,” and J. Cole’s “Power Trip.” This has proved to be a hallmark year for the group. In addition to releasing their highly-anticipated EP 10,000 Hours in May, the band made an appearance at this year’s BET Awards and was featured on TV One’s “Black Music Lives” commercial series.
Collectively, the group ranges in age from 20 to 23. They may be young, but many of its members have been performing in Go-go bands for years. Their sound, a unique blend of neo-soul, rock, hip hop, and jazz, has garnered an impressive following. The band’s first single, “Cloud 9” received over 20,000 views on YouTube since its release in 2013. “Our sound is fresh, fun and universal more than everything,” said Foots, the band’s drummer. “Even something simple as a cover sounds like the original, but we end up taking it somewhere crazy. We’re learning how to play on our sound more than anything.”
With a list of burgeoning acts from the DMV coming into the national scope, Marlee in the Mixx says their aim is to provide the world with something unique. “It’s a lot of talent out there, but is misrepresenting us as a whole,” Marlee, the band’s lead singer said. “But there are more people up and coming to change that. We’re doing this ourselves. We’re just young people going all the way hard.”
For more information on Marlee In The Mixx and ‘In The Mixx Fridays,’ visit: http://www.marleeinthemixx.com/
@GregoryODale
