Paying homage to groundbreaking rockers The Pretenders and to music’s angel of the morning herself, Chrissie Hynde, a collection of lively Washington, D.C.-area artists will recreate their unmistakable melodic new wave sound.

• Honoring one of the most acclaimed women in rock ’n’ roll, this tribute concert will feature 35 performers from the greater Washington, D.C. area including Patty Reese, an 11-time Washington Area Music Awards (WAMMIE) winner, and the powerful vocals of charismatic R&B/blues singer Caz Gardiner.
• Highly regarded as pioneers of new wave and pop music, The Pretenders prevailed on the charts for two decades, starting in the late 1970s, with hits including “Back on the Chain Gang,” “I’ll Stand By You,” and “Message of Love.”
• “From the outset, The Pretenders were an explosive combination of precision and flamboyance. The group mastered the blistering tempos and brute force of punk, but Hynde’s writing took them other places as well. Her songs possessed the melodic sheen of well-turned pop, yet employed unconventional time signatures…”—Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (which inducted The Pretenders in 2005)
• BandHouse Gigs is a Bethesda-based nonprofit that produces original tribute concerts for legendary artists including Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell, and Stevie Wonder. Last season they hosted a riveting homage to Rod Stewart at The Barns at Wolf Trap.