Coriky at St. Stephen and the Incarnation Episcopal Church
photo by Aaron Peipert

Ian MacKaye's band Coriky played DC's St. Stephen and the Incarnation Episcopal Church (pics)

Ian McKaye‘s new band Coriky, which also includes his Fugazi bandmate Joe Lally, and his Evens bandmate Amy Farina, will release their debut album on March 27 via Dischord. On Saturday (2/22) they previewed the album at a free show at DC’s St. Stephen and the Incarnation Episcopal Church, which was also the site of their first-ever show in 2018. There was no opening act and, as the band took to the stage, Ian asked the crowd not to film or record the show, in hopes of preserving the mystery and magic of the night.

Coriky lean back more into the Fugazi song structure than the Evens, and though they don’t go full-on “Gazi,” it’s not far off. Trading his Marshall half stack on stage for a Fender tube combo amp, Ian still donned his weathered white Gibson SG and still gets in the zone, harnessing that energy of hectic aggression via his distinctive scratches, neck bends and sporadic strumming; it really comes together with Amy’s rhythm and Joe’s signature melodic fill notes within his driving bass groves. Joe and Amy also help out in the vocal department, adding layers of harmony and also sometimes taking lead.

Coriky also strays into other musical territories. I caught some Zeppelin like riffs in addition to some delta blues twangy vibes, all wrapped up into a low key package of pop sensibilities with those bursts of Fugazi-like expressions. They’re also still loud, as evidenced by a group of young children at the show holding their hands over the ears — Ian checked in with them making sure it wasn’t too loud. Find pictures from the night and Coriky’s debut single, “Clean Kill,” below.

While the DC show was free they were taking suggested donations for benefit Thrive DC. This was the last of a few shows for Coriky, who had also played shows in Charlottesville, Richmond and Harrisburg. Stay tuned for more dates.

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photos and review by Aaron Peipert