Day 1 Last weekend, Oceans Calling Festival returned to Ocean City, Maryland featuring a nostalgia-packed lineup for music lovers young and old. The three-day festival kicked off on an overcast Friday as the effects of Hurricane Helene lingered over the East Coast. Stolen Gin opened things up, followed by Vincent […]
If you’ve ever wanted to know what fun sounds like, attend a Pigeons Playing Ping Pong show. The Baltimore-based funk-jam has a huge following, and it’s clear from the moment the four-piece steps on stage that you’re in for a night of pure joy. The band recently kicked off three […]
It’s been four years since Alexandra Hughes, whose stage name is Allie X, released her last full-length record, Cape God, but with the arrival of the gothic dance pop queen’s third full-length release, Girl With No Face, Allie X makes up that time with a vibrancy and ferocity that’s undeniable. […]
Rain might not be the perfect weather for a lot of things, but the hazy weather outside of the packed Fillmore Silver Spring Wednesday night set the mood for the loud, heavy, and over-the-top performance by Rammstein vocalist Till Lindemann. For the Berlin industrial metal giant, the Silver Spring stop […]
The sisters of The Warning, the trio from Monterrey, Mexico, have been taking the world by storm since a video of the band performing Metallica’s “Enter Sandman” became an overnight sensation when they were in their early teens. Since then, Daniela “Dany” Villarreal Vélez (vocals/guitar), Paulina“Pau” Villarreal Vélez (drums/vocals), and […]
Saturday night at Rams Head Live in Baltimore was filled with the sounds of Norway’s Leprous as they brought their progressively symphonic metal to Charm City. Words like symphonic and heavy come to mind when listening to the Norwegian band Leprous’ extensive catalog. But with their new album, Melodies of […]
The last couple of years have been a cornucopia of riches for fans of bands who haven’t toured in ages and who have chosen to reunite. And there are even those rare opportunities, like in the case of The Folk Implosion, of a group that not only got back together, […]
Recent years have seen the rise of nostalgia tours, where bands which were popular in a particular era or genre come together to play their hits to aging audiences looking, for one evening, to relive their youth. Often featuring a large number of bands all playing short sets which given them […]
I got to Cumberland, Md around 11AM Thursday morning. I turned at Shooters Bar and Grill and headed down Moss Avenue, which dead ends at the Allegheny County Fairgrounds, I knew this Memorial Day weekend would be something great. In front of me was a site to behold crossing the […]
The start of the festival season happen for me over the weekend with the annual Charm City Bluegrass Festival. This year the festival took on a new venue which is the Baltimore Peninsula. I thought this venue was fantastic and easy to find right off I-95. This venue has ample […]
When a musician puts something out that sounds completely different than anything they’ve ever done, sometimes fans can get upset. It’s not what they are used to. People dislike change. It’s uncomfortable. However, people grow. People change. Their tastes change. Influences, friends, locales. They all change. Polaroid Lovers, the latest album […]
In 2009, friends of mine, Pete and Lindsay—AKA Free Breakfast, hosted a music night every Monday at First Capital Dispensing Company—AKA The Cap. Sometimes, they would play by themselves; other times, friends would join in; and other times, they brought bands in from out of town to play. Back then, […]
What’s better on a chilly Monday in November than to jump and sweat to the bouncing brass sounds of Rubblebucket? Well, after Monday night at the Baltimore Soundstage I can unequivocally say there is nothing better. Rubblebucket, the dance-pop-art ensemble that released their sixth full-length LP, Earth Worship, last year […]
This year, the Sultana Downrigger Festival, held annually in Chestertown, Maryland, featured an exciting blend of Bluegrass music, tall ships, fireworks, and incredibly delicious seafood. On Friday evening, after a late start from work, I found myself by the Chester River in Chestertown, Maryland. I arrived in time to catch […]
DragonForce is a power metal institution. There’s the lightning-quick guitar licks; metronome perfect drums that seem inhuman; and soaring vocals that continue to be the mainstay of their work. And while they never take themselves too seriously, there is some serious talent at work. The London-based DragonForce started nearly 25 […]
The Oceans Calling Music Festival in Ocean City, Maryland was a spectacular celebration of music, culture, and classic beach vibes. Nestled against the backdrop of the southern tip of the southern inlet along the end of the boardwalk in Ocean City, Maryland, the event transformed the coastal town into a […]
Baroness has been through a lot in the more than 20 years the band from Savannah, Georgia has been around. From a near fatal accident in the UK 10 years ago to changes in band members – oh, and then there was a global pandemic which put the brakes on […]
Explosions In the Sky perform 2 sold-out shows in DC at the 9:30 Club.
Dave King, singer and band leader for Flogging Molly, has a knack for doing two things: 1) leading an incredible performance, and 2) putting together a touring line-up that can’t be beat. It’s a fact. I’ve seen Flogging Molly a handful of times now and each time it feels like […]
“Now see, that’s fuckin’ Baltimore. Baltimore’s always down,” Kim Schifino exclaimed to a packed room at Rams Head Live Saturday night. Schifino, along with Matt Johnson who make up the New York-based duo Matt and Kim, have a way of turning a soggy, wind-swept evening into a party in the […]
“How many of you are seeing us for the first time,” Jennifer Finch asked the sold-out crowd at The Black Cat as more than a few held their hands up. A testament to the strength and relevance of the California-based band who formed back in the mid-1980’s, L7 returned from […]
I remember exactly where I was the first time I heard Arctic Monkeys. It was 2004 and I was deployed to Kuwait. Like every other night for six months–after work, chow and the gym–Pat Quinn, Anthony Black and I were sitting in my corner of our tent playing NCAA Football on the PlayStation and listening to BBC’s Radio 1.
On Friday and Saturday nights, the Black Cat nightclub in Washington, DC, celebrated its 30th Anniversary with two nights of special shows featuring bands with strong ties to the community. The sold-out shows included the debut of Birthday Girl as well as a reunion of the late eighties and early-to-mid […]
The amazing Brooklyn-based duo of Matt Johnson and Kim Schifino, better known as Matt and Kim, hit the road again after four years (and four years too many!) and it promises to be a great tour. Says Matt, “THIS TOUR IS GONNA BE SO RIDICULOUS! And we mean that in […]
For the first time in 54 years to the weekend, a festival was held on the hallowed grounds that hosted Woodstock ’69, and what a weekend it was. Taking it’s name from the bird on the original Woodstock poster, the inaugural Catbird Music Festival was held this past weekend at […]
What else can you do on an absolutely gorgeous Saturday in Hunt Valley, Maryland? Well, you can head over to Oregon Ridge Park for a live music experience at the annual Hot August Music Festival. A big shout-out goes to the organizers, Ryan and Robbie, for taking the reins of […]
Seeing Boy George with Culture Club was always on my bucket list, and I recently got to check it off. Also on the tour (“The Letting It Go Show”), and checked off my concert list, were Berlin and Howard Jones. It was an all-star 80s line-up! The start time of the […]
On Thursday, I had the opportunity to step out and make my way to The Manor Mill in Monkton, Md. This historic mill was buzzing with excitement as it played host to a sold-out show featuring the highly acclaimed bluegrass band, East Nash Grass. Their melodies had been gracing the […]
This show was part of a wonderfully curated series by HU Presents, who continues to bring the best music possible to Harrisburg and Pennsylvania. From the first moment we understand the what of a feeling – our grandfather’s tears, our sibling’s laughter, the blurry distance of our mother’s smile; the […]
“We wrote this around George Bush Jr time, and the lyrics are more relevant to what’s happening now than they were then,” Kathleen Hanna, singer of the dance punk trio Le Tigre told a sold-out crowd at the Baltimore Soundstage Wednesday night. “ I’m just saying it’s fucking weird… and […]
Weezer is on a 30-city run of shows—Weezer’s Indie Rock Road Trip—and one of the stops was in Columbia, Maryland, at Merriweather Post Pavilion. Joined by Joyce Manor and Future Islands, they arranged an awesome playlist—all while snapping selfies and enjoying life on the road. There was a little mix-up at […]
On June 27th, Tedeschi Trucks Band brought their summer tour to the iconic Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts. As always, it was an absolute musical feast for the senses. The band’s exceptional musicianship, soulful vocals, and electrifying stage presence made for an incredible evening to remember. The energy […]
When Jeff Tweedy plays by himself, there is nothing between him, the listener, and the words. Songs that might’ve felt massive and almost-maximalist carry a soft intimacy. Lyrics that might’ve stayed behind the noise step into the spotlight. Experience is untranslatable; this one felt like a remembering joined with a […]
Band History Blink-182 has had a stop-and-go sort of existence throughout their years since forming in 1992. They replaced their original drummer Scott Raynor in 1998 with Travis Barker. In 1999, Blink-182 was everywhere after the release of Enema of the State, the band’s third studio album. Breaking into the mainstream, the band […]
You know the adage, “Love what you do, and you’ll never work a day in your life”? For most that’s a reminder – maybe something to pin on your cork board – or something to strive toward, but I get the feeling The Cure takes that old saying to heart. […]
