What do you do when the world contracts and you start feeling boxed in? For Low Cut Connie, the creative vehicle for Philadelphia-based soul brawler, Adam Weiner, you find creative ways to push back outward. Shortly after the release of his most recently LP, Private Lives, Adam, frustrated with the […]
BJ Barham writes sad songs. Everybody knows that, and everybody writes about it. I won’t be any different. But before I do, let me remind you of an absolute truth: American Aquarium is one of the best rock bands operating in the world right now. BJ struts, dances, and tears […]
On 12.3.2021, rising star Pink Sweat$ brought his Pink Moon Tour to DC’s 9:30 Club. The 25 city North American tour started on November 5th in San Diego and will end on December 16th in Dallas. I think it is safe to say that Washington DC is certainly feeling Pink Sweat$, as DC is the […]
On the Chester river lies the town of Chestertown, MD. On this weekend the town was filled with folks that enjoy tall ships, music and good food. Demonstrations, book talks, antique boats and motors. Along with lots of maritime lure and watermen related items. Ships on hand we’re the KALMAR […]
This past Saturday evening, I had the pleasure of going to the Appell Center of Performing Arts in York, PA to see The Hillbenders perform their bluegrass rendition of the music of The Who. The beautiful, Strand-Capital Theater now branded The Appell Center, made a perfect setting to witness this […]
On 10/25/2021, I was fortunate to be in the building as H.E.R’s Back Of My Mind Tour came to Washington DC. Many in the sell out crowd spent several hours outside in the rain (waiting for the doors at The Anthem to open), so they could find a prime spot close to the […]
Marcus Machado and Friends Rock The Songbyrd DCOn 10/19/2021, I had the privilege of checking out Marcus Machado performing at the Songbyrd DC (which was recently located from 18th Street NW in Adams Morgan to Penn Street, NE near Union Market). The show lineup included Moon Newbill and her band, followed by Marcus, with […]
I arrived at Key Brewing in Dundalk, MD on Friday, October 15th, a bit early for the Charm City Bluegrass Fall Throw Down 2. I was nervously excited for the event after about a 2-year hiatus from live music festivals. I’ve been out to a handful of local bands mostly […]
There are bands who write songs and record albums and then there are bands who create movements. If you’ve never experienced an IDLES gig it’s a little hard to explain. It’s hard to be a passive observer at an IDLES show. Even if you can’t move around, these songs – […]
There exists a place in me, maybe in all of us, where the sacred and the profane cohabit the soul like perfect lovers, dining and speaking, travelers of thoughts and dreams, of reality and true unreality. For me, the sacredness that shaped me – the angels and demons I’ve seen […]
Boise Sets the Stage for How to Rock in Respect at Treefort Music Fest Despite national headlines about Idaho’s dismal record on Covid vaccinations and predictable overcrowding in emergency rooms, Boise’s Treefort Music Fest may be a model for how to bring out the best in people in the ongoing […]
Last night Charlie Wilson and his amazing band and dancers performed at the Theatre at MGM National Harbor. They set fire to the stage for an amazing 1 hour and 45 minute show that left the pumped up, enthusiastic crowd wanting more! It seems that shows at the Theatre at MGM have to end at 10PM, or […]
We found ourselves settled on a small stretch of concrete, our own chairs and drinks in tow, staring at a small stage with a single mic. A soft-pink sunsetting sky presaged the coming show, and the suddenly chilly early-autumn air shaped it. Most of the crowd settled under blankets while […]
In March of 2020, I had tickets to see Third Eye Blind perform in my favorite venue in D.C. – the 930 Club. It sold out immediately and I was so excited to have secured tickets. However, just a few weeks before the date of the show, everything changed, and […]
“I can make it, I think.” M.C. Taylor (Hiss Golden Messenger) shared those words in the lead-up to releasing Quietly Blowing It, written in his journals near the edge of disaster in England. It’s a quietly prescient and subversive statement, one that betrays more about what it means to exist […]
The Hot August Music Festival at Oregon Ridge in Cockeysville, Maryland has been going strong for nearly 30 years! After not having a festival last year due to the Covid-19 pandemic, festivalgoers were eager to get back to the lawn, and in addition to the great food and activities for […]
A few lessons from a backyard punk rock show You cannot numb your anger selectively It is better to laugh You cannot deaden the expression of your love Expansion is the way forward Love is real Pain is the con I parked where I always park, as close to the […]
As the days were counting down to July 21, 2021, I was getting increasingly nervous and filled with emotions. Anticipation, excitement, anxiety, uncertainty, and some emotions I don’t know how to describe. Japanese Breakfast was kicking off their first tour for the first time since COVID-19 erupted. I, and the […]
On July 9th, this past Friday, was the feeling we all were waiting for… that moment of goosebumps and feeling of music hitting your chest with a THUMP! Dustbowl Revival took the stage at Rams Head on Stage in Annapolis to a crowd that was ready to hear and feel […]
An unseasonably cool and drizzly evening greeted Warren Haynes and special guest Zach Nugent at Northlands Live in Swanzey, NH for the third of Haynes’ four date solo ‘tour’ on Friday night. The inclement weather, however, didn’t dampen the enthusiasm for all three. Haynes, Nugent and the socially distant crowd […]
It is hard to believe that the last time I stepped into Hard Rock, Live was 18 months ago. Walking through those doors and seeing the familiar faces of the bartenders and security folks…well it just felt GOOD. So did seeing all the fans that showed up for one […]
My car rumbled along the Maryland highways, enduring the terrors of Washington DC’s 295 to 695 stretch of road, the already poor driving of our nation’s capital apparently exacerbated by last year’s quarantine. Playing on the stereo, feet feverishly flicking between the brake and the accelerator, we sing along So […]
From the piedmont lowlands of northern Maryland, we drove into America’s oldest mountains, her ridges blue in the heat-hazed distance. My wife found ourselves settled first into an old house in Purcellville, its floors sloping with time, its windows lead-wavy, its acreage covered by a working farm. From there, we […]
Musicians, Venue Owners, and the Concert Enthusiast have all been waiting for the day when live music can once again be performed on a stage in front of a club filled with fans. It’s been a long year and we are now starting to see signs of life in the […]
One Year. One Year and two weeks, to be a bit more exact. This is how long it’s been since I felt the goosebumps and chills of a live concert. Well, this past Friday, March 19th, I finally got a taste of a litte normalcy. However, it was more than […]
As a huge music fan, I have REALLY been missing live performances. When I heard that Ms. Debórah Bond would be performing live on 3/19/2021, I decided to pay the (very reasonable) $20 fee and check out her performance. The show was streamed live from Blue House Studio in Silver […]
Just half a year (or a lifetime) ago, live music stopped, the world all but halted, and we started collectively telling ourselves lies about the return of normal. And that last bit’s okay, I think, as a need for hope is sometimes stronger than the impulse for honesty.It’s why we […]
With Covid putting a halt on concerts for now, it’s been hard for many music lovers to adjust to the lack of live music. Artists have done an amazing job getting creative with ways to interact with fans and do what they love. There have been live-stream concerts, listening parties, […]
As always, special thanks to Mike Stone for grabbing some photos of the performances this past weekend! We are always happy to have him contribute to These Subtle Sounds! Be sure to check out Mike Stone on Instagram for more of his concert photos! Ethan Schaefer Ethan Schaefer is a […]
For the first time in many months, I went to hear and photograph a show Sunday evening. Hot Rod Mule brought Bluegrass to Wehrleys Auction House in Glen Rock, PA. The show was out-doors and I was happy to see social distancing practices were in place. The band, which is […]
As the world slowly emerges from Covid-19 lockdown, more establishments are opening and getting creative on establishing the “new normal”. Jammin Java, who frequently hosted live music prior to the Covid shutdown, has come up with a way to treat locals to great live music and donate to a good […]
As we are painfully aware, the current pandemic has eliminated most in person activities, including concerts. That is causing significant challenges for artists as they try to make a living and also get the exposure they need to showcase their talents. One positive trend that has emerged during this time is the […]
The Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts is always a beautiful venue to inhabit. But on Friday night, it returned to the Roaring ’20s….or the “Twenties 2.0” as MC Michael Cunio reminded us. Against the stunning backdrop of this venue, flappers, pin-up girls, and zoot suits reigned supreme. What […]
Rising R&B star Kiana Ledé was the headliner for the 93.9 WKYS International Women’s Day Concert, held on 3/7/20 at The Fillmore in Silver Spring, MD. The event also featured opening performances from up and coming artists Alex Mali and The Bonfyre. In addition, DJ Reece and WKYS on air personalities […]
Two band leaders come to mind immediately when thinking of the music industry term “commanding the stage.” Both are in control, but in completely different, yet superb ways James Brown was definitely in charge in front of his band while shouting out stops and starts and accents and changes. If a musician […]
