On Sunday night, February 9th, the incomparable Raphael Saadiq brought his highly anticipated Jimmy Lee Tour to DC’s 9:30 Club. Mr. Saadiq, a native of Oakland, CA, is a brilliant musician (bass and guitar among other instruments), singer, songwriter and producer who started his career with the legendary group Tony! Toni! Toné! before embarking on […]
All Time Low was one of the most influential bands of my adolescent years. From the very first time I heard the chorus of “Stay Awake (Dreams Only Last for a Night)”when I was in middle school, I instantly connected with them on a level I hadn’t experienced yet as […]
At the end of January 2020, winter hasn’t exactly been winter, but the cold still bites, night still settles early. In the wake of the day’s historic events, a different kind of bite settles into the soul. So it was that I found myself seeking community at The Creative […]
Sometimes a band with songs that have a particular power pop sound can be defined by the decade in which they broke out because they sound like every band from that era. And then some bands write songs that stand out, ones that shine in your memory like shiny pennies […]
The Wood Brothers kicked off the second leg of their winter tour at Rams Head Live in Baltimore this past Wednesday. Although it was a midweek show, the venue was filled with fans ready to see these incredible musicians. I knew this was going to be a great night and […]
It was a crisp winter evening in Orlando when Machine Head entered the House of Blues for the first time in 13 years! Yup, that’s right. Disney banned Machine Head for a number of reasons including violent imagery, inflammatory lyrics and “undesirable fans” (it’s not easy being metal), and since the […]
The Devil Makes Three performed at Rams Head Live this past Thursday and they rocked it. I have had the pleasure of seeing this band perform several times over the past 10 years after a friend shared their music with me. Although I have been a fan for such a […]
For the better part of two decades, Caleb Stine has had a hand in a Baltimore folk-revival that continues to grow. His collaborative and open spirit defines the music, his shows an experience in interconnectedness. Caleb champions other musicians as often as he can, freely talking about the musicians that […]
This past Friday evening, five local bands performed at Baltimore Soundstage. We had a great time checking out some fantastic musicians who call Baltimore home and want to share this talent with those who may not be familiar with these bands. Steep Steps Steep Steps is an indie-electronic project led […]
Grace Potter walked onto the stage at The Anthem last night to a sea of fans anxiously waiting for (what all Grace Potter fans have come to expect from her shows) electrifying energy. Her charismatic smile and gorgeous velvet yellow outfit lit up the stage while she waved appreciatively at […]
Hot Rod Mule brought their brand of bluegrass to Wrightsville, PA at The Burning Bridge Tavern Saturday night. The tavern is aptly named after the bridge that once spanned the Susquehanna River until 1863 when the Union militia burnt it down to thwart the advancement of the confederate troops trying […]
The Served Cold Tour arrived in Orlando on one of the coldest evenings of the year. Thankfully the House of Blues folks had pity on those of us outside waiting in a chilly 42 degrees (Florida people do NOT have the proper clothing for this!), and opened the doors […]
What happens when a headliner has to reschedule a show with only one-week notice? Well if you are the House of Blues, you reach out to WJRR and Supa Dave to fill the venue; and fill the venue they did! The house was packed with a “Native Noise Presents Orlando […]
Snoop Dogg stopped by The Fillmore Silver Spring this past Sunday night, and I am ashamed to admit that this was my first rap concert. I have been listening to rap since Run DMC broke out with Raisin Hell. This genre has always held a place in my life… from […]
Every year, in the lead-up to April, Charm City Bluegrass hosts a battle of the bands featuring local-ish acts, most of which have gotten little to no real exposure. At the least, the winners have benefited from the Baltimore audience seeing them at Druid Hill Park in Baltimore, but often, […]
Young Americans Challenging High Technology, known as YACHT, has consistently pushed boundaries with their music and their Grammy nominated album, Chain Tripping, sees their most powerful push to date. The sound bending trio constructed this album with the help of an Artificial intelligence program that helped shape the different sounds […]
The weather may have been cold outside, but Yola left a sold-out 9:30 club all warm and fuzzy. The night began with opener, Amythyst Kiah. Very few openers have left me in awe as she did. Her stage presence and voice was so commanding yet melodic and graceful. What blew […]
Two years ago, Girlfriend in a Coma performed their farewell show at the Ottobar. The four band members who had been performing Smiths and Morrissey songs together for years before calling it quits to focus on their individual projects. Bassist Bryan Kimes, headed out to the west coast, drummer Sy […]
The end of the year activities in the DMV are all festive and merry, but none make you feel as proud to live here as the annual GWAR and Clutch shows at the 930 Club. This year’s “Clutchmas” was its usual reunion of friends from the area you might not […]
We had an amazing year! Special thanks goes out to all of our amazing contributors for making our inaugural year a success! Read about each of our contributors in our “About” section and check out their contributions to the blog in their bio posts! For our Year in Review, we […]
This was a very busy year for me! I came in somewhere around 160 performances that I attended and photographed all but 10 of them. I started the blog at the beginning of 2019 and that has shifted my work a bit towards editing and managing (which I kinda like). […]
Virginia Beach natives, Turnover, brought their zen and tranquil tour to an end at 9:30 on 12/19/19. They closed their winter tour, with Renata Zeiguier and Men I Trust, in support of their new album, Altogether. Renata started the show off with a bang and stunned most everyone, including me, […]
This is never easy! To me, every photo has meaning, and some of my favorite photos may not be in focus or amazing lights, but its the emotion in the photo that I love. As you read, click on any of the images to read the full review and see […]
Happy Holidays! In 2019, I finally started taking steps towards combining my dual passions of music and photography as a concert photographer. I have shot many shows unofficially for years, but I have to admit there is nothing like having an official photo pass and being in the pit! I […]
When the calendar rolls over from November to December, it becomes easy to get lost in little reveries, looking back on the year. We live in an age of lists, when Buzzfeed and all of its identical websites present everything in such orderly fashion, a delightful illusion of organization and […]
Snoop Dogg kicked off his 21 city, “I Wanna Thank Me” tour on December 2nd in San Francisco. His 12th stop was The House of Blues, Orlando on December 21st. Snoop, the man, the myth, the legend. Seriously. He needs NO introduction (unless you’ve been living under a rock for […]
Night One On a Thursday night in December, arriving following a long drive from Baltimore, I walked into the Boot and Saddle, its dim wooden interiors brightened by colorful holiday lights. Settling in at the bar, I hear soundcheck ending in the back of the club – “Keys” in all […]
Orlando’s 101.1 (WJRR) hosted The Blizzard of Rock featuring Sum 41 on Wednesday, December 18th at the House of Blues, Orlando. Local favorite 408 got the party started with their infectious, self-labeled “Lemon Pop” sound. But these guys are much more than that and are definitely worth the listen (and […]
Top ten lists can be tough! Especially this past year, 2019, when I can’t think of a single show that was not a good one. So, for lack of space, here are a few of those shows that stuck with me. Some, like Jawbox’s reunion show at Baltimore’s Metro Gallery […]
Music has always spoken to me, provided the words when I couldn’t find any, and when words wouldn’t come, melodies and often hard-hitting rock your face off riffs provided the soundtrack to my life. For years I have watched photographers at concerts, envying their spot. I had dabbled in photography […]
WRNR hosted an amazing holiday show at the Ottobar this month – the 2019 Snowball. We were treated to an amazing performance by both bands – Illiterate Light and Cold War Kids. Illiterate Light opened the evening with a powerful, guitar-filled set that was easily worthy of an opening performance. […]
This past Friday was my fourth time seeing Jason Isbell. However, this time was different. Isbell performed an acoustic show with just himself and his lead guitar player, Sadler Vaden. It was amazing seeing one of my favorite artists perform an intimate acoustic set; however, what made this performance so […]
In Flames made a stop in Orlando, FL at Hard Rock Live this past Sunday, December 15th, and I was lucky enough to catch them. If you’ve never heard of them, they are a Swedish heavy metal band formed in 1990. In Flames released their 13th studio album titled I, […]
This was my first year photographing and reviewing shows for “These Subtle Sounds”. In this year, I’ve learned a lot, and I am grateful to “These Subtle Sounds” and for the artists I was fortunate to photograph. Delfest I started out the year with Delfest. Delfest is always a great […]
It was a rainy Friday night in Orlando but that didn’t stop the crowd from packing into the House of Blues, Orlando to catch Aaron Lewis. You may be familiar with him from a little band called Staind who rocked thousands of faces for many years. These days he’s mostly […]
