Local H Rattles the Soundstage

It goes without say, really, that a lot of things have changed over the past year and a half. In the world of touring musical acts, shows have been canceled or tours put on hold or, in the case of Local H, a show that was originally set for a smaller club here in Baltimore was moved… but this time to a larger venue, and on Thursday night that turned out to be a good thing.

Local H, for the uninitiated, has been going strong for 30 plus years with hits like “Bound for the Floor” and “Eddie Vedder” that put many on the road to being life-long fans. Started by co-founder and songwriter, Scott Lucas (vocals/guitar), the band is a powerhouse two-piece with drummer, Ryan Harding.

Now, I hadn’t seen Local H before Thursday night at the Baltimore Soundstage, but I knew they put on a killer live show. Fans started lining up about an hour before showtime, sharing stories of other Local H stops.

Kicking off the evening was the killer trio from Missouri, Radkey – brothers Isaiah Radke (bass), Solomon Radke (drums), and Dee Radke (vocals/guitar) – who write and perform this brand of pure rock ‘n’ roll with seemingly limitless energy as the brothers launched themselves from one side of the stage to the next.

As the lights slowly came up for Local H the duo sprung into “Patrick Bateman” from their most recent LP, LIFERS – a fiery starter that set the tone of what was to come with pounding drums (I swear that kit is a monster!) and crunching power chords. If you wanted a night of just straight ahead driving rock, then the Baltimore Soundstage was where you needed to be, because the set was one heck of a blueprint.

From the hit, “All the Kids Are Right” to covers like “Brandy (You’re a Fine Girl)” and a brilliant TV on the Radio cover of “Wolf Like Me” with the band bringing back the Radkey brothers for a stage party, they played everything you could possibly want in a show. They even played possibly their most well-known song, “Bound for the Floor,” with Dee from Radkey singing.

And for the encore, the band ended with a rousing “High-Fiving MF” with a bit of “Helter Skelter” thrown in, topping off a brilliant night of fantastic rock ‘n’ roll. Local H wraps up their tour with a stop at the Metro in their hometown of Chicago November 4th. Definitely check them out if you have a chance here!

The set list included:

Patrick Bateman

All the Kids Are Right

All-Right (Oh, Yeah)

Turn the Bow

High Wide and Stupid

Fritz’s Corner

Brandy (You’re a Fine Girl)

Hold That Thought

I Saw What You Did and I Know Who You Are

Hands on the Bible

Farrah