Testify!
Concert Reviews

TESTIFY! DC Supergroup Honors Rage Against the Machine for Benefit Concert at The Pie Shop

Some of DC's most notable musicians joined forces to Testify! on Saturday, February 9, at Dangerously Delicious Pies (aka The Pie Shop) on H Street to help raise money for the DC Music Summit. The group included Dior Ashley Brown (vocals), Isabelle De Leon (drums), Neel Singh (bass), Erik Estrada (bass) and Chris Lee (guitar), who joined together for a fantastic tribute set to Rage Against The Machine to the delight of a packed crowd. 

Dior Ashley Brown of Testify!

Mary-el Band

Local acts Mary-el Band and Bad Krohma each played a set to open the show. Mary-el Band is fronted by Mary Lankford (guitar, vocals) and plays a delightful blend of rock, R&B, soul and funk music. The band consists of David Ray (drums), Gordon Sterling (guitar) and Singh (bass), who pulled double-duty for the evening. Saxophonist Elijah Jamal Balbed joined the band for a couple of tunes that included some extended jams. The band was tight and had the crowd grooving before Bad Krohma brought a set of hard rock to the stage. The trio turned the volume up and played several originals before going into a 90's rock medley that included songs by Alice In Chains, Nirvana and Soundgarden. They set the stage for the main course, Testify!, and they did not disappoint. 

Mary-el Band

Dior Ashley Brown of Testify!

The headlining supergroup came out swinging with Rage's "Killing In The Name," an era-defining hard rocker that speaks against the ails of society including institutional racism and police brutality. Brown was impressive with her biting vocals and incredible rapping, doing her best  Zack de la Rocha impression. Next came "Bulls On Parade,"  perhaps one of Rage Against the Machine's most popular hits, and the band was in full throttle early. The high-energy rock continued with "Guerrilla Radio" that featured De Leon's exceptional and powerful drumming, supplemented by Lee's impressive guitar work, emulating Tom Morellos' wild solos and unique use of the wah pedal. Singh shared bass responsibilities with Estrada for a few tunes before returning for the apropos set closer, "Testify." 


The evening was successful as Brown helped educate the crowd about DC Music Summit, who's goal is to help local musicians gain important knowledge regarding how to market themselves and improve their brand. Check out their website to learn more and get involved. 

From www.DCMusicSummit.org:

The Summit was founded by three black women who love music, who care about the DC community, and who saw an opportunity to highlight the link between creativity and entrepreneurship. The goal of the Summit is to support musicians in building their creative business and create sustainability through their craft. 

The Summit focuses on the DC Musician's business, community, and the art,  the sessions are intensive, building greater understandings, deeper connections, and bursting opportunities.  The DC Music Summit puts itself in the heart of the underserved communities/business, making it accessible, focusing on creative minorities, underserved business, and underground independent artists. "

Photo Gallery

Photo Gallery

Photo Gallery

Enjoy photos by our photographers Josh Brick  of Josh Brick Graphics and Caitlin Moore  of Caitlin Moore Photography.

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Joe Jackson performs at The National
Concert Reviews

Joe Jackson Looks Sharp at The National

Joe Jackson greeted The National in Richmond on February 10, 2019 - the forth stop on his Four Decade Tour that tours North America before crisscrossing Europe before returning back to North America for in the spring. 

Joe Jackson performs at The National
Joe Jackson performs at The National

The band entered slowly, first Doug Yowell took up the drum set, and then Teddy Kumpel slipped out and added some guitar. The lights were set to a dim red, Graham Maby grabbed his bass, then finally Joe Jackson took up his seat at the keyboards. The band worked through the moody number called Alchemy, the final track on Joe Jackson’s latest studio album Fool,the 21stof his 40-year career. The crowd at The National in Richmond, VA was drawn in; the last notes slowly faded, and suddenly the show exploded. Strong white light bathed the band and beautiful stage set, and the punk rock opening track, One More Timefrom Jackson’s iconic first album, Look Sharp leapt to life. The stinging, edgy guitar was a shot of adrenaline, and when the bass and drums dropped in the night was already in full swing. 

This was the fourth show of Joe Jackson’s Four Decade Tour, a two-hour, twenty-two song journey through a diverse career, which started in the transition from punk to new wave, then moved through pop, jazz and classical music, landing him a dedicated following. Joe played these songs with joy; happy his well-crafted tales were still finding sold out audiences that loved them like he did. His voice hasn’t seemed to change very much, powerful, big and booming. The band of veteran musicians seamlessly turned on a dime to play whatever style the songs demanded. A special treat was that Graham Maby, who has been on 19 of Jackson’s albums, was manning the bass chair.

Joe Jackson performs at The National
Joe Jackson performs at The National

After "One More Time" the band worked through another Look Sharp song, "Is She Really Going Out With Him", followed by 1982’s "Another World" from Night and Day. Jackson’s new album played a prominent role with four more songs including "Big Black Cloud", "Fabulously Absolute", "Friend Better", and the title track "Fool", in which Jackson played a crushing keyboard solo. 

Among the night’s highlights were a couple of cover songs, The Beatles "Rain", and Steely Dan’s "King of the World." Jackson played an absolutely burning piano solo on "Cancer", also from Night and Day. And Teddy Kumpel played a fabulous solo on "What You Want" from Body and Soul.

Jackson graciously thanked the crowd, saying that at this stage of his career he takes nothing for granted, and it was a thrill to play to a sold out crowd in a city he may only have played once before. He did his best to engage with the audience and his band in a way that presented this show as special, something I’m sure he puts his mind to every night. 

Doug Yowell performs with Joe Jackson
Doug Yowell performs with Joe Jackson

Drummer Doug Yowell was a monster behind the kit, and he also added a couple of tasty solos as did bassist Maby, who played brilliantly all night long. Everyone in the band also added background vocals, adding another level of depth.

Perhaps the night’s biggest highlight was the first of three encore songs. Jackson explained that he has a reputation for playing varied arrangements of his classic songs, but wanted to try to do one exactly as recorded. For this he chose "Stepping Out" from Night and Day. 

Joe Jackson performs at The National
Joe Jackson performs at The National

 Jackson told the crowd that "Stepping Out" was a track he played all the instruments on himself in the original recording. He brought along the original drum machine, something that looked like a giant old tape recorder. They plugged it in, used the original bass loop, and had Maby play the glockenspiel while Kumpel played the second keyboard track. Yowell played the doubled snare drum track, the only thing Jackson hadn’t originally played himself. It came off flawlessly.

The night ended much like it had started, playing a song from Look Sharp, "Got The Time", then a reprise of "Alchemy", once again under dim red lighting. It made for a nice full statement. Don’t miss your chance to see this tour if it comes near you, it is a great night of a great career of music.

Setlist

Setlist

Setlist

Click here to see the setlist for <Joe Jackson's performance at The National  on February 10, 2019

Photo Gallery

Photo Gallery

Photo Gallery

Enjoy photos by our photographer Bob Adamek.

Albums

Albums

Albums

Joe Jacskon <i>Fool</i>

Click to Purchase Fool from

Joe Jackson's Website

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Adeline
Concert News, Interviews

Bypassing The Male Patriarchy: An Interview With Adeline

"[Adeline’s] vocals echo the best Danceteria -era divas."  - The New York Times

"buttery R&B singing"  - NPR

We dare you not to start shimmying when you hear the opening lines of "Before", the standout hit from Adeline's debut album. Typically seen fronting the nu-disco band Escort, the French-Caribbean tour-de-force is bringing her funk-inspired solo endeavor to Union Stage next Sunday, February 24. 

We chatted with the artist prior to her first D.C. gig to get the scoop on going solo, how she stays healthy on the road, and bypassing the male patriarchy. 

[ad-uh-leen]

I found it intriguing that you include the phonetic pronunciation of your name not only on your debut album but across your social media platforms. As someone whose name is constantly mispronounced myself (my full name is Anastassia), I’m curious as to if there’s a backstory to this choice?

My name is mispronounced most of the time when I meet people for the first time in the U.S. Because it's an "i", I get called "Ade- line" a lot. That one letter "i" makes a huge difference. It sounds like a completely different name, and I always refused to adapt. I guess it's a way to hold on to my French identity and culture but also to affirm myself as an artist.

Releasing my first solo album gave me an opportunity to establish my identity, and it was either finding a way to convey the right pronunciation or changing my name altogether! It was clearly too late for the latter, so thanks to a few brainstorming sessions with close friends, we found the solution of inserting [ad-uh-leen] everywhere. And the fun thing is that it starts a conversation!

On Going Solo

What inspired you to branch out and explore creating music as a solo artist? Have there been any advantages to this choice?

I had been thinking about it for a long time and was making music on my own discretely for a while. It took a combination of a few life events, room in my schedule, having some money saved, and more importantly numerous very important conversations with myself about getting rid of fear to pivot. It was just obvious that the time was right.

Adeline

On the other spectrum, what has been a challenge of the solo project that you didn’t expect?

I was surprised to notice that there were less challenges than I had anticipated. The ability to create music by fully tuning in with myself and following my instincts was incredibly liberating and rewarding.

The difficult part was finding the right team to help me handle the business aspect of it. There are so many pieces to the puzzle and one cannot do it alone. I was so excited after the music was accomplished and for a second I thought that most of the work was done, but I quickly realized that things were only beginning there.

I freaked out for a short time and then had no choice but get myself together because the music had to come out. I had to humble myself down and reach out to people to ask for help. Every time I shared the music with someone it was so hard to hit send. I heard lots of NO's, the toughest was when I got no answers at all.

On Bypassing The Male Patriarchy

Your music video for “Swirl” is incredibly captivating and ethereal; I know that you made a conscious effort to keep it female-led—in an industry where many of the gatekeepers and tastemakers are male, what challenges have you faced?

Thank you! Very glad you liked it. First I'd like to say that it wasn't difficult to find an all female crew for this video (well mostly female, and the two men were assistants!).

I feel like it's important to make that distinction because I see so many people use the excuse that there aren't many female directors and that's why they don't hire women...I didn't face any challenges in making this video because 1) the whole video creation process was so smooth, collaborative and harmonious 2) because I'm an independent artist I am my own boss.

My PR company, Girlie Action, who promoted the video is a female-run business and the video premiered with Refinery 29 which is also a female-driven publication. So once again, we see that when women collaborate, they lift each other up and can bypass the male patriarchy to make beautiful things happen in their professional field.

On Self Care

Touring can be taxing on both the body and mind, with the constant travel and late nights. How do you take care of yourself to ensure that you stay healthy?

I sleep as much as I can whenever I can. That means missing the party most of the time, but we can't have it all. The only thing that preserves the voice is sleep. I can drink all the tea and honey I want, if I slept two hours my voice is going to feel it.

I also drink a lot of water. My bandmates always joke that I leave the venues with packs of water in my bags. Eating healthy and exercising is so important, but it's so tough of the road.

For work out, I do mostly calisthenics which is so useful on the road because I don't need a gym to exercise.

Performance Details

Performance Details

Performance

Details

Sunday, February 24, 2019

Doors: 7:00 PM

Show: 8:00 PM​

Union Stage (https://www.unionstage.com)

740 Water Street SW

Washington DC 20024 (Google Maps Link)

$12  - In Advance

$15 - Day of Performance

 Buy Tickets Now

Venue Review: Learn more about Union Stage, parking, food recommendations, and more.

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Craig Stickland performs at City Winery DC
Concert Reviews

Craig Stickland Entices The Audience At City Winery DC

On Monday February 4, 2019 Canadian singer-songwriter Craig Stickland impressed audience members with an expressive performance at City Winery D.C.

Craig Stickland performs at City Winery DC
Craig Stickland performs at City Winery DC

Starting off the set with a love song, “Break Every Rule,” Stickland showcased his immense vocal talent, prompting cheers from the audience during one of his belts. The control he has over his vocals truly allows him to create an expressiveness that enhances his already meaningful, and relatable, lyrics.

In addition to his vocal talent, Craig Stickland has a charming stage presence, and takes on a story-teller persona between songs adding anecdotes revealing the origin of a song - whether it was an actual event, or a feeling. These stories prompted much engagement from the smitten audience members, at one point causing several women to reveal their relationship status with a few, “I’m SINGLE,” shouts.

Craig Stickland performs at City Winery DC
Craig Stickland performs at City Winery DC

One particularly charming moment, was when Stickland was describing the meaning behind a song, “Golden Child,” that will be on his soon-to-be-released new album, Starlit Afternoon. Starting off his explanation with, “This song is about that feeling when you want to ...procreate with someone,” which prompted whistles and giggles from the audience members, causing the artist to double-back with, “oh c’mon, we’ve all had this feeling….,” before immersing into the song.

Furthermore, Craig Stickland is a skillful instrumentalist, and looper. With only a guitar, piano, pedals and his vocals, the artist creatively performed as a one-man band. Many of the songs performed were from Starlit Afternoon, which was written over an almost two year period of travelling about North America. Featuring multiple love songs, “this song is about someone you love very much, the one that you’d go the extra mile for”, and break up songs, such as “Rolling River,” which the artist introduced as a song about, “the history of dating people with issues, but maybe I’m the one with the issues,” the album is sure to be a hit.

Ending his set on an upbeat, positive note, Stickland played a newly released single, “Burn it Down,” from the much anticipated new album. This song is going to be a hit, and will be heard on radios - a definite summer time windows down theme song. We’re just lucky enough to have heard it live. 

Photo Gallery

Photo Gallery

Photo Gallery

Enjoy photos by our photographer Jason Herman of Jason Herman Photography.

Soundboard Recordings

Soundboard Recordings

Soundboards

Additional Resources

Additional Resources

Additional

Resources

To learn more about Craig Stickland please visit his website.

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Hudson Taylor performs at City Winery DC
Concert Reviews

Hudson Taylor Gains A Permanent Foothold In America As They Headline A US Tour

On Monday February 4, 2019 Irish folk-rock duo Hudson Taylor returned to Washington, D.C. for a fourth time, this time as headliners at City Winery D.C. This will be the second time they’ve struck a chord with DC Music Review, the first time back in September 2018 when they opened for Hozier.

Brothers Alfie and Harry Hudson-Taylor of Hudson Taylor perform at City Winery DC
Brothers Alfie and Harry Hudson-Taylor of Hudson Taylor perform at City Winery DC

The two brothers - animated Alife and reserved Harry Hudson-Taylor, with two bandmates, put on an intimate performance that was perfectly tailored to the venue - at one point playing two songs out on the floor by the tables in the back of the room. Not to mention, the acoustics on the third floor enhanced the brothers’ complimentary voices that created ethereal harmonies and melodies. Their voices are absolutely beautiful.

Starting off their set with, “Travellin’,” from their 2018 EP Feel It Again, they changed a lyric from, “Here I am, I’m in Amsterdam,” to, “Here I am, I’m in Washington, D.C.,” prompting cheers from the audience. Alfie is a pleasure to watch as he puts his whole body into every song.

Hudson Taylor performs at City Winery DC
Hudson Taylor performs at City Winery DC

It was clear when they played their second song, “Care,” by the amount of people singing along word for word, that there were several devoted fans in attendance. And those who were not fans prior to the performance, most definitely are now. After completing the song, Alfie asked the audience how many of them had seen Hudson Taylor perform before - majority of the room erupted into applause. Then, Afie asked the audience how many of them had seen HT perform in Ireland, and the amount of responding cheers was surprising - quite a few people.

After playing, “Run with Me,” which is lyrically phonomenal (like every other one of their songs), Alfie remarked that the audience had good rhythm, “I’ll have to remember that for next time!” A few members of the crowd had gotten up to dance, while everyone else was clapping along.

Brothers Alfie and Harry Hudson-Taylor of Hudson Taylor perform at City Winery DC
Brothers Alfie and Harry Hudson-Taylor of Hudson Taylor perform at City Winery DC

A highlight of the performance, was when the band walked off stage to the back the room, standing level with the audience - everyone had stood up at this point, and played “Pray for the Day,” and “You Don’t Want to Know,” both of which exemplified their perfectly paired vocals.

Hudson Taylor completes the North American portion of their tour this week. On each  trip to America, Hudson Taylor wins over a large group of fervent and dedicated fans. If this evening's performance was any indication of their success and growing fanbase,  we can be rest assured they will be back again soon to win over more fans.

Alfie and Harry Hudson-Taylor of Hudson Taylor perform at City Winery DC
Alfie and Harry Hudson-Taylor of Hudson Taylor perform at City Winery DC

​

Setlist

Setlist

Setlist

Click here to see the setlist for Hudson Taylor's performance at City Winery DC on Feburary 4, 2019

Photo Gallery

Photo Gallery

Photo Gallery

Enjoy photos by our photographer Jason Herman of Jason Herman Photography.

Videos

Videos

Videos

Albums

Albums

Albums

Hudson Taylo - Bear Creek To Dame Street

Click To Purchase -

Bear Creek To Dame Street

Related Articles

Related Articles

Related Articles

Hudson Taylor Shines Brightly In The Limelight of The Lincoln Theatre
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Spafford at the 9:30 Club - Feb 9, 2019
Concert Reviews

Spafford Gives Fans a “Dirt Bath” in 9:30 Club Debut

Spafford made their return to DC this weekend, packing in the 9:30 Club for their first headlining gig at the venue.

In just their second performance in the District, the Arizona-based jam quartet delivered two sets of "electrofunk therapy," their particular blend of prog-rock, funk, metal, and dance grooves with a heavy dose of extended improvisation. The DC-based band, Of Tomorrow, kicked off the festivities, getting the crowd warmed up with an excellent set of  funk, soul, and a hint of psychedelia. Of Tomorrow had the audience dancing throughout their opening set, and performed to a nearly full room. Following a pair of recent gigs supporting Big Something, this local DC act is gaining some steam and helped set the tone for a great night of high energy party music.

Spafford at the 9:30 Club 2/09/2019
Spafford at the 9:30 Club 2/09/2019

Opening the first set with "Double Time," Spafford's singer and guitarist, Brian Moss, sang "Deep breath, cut the lights, and then we start the show," as the band dove into a song that shifts between slow funk and dark, heavy instrumental breaks that showcased Moss's ability to shred like a heavy metal guitarist, while bassist Jordan Fairless and keyboardist Andrew "Red" Johnson provided thumping bass lines and textured layers with piano and organ. "Lovesick Melody > Soil" provided the first jam of the night, beginning in a rhythmic, funky space before drummer Cameron Laforest offered a series of upbeat, syncopated drum fills that inspired Moss to lead the jam with a patient guitar solo that reached a series of peaks, each more fast-paced and intense than the previous one. Following the raucous jam from "Soil," the band slowed things down with a cover of Alex Clare's synth-pop, dubstep hit, "Too Close."

Spafford's covers are an area where the band truly shines, bringing their own arrangements to other artist's songs that not only pay tribute to the original renditions, but make them unique additions to their own live catalog. In the case of "Too Close," the top-40 hit is transformed into an introspective jazz ballad, led by Red Johnson's delicate intro on the Fender Rhodes and powerful lead vocals.

The first set closed with its unquestionable highlight: the debut of "Dirt Bath," a wide-ranging and intricately composed instrumental tune. This new song brought the audience on a 23-minute journey through sections of major-key bliss and an ever-growing energy that twisted and turned with soaring guitar leads, harmonic plateaus, dirty funk dance breaks, and full-band peaks. Just two weeks into their winter tour, "Dirt Bath" is Spafford's third new song debuted in 2019, and it will be exciting to see how this prog-rock epic gets worked into the rotation of their set lists moving forward.

[bctt tweet=”"Just two weeks into their winter tour, ‘Dirt Bath’ is @SpaffordMusic’s third new song debuted in 2019＂” via=”yes”]

While "Dirt Bath" will deservedly be the most talked about moment of the show, Spafford's second set provided highlights until the very end. The band came back with high energy jam vehicles in "Lonely," "Bee Jam," and "Weasel" to keep the party going late into the night. Showcasing another rearranged cover, the band performed Green Day's "Longview." Spafford's rendition of the pop-punk classic offered some great nostalgia while providing both a rocking sing-along and a mellow, major key jam. After taking a breather with "Home (One Place I'll Never Be)," the set would close with "Salamander Song," to leave the crowd "dancing the whole way home," as its lyrics suggest.

Taking the stage for their encore, Spafford had much more left in the tank, delivering outstanding performances of "It's a Bunch" and "Minds Unchained" to round out the night. After packing the venue and delivering a stand-out Saturday night party, it's clear this won't be the last time Spafford plays the 9:30 Club, as the red-hot jam band continues to cultivate a following throughout the DC area.

Setlist

Setlist

Setlist

Click here to see the setlist for Spafford's performance at the 9:30 Club on February 9 2019 

Audio Recordings

Audio Recordings

Audio Recordings

Enjoy audio recording of the performance recorded by our collaborator Will Urquhart.

Livestream Recordings

Photo Gallery

Photo Gallery

Photo Gallery

Enjoy photos by our photographer Jason Herman of Jason Herman Photography.

Spafford

of Tomorrow

Social Media Posts

Social Media Posts

Social Media 

View this post on Instagram

Soundcheck | @930club

A post shared by Spafford (@spaffordmusic) on

Soundboard Recordings

Soundboard Recordings

Soundboards

Spafford Feb. 9, 2018 Nugs.net Album

​Click here or image to purchase the Nugs.netSoundboard Recording

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AZTEC SUN performs at the 9:30 Club in Early 2018
Concerts this Week

Goodman’s Good Mix – Concert Picks of the Week – February 11

Featured above is DC's own, Aztec Sun, returning to 9:30 Club with heart this Saturday night. Photo by Jason Herman.

Week Of:  February 11 — 17, 2019

Summary: Feel Your Heart

Lots of heart this week and not just because of that pesky sweet holiday on Thursday. Love it, hate it, be indifferent, it's all good. Whatever way you flow, we listed some tasty Valentine's Day morsels below.

Plus, as always, MORE shows in the links below, with personal choices in bold, along with a list of the DCMR staff top picks and cool "gems" that you don't want to miss. 

Mon — February 11

DCMR Staff Recs
Monday Jams & Cool Stuff
Hidden Gems

Tue — February 12

DCMR Staff Recs
Hidden Gems

Wed — February 13

DCMR Staff Recs
Wednesday Jams & Open Mics
Hidden Gems

Thu — February 14

DCMR Staff Recs
Hidden Gems
Valentine's Day Specials

Fri — February 15

DCMR Staff Recs
Friday Mics & Cool Stuff
Hidden Gems

Sat — February 16

DCMR Staff Recs
Hidden Gems

Sun — February 17

DCMR Staff Recs
Hidden Gems

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Livestream Powered By DC Music Review
Livestream

WATCH LIVE: Of Tomorrow at the 9:30 Club

Of Tomorrow opens the show for Spafford tonight at the 9:30 Club! We will be on scene to provide a livestream via the DC Music Review facebook page. You can also find the stream on the DC Music Review YouTube page and  on the DCMR twitter via periscope. Those of you that would prefer an audio-only stream can find that on DC Music Review contributor Will Urquhart's Mixlr account.

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Tim Fogarty of El Ten Eleven performs at Union Stage
Concert Reviews

El Ten Eleven Performs To A Sold Out Union Stage As This Group Shines Brightly!

Despite hailing from the other side of the country, the instrumental rock duo El Ten Eleven are no strangers to DC. Having played the Black Cat numerous times over the years, their most recent visit took them to Union Stage at the Wharf on February 2, a particularly busy Saturday night as their show went up against the likes of jam scene favorites Greensky Bluegrass at the Anthem.

Although there was a big draw at the opposite end of the Wharf (not that there is too much overlap between these two tribes of fans), El Ten Eleven was still warmly greeted by an at-capacity crowd

Kristian Dunn and Tim Fogarty of El Ten Eleven perform at Union Stage

The fact that this band is a duo (Kristian Dunn on guitar/bass and Tim Fogarty on drums) belies their sound – listening to their albums sight unseen would lead one to believe that there are at least four or five members in the band, and their most recent release, Banker’s Hill, makes no effort to dispel these notions.

Kristian Dunn and Tim Fogarty of El Ten Eleven perform at Union Stage

This adds a unique element to the El Ten Eleven live experience – how exactly are these two guys going to pull off this sound live with no additional musicians or any backing tracks as accompaniment? The band has always and proudly shirked any such support throughout their career.

They have also had 17 years to perfect answering the above question, and after openers Joan of Arc bid the crowd goodnight, no time was wasted in getting to that answer. The stage was set with an arsenal of guitars (including double neck bass/guitars and fretless basses), a wide array of effects pedals, and a drum kit equipped with MIDI triggers.

The lights dropped and an impressive synchronized light show ignited behind the band as they kicked off their set with the Banker’s Hill track “Phenomenal Problems.” And from there we were off.

Kristian Dunn of El Ten Eleven perform at Union Stage
Kristian Dunn of El Ten Eleven perform at Union Stage

It is difficult to convey in text how clearly talented these guys are. While manipulating what seems to audience members as an impossible array of sounds, rhythms, and loops through an equally impossible amount of equipment for just two men, they also had no problems engaging and holding the crowd’s attention. Even if one did not like the music (and given the state of the crowd, that was a highly unlikely scenario), watching the guys juggle everything is a feat worth the price of admission itself.

The band took the audience on a full journey of their career throughout there 13 song set, opening with the new and closing with “Connie,” a song from their eponymous first album At no point between the set’s opening and closing notes did the energy in the crowd dip.

“It’s good to look out on a sea of faces,” Dunn said at one point, making it clear that there are no pretensions or entitlement in this band – they have worked hard to cultivate their audience, and the flattery of the increasing turnout throughout the years is not lost on them.

Do yourself a favor and be part of that increasing turnout the next time El Ten Eleven visits the DMV.

Photo Gallery

Photo Gallery

Photo Gallery

Enjoy photos by our photographer Jason Herman of Jason Herman Photography.

Submit proofs

Albums

Albums

Albums

El Ten Eleven - <i>Banker's Hill</i>

Click here to buy a Digital Copy

Click here to buy an CD/LP

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Stone Horses perform at Baltimore Soundstage on January 26, 2019
Concert Reviews

Local Maryland Hard-Rock Bands Shake the Baltimore Soundstage For An Evening of Great Music, Guest Appearances and Loud Guitars

On a cold Saturday evening in downtown Baltimore I can tell you that the Baltimore Soundstage was heating up inside with the coziness of some rock and roll love being shared by After the Broken, Ignite the Fire, and Stone Horses.Although Charm City was feeling the effects of winter, I guarantee you that the Soundstage was feeling the effects of some screamin' guitars, thumpin' basses and bangin' drums as these bands decided to transform this club into a gem of a party.

Mark Quinn- Guitar and Vocals- Ignite the Fire
Mark Quinn- Guitar and Vocals- Ignite the Fire

After the Broken and Ignite the Fire were the opening bands for the evening and were able to supply the crowd with enough enthusiasm and energy to entertain them until the headlining act.Although I missed After the Broken, I was able to catch the last part of Ignite the Fire’s set, and I’m glad I did. They have a cool, solid-crunch and aggressiveness to their music that has a relevant sound in todays scene, as well as the talent to deliver a rock-solid performance.

From Taneytown, Maryland, this hard-rock band is supporting their latest release Between Shadow and Solace (2018) and is featuring a handful of songs including “Victim of Shame,” “Anchor,” “Echoes,” and “Lazarus” in their set. A spicy band indeed that is led by singer Jack Gurecki, Michael Nelson and Mark Quinn on guitars and vocals, and rhythm combination of Holly Smith on bass and drummer Caelan Gregory. If you get a chance to pick up their music and see them live I would highly recommend it. It is awesome to see some talented Maryland musicians that are dedicated to this musical genre and this album surely deserves exposure.

Photo Gallery

Photo Gallery

Photo Gallery

Enjoy photos by our photographer Dave Roberts.

After a pretty quick set change, it was time for Stone Horses to hit the stage and bring what is a wide blend of musical flavor to the Soundstage club Saturday night.Slated as a record release party, the band had some new music to share. Sensing a lot of musical influence within this group, from hard rock and alternative to blues, the guys were excited to roll out some new jams for those that came out to hang for the show.

Mark Quinn- Guitar and Vocals- Ignite the Fire
Mark Quinn- Guitar and Vocals- Ignite the Fire

I must admit that I have not heard of Stone Horses before, nor was I familiar with their music and background until seeing the Soundstages’ listing of their upcoming performance. Interested to dig a little deeper steered me to listen to their EP Stone Horses (2017). Really digging this album and finding out that they are pretty much a local band made it apparent that this was a must-see gig.

Singer John Allen is not a new face or voice to the Baltimore scene having played with Child’s Play and Charm City Devils, spanning a history of around 30 years in the music business. Allen is inspired to get some new music out that he has been working on, and is excited to continue performing and sharing stages with great artists such as Greta Van Fleet, Slash and Myles Kennedy, and Rival Sons, all bands Stone Horses have been supporting over the last year.

Full of energy and onstage presence, Stone Horses has the ability to grab the audience in such a way that brings them right into the performance along with the band. Guitar player Ted Merrill is a force to be reckoned with, taking his aqua-colored Paul Reed Smith guitar to heights of shredding madness all over the stage. This young guitarist hardly ever stands still, and is a solid player and contributor of some saucy-licks throughout the evening. Along with Rick Reynolds (equally as energetic as Merrill) on bass originally from Australia, and Jason Heiser from Charm City Devils on drums, this rounds out a solid line-up that is heating up the area with some solid gigs.

Ted Merrill- Lead Guitar- Stone Horses
Ted Merrill- Lead Guitar- Stone Horses

“Life is Hard,” “Flirting with the Devil,” and for the first time played live,“Roads” (which put an acoustic guitar into Allen’s hands), proved to be steadfast in the set. Newly released songs “Skipping Stones” and “End of the World” fit well into the song repertoire, and closing the night with the powerhouse “Reckless Ways” rounded out a great evening of rock.

The highlight of the evening was that the boys had a few surprises up their sleeves as they brought in a few friends to jam with them, and this is when the history plays a role in the show. Nicky Kay, on a lovely Gibson Les Paul (Child’s Play & Charm City Devils) and Idzi (bass player for Child’s Play), sat in with the boys and played a few old Child’s Play tracks including “My Bottle”. The music fans really enjoyed seeing these guys come out and rock! I don’t know when the last time was that they all played together, but for this Saturday night in Baltimore it sure was a treat.

Stone Horses is solidifying a track-record of solid music and performances. With new music out, a gifted line-up and a history of live-music in the region, Stone Horses, as well as opener Ignite the Fire, should be noticed and supported within our local scene. It’s exciting to realize that the Baltimore and Washington areas are chock-full with options of great music. With the amount of venues available to support our local bands, there is no doubt that the DMV (D.C., Maryland, and Virginia) should not be able to produce nationally viable acts, and that includes the bands that heated up the Baltimore Soundstage tonight.

Photo Gallery

Photo Gallery

Photo Gallery

Enjoy photos by our photographer Dave Roberts.

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