“Are you shooting the Killthrax show on April 3rd? You really should,” encouraged a fellow photographer at a show a few months back. And boy, am I glad I did! With a line-up of The Devil Wears Prada opening for a co-headlining tour of Killswitch Engage and Anthrax, I knew this concert at The Fillmore Silver Spring, MD would be one I’d regret missing. And so, with my fingers crossed, I contacted the publicity representatives for both headliners in hopes of ensuring a slot in the photo pit. Triumphant, I stand before you with the shots and experiences you see below. If you don’t care to read further, just know this: see this show! Click here to see the full photo gallery! A stuttering emission of lights rained down upon the backs of the band members in sync with the blasts of the bass drum, while TDWP raged on stage. Unfortunately for me, and my fellow photographers, all those lights silhouetted these fine fellows from Dayton, Ohio, resulting with fewer shots for you fine folks, but a great experience for those in attendance. Throughout the performance there was an ominous air that gave way to sheer brutality as the band flowed in and out of songs. Often, looking up, I couldn’t even see the eyes of vocalist Mike Hranica, aiding that eerie nature of the performance. But a raucous applause at the final chord of their set made it apparent how well received this band had been. Admittedly, one of the main reasons I wanted to make this show was to witness the greatness of one of the Big 4 Of Thrash, the New York-based band, Anthrax. And they did not disappoint! Loading up a riser in order to set the drums at yet an even higher altitude, the group transformed the stage into a battleground of thrash metal. The core of the setlist came from the band’s seminal 1987 album, Among The Living, opening with that same one-two punch of its title track and “Caught In A Mosh,” diverging into the well-known “Madhouse” from Spreading The Disease, with a fair helping of their newest album, For All Kings, thrown in. Throughout the concert, bassist Frank Bello ran, jumped, and rampaged across the stage like a loosed animal; guitarists Scott Ian and Jonathan Donais riffed and ripped; and drummer Charlie Benante – quite at home behind the kit – chewed bubblegum and slammed the skins with a combination of savagery and zen. Vocalist Joey Belladonna incited the audience with his immense enthusiasm. He threw guitar picks into the audience on countless occasions, making me worry that the guitarists might eventually be in need of one and find their supply sorely depleted. During “Madhouse” he even commandeered one of the photo pit cameras and began his own aspiring concert photography career. As the band left the stage, it felt like the whole night must be over, because it seemed impossible that another act could follow as the cheers of “Anthrax!” echoed on and on. Despite how dearly the audience relished Anthrax, tonight’s headliner had yet to perform. Killswitch Engage’s stage setup, by comparison to the former’s, was quite minimalistic: four black backers with KSE logos, a few spinning lights, and the band. But don’t think for a moment that this proved to be a deficiency for these fine fellows from Massachusetts. Captivating the audience from their first song, “Alone I Stand,” the opening track from their latest album, Incarnate, they pulled out hit after hit that kept the crowd chanting the lyrics. The circle pits went on for so long, that as the show stretched towards its conclusion I could plainly see the energy dripping off the participants and getting lost in a puddle of sweat on the floor. One of the most memorable moments for me was the group’s well-known cover of Dio’s “Holy Diver,” which exuded power into the concert-goers. And a KSE show wouldn’t be complete without outlandish comments from resident comedian, guitarist Adam D., sporting a sweatband with “TRASH” written across it in black sharpie. “This next song is not about assholes!” he screamed before launching into “Rose Of Sharyn,” and later joked about having to end the show so they’d all have time for some much needed masturbation. “The tour can’t go on without it!” If you have a chance to see any of these bands live, whether on this tour or a future one, you’d be wise to do so. Each pulls out all the stops to the delight of those in attendance.
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One Slack Mind, a band that I was previously unfamiliar with, opened up the night at the Bunker Sports Bar in Leesburg, VA last Saturday, March 11th. They are a three-piece out of the Washington D.C. area, but are unique in that they don’t feature a bass player. They consist of singer, Rich Wilson; drummer, Rick Leith; and guitarist, Mike Ricci, who doubles on bass duty via the sonic magic of his pedalboard. They brought an aggressive sound to the stage, and all of them seem to be quite capable as musicians. There were certainly some fans rocking out intently directly in front of the riser, and their joy brought others to the fold. This included, to everyone’s delight, a middle aged couple who proceeded to headbang to the songs. The whole matter reached its climax when the woman lost her balance and fell backwards to the ground. She seemed fine though, and kept headbanging as the next song started. I’ve been to a handful of shows which featured District Of Columbia-based band, A Sound Of Thunder. In fact, just last month I saw them open for Udo Dirkschneider at Baltimore Soundstage. But I’ve never had the opportunity to see them perform a full, headlining set. And that’s just what they set out to do at Bunker’s Sports Bar last Saturday night (even though, technically, a band called Unsullied went on after them). Not only did they pull out all the stops for their 80-minute set, providing the crowd with a collection of original tunes, as well as a few well-received cover tracks, but they recorded the whole concert on a set of cameras that were rigged up, hand shot, and even drone-flown. I’ve been told that the footage, which will hopefully come out as a reward on the next album’s crowd-funding campaign, worked out really well! From the ever-powerful opening track, “Queen Of Hell”; to their altered cover of Manowar’s “Pleasure Slave,” which featured four full-grown men stripping off their shirts and bowing at vocalist, Nina Osegueda’s feet; to the epic fight for supremacy in the closing track, “Udoroth,” A Sound Of Thunder plowed through track after track. It’s difficult to say much more than this: when you’re standing shoulder to shoulder with Raven’s John Gallagher watching someone cut loose on a theremin onstage, you know something is right. Addendum [4/9/2020]: Photos from this show would later be included as cover art for A Sound Of Thunder's Live From The Deadside release. You know those moments when you realize you underestimated the situation? Those times when it clicks a little too late that you may not have taken all the factors into account. Recently, I had the pleasure of a moment just like that – arriving to see Alter Bridge on “The Last Hero Tour,” supported by Nonpoint, at The Fillmore in Silver Spring, MD on February 10, 2017. As I exited the parking garage, with the venue just a block away, my eyes fell upon a line which stretched all the way down and around the corner…5 minutes after the venue doors had been scheduled to open. Taking my place at the rear of the crowd, myself and others joked that we wouldn’t all be able to get in and would be turned away when we finally arrived to the door. We inched forward in spurts, others still filing into line behind us, keeping the queue wrapped well to the opposite side of the block from the venue entrance. I found out then that there was a band, Weapons Of Anew, scheduled to start playing at 7:20. Halfway around the block and it was already 7:25. By the time I made my way inside the concert hall it was about 7:50, with the first band finishing up their set and packing their equipment. I’m not sure any photographer arrived in time to shoot that first set. Needless to say, if the show wasn’t sold out it certainly felt like it! Click here for the full photo gallery! I’m a pretty recent Nonpoint listener. I had heard of them for several years, but never gave them a listen until guitarist B.C. Kochmit joined the fold. I followed his work with another fine band, Eye Empire, and knew his addition to this act would be something to witness. If you’ve heard their latest album, The Poison Red, you know I’m not mistaken. He brings talent to an already bustling band, infusing his sense of groove with their own. The result is amazing! While I wasn’t familiar with all the songs performed that evening, a few caught my ear. Perhaps what astounded the audience most, outside of the band’s extremely energetic stage presence, was their rendition of Phil Collins’ “In The Air Tonight.” Unexpected, to say the least. The other thing that caught my attention was the consideration each of the members gave to their fans. Towards the very beginning of their set, bassist Adam Woloszyn noticed two small children in the front row (right behind where I had planted myself to begin photographing) and handed them both a guitar pick, followed in turn by Kochmit, and a drumstick apiece from Robb Rivera. The look of enthusiasm in those children’s eyes and the pleasure it brought to the band set the stage for the rest of their awesome set. I used to get made fun of by my friends because, while I didn’t find the entire catalog to be of interest, Creed had certain songs that really hit me. I found that it was more the rhythm section that captured my interest than anything else. So years ago, when I discovered that same rhythm section had gone on to form Alter Bridge, I was ecstatic to check them out. Five albums later, I’d certainly glad I did. This was my first time seeing the ensemble in concert, but boy, did they deliver! Drawing on from the full power of their catalog, they reached all the way back to One Day Remains; then spent a good bit of time on Blackbird, including the lengthy title track; hit my favorite from AB III, “Ghost Of Days Gone By”; and made deserved stops on Fortress, answering the written request to play “Cry Of Achilles.” Of course, given the nature of the tour, they wowed us with tracks from The Last Hero, opening their set with “The Writing Is On The Wall” and making room for “Show Me A Leader” during the encore. What astounded me most though, was the guitar duel between Myles Kennedy and Mark Tremonti, as I hadn’t witnessed a full-on solo battle live for years. I know I wasn’t the only one stunned by the ferocity of the playing, and everyone left that night feeling quite sated. Don’t miss your opportunity to see either of these fine groups tear up a stage near you. Last Thursday night was quite an evening! Udo Dirkschneider, former lead singer for metal band, Accept, made a stop at the Baltimore Soundstage with his solo band for a lengthy set featuring old Accept tunes and a good time. I had my own reasons for going to the show, however, which revolved around seeing one of my favorite bands, A Sound Of Thunder, open up for Udo. They did me a true kindness by obtaining a photo pass for me, which allowed me the pleasure of getting up-close and personal during their first three songs. While this photo pass allowed me to capture some shots of their set, as well as fellow opener, MindMaze, my clearance didn’t extend to Dirkschneider’s set. Unfortunate, but better than if I hadn’t been able to snap shots at all! Plus, I had the added enjoyment of discussing classic metal with a fellow enthusiast, ranging from Iron Maiden to Death. Discussing the finer points of Metallica’s back catalog was a rare treat. Click here for the full photo gallery! It’s difficult for me to say exactly how awesome MindMaze’s set was. Based on what their vocalist, Sarah Teets, recently said on her Facebook page, this may have been their best set yet. However, as someone who has never listened to MindMaze prior to that night, I can only say this: the combination of searing vocals, pounding drums, and rapid fire riffs made their set a joy to behold. The abundant audience that filled Soundstage might have seemed a bit stiff at the beginning, but quickly erupted in applause at the end of their opening song. Even the debut of two new songs came across to resounding cheers. I, for one, have already gone to check out more of their music. In short: it’s worthy of your time. A Sound Of Thunder has been a personal favorite of mind since I first encountered them opening for Fozzy at the Jaxx Club in Springfield, VA. At that point, they gave off an air of Black Sabbath mixed with Iron Maiden and Judas Priest. However, over the years they’ve developed their sound and melded all their influences into a seamless exhibition of heavy metal. Though they didn’t have much more than half an hour, they still managed to wreak havoc upon Thursday’s crowd. I would be surprised if there were any in attendance who were not newly converted fans after their first track, “Queen Of Hell,” rang in their ears. Certainly, by the time they reached their cover of Manowar’s “Pleasure Slave,” a slew of onlookers were inducted into the Legion Of Thunder, submitting to the will of front-woman, Nina Osegueda. For those who are looking for some of their influences, I’d highly recommend their newest release, “Who Do You Think We Are?”, a collection of cover songs. If you’d like to check out their newest original work, however, look towards their album, “Tales From The Deadside,” which pairs nicely with the Valiant Darkman comics. Here are some photos from Thursday, or check out the interview I did with Nina and Josh about “Tales From The Deadside.” I’m not too familiar with Monthly Mayhem, but it seems to be a regular event at Angel’s Rock Bar in Baltimore, MD. I’ve only attended one before now, and that was really only with the intention of doing photography for Baltimore-locals, We Love The Underground, of whom I’ve grown quite fond. So last time, I shot WLTU and skedaddled, but it left a bad taste in my mouth in that I didn’t stay for the full experience. So it was my intention for this show, last Thursday, 22 DEC, to stick it out and shoot each band. Unfortunately, my immune system got the better of me and I came down with quite a cold leading up to the event. I thought I was becoming well enough to attend, but after We Love The Underground finished their set, I was pretty much wiped out. Once again I have failed to provide the full experience, but I hope my photos of the first two acts, Changeover and We Love The Underground, provide you with a little glimpse of what you can expect from one of these shows (not to mention the awkward Belligerent Santa experiences, which I’m sure are awkward other things during different seasons). Click here for the full photo gallery! Changeover: Facebook | Bandcamp Given the holidays, Belligerent Santa and his elf opened the show to introduce the first act, Changeover, and was almost immediately pantsed by the lead singer. The band itself was quite energetic, and I’d recommend giving their song “Breathing Through Paper Lungs” a listen. There was a bit of a technical malfunction when one of the guitarists had his string snap mid-song, but they soldiered through. We Love The Underground were up next, churning out song after song of fist-raising intensity. In fact, one of the songs was called “Let No Hand Hold Us Down.” They also treated us with a new tune called “The Survivalist,” not to mention a splendid cover of Faith No More’s “Epic.” I thought the crowd was a bit subdued compared to the energy coming off the stage, but WLTU continued to play to the fullest of their abilities. They closed out with one of my favorite songs of theirs, “The Isolationist,” which went out to event organizer, Kevin Hock. I managed to get a few shots, and some even turned out well! And while the photo of Joe Ruggiero looks out of place and creepy (he was tuning his guitar over a green light), it seemed to be a great portrayal of Jack Nicholson from “The Shining,” so he was just getting into the holiday spirit. The night closed out, for me anyway, with a Secret Santa gag gift exchange. Some fine gifts were unfurled, including a stocking flask, a small porcelain toilet replica, and a Nickelback DVD. In fact, as I left that night, I was treated to a “door prize” of a Nickelback greatest hits CD. I brought it home, but I think my wife might have trashed it when my back was turned because now I can’t find it again.
Carbon Leaf’s winter holiday shows at Rams Head On Stage in Annapolis, MD have been something of a tradition for my wife and I since well before we were married. Though we had complications that prevented us from attending last year, we always make the attempt. This was our third time seeing one of these concerts, of which there are several over the course of the weekend. There’s the 21 plus Friday night show, followed by a Saturday matinee and concluding with a 21 plus evening concert, all of which sell out each and every time (usually in the first few hours). While we normally opt for their final residency appearance, wouldn’t you know I didn’t buy tickets in time! Instead we attended Friday night, which turned out to be a truly wonderful performance. Click here for the full photo gallery! Opening up the whole weekend was Marie Miller, a remarkably talented singer-songwriter who, with just one album under her belt, has already accumulated quite a few accolades. After a single album, her song, 6’2”, was featured on Dancing With The Stars, and she had the opportunity to perform her tune, “You’re Not Alone,” in front of 750,000 people, to include Pope Francis, at the Festival Of Families in 2015. I suppose that was a good enough resume to have her open for Carbon Leaf that night. But let’s say you were like me, and you didn’t know any of that prior to hearing this young woman play and sing. Then, like me, you would truly be swept off your feet. With a velvet voice she lifted us, and with her aggressive mandolin chop chords she had my heel bouncing off the floor. Her set featured several cover songs, including Coldplay’s “Yellow,” the Goo Goo Dolls’ “Iris,” and in the spirit of the holidays, a unique rendition of “Silent Night,” which took on a novel texture with a new vocal melody. Her obvious musical competence, coupled with her charming between song banter led to quite a few hearts being won over. Mine included. ike any great family get-together, time with the Carbon Leaf family during the holidays is filled with heartfelt moments and a bit of uncertainty. Not long into their set we all raised our glasses to honor the passing of astronaut John Glenn. On the other side of the spectrum, fast forward towards the end and you’d witness a waltz between vocalist Barry Privett and Gaelic Storm’s Patrick Murphy, with trepidatious moments where there was leaping and lifting of each other, sometimes which appeared more like a fireman’s carry than a dancing maneuver. My wife and I were pretty sure someone was going to be seriously injured, which would have been icing on the cake for Privett, whose forehead had already received an after-hours stitch up by a local doctor after losing a battle with a door earlier in the evening. But these were just some of those special in-between moments when we weren’t all being wooed by old and new tunes that warmed us to our cores. Some of the highlights of the night, barring those stated above, were the explosive “Desperation Song,” the single-mic’d “Two Aging Truckers,” and the now traditional “Carter’s Christmas Beard” (an homage to Gravatt’s face-warmer) sung by bassist Jon Markel. After over an hour and a half of music, the quintet closed out their set much to the disappointment of loyal fans. But they stuck around afterwards to have a drink and share a laugh. I, myself, had the opportunity to speak with the drummer subbing in for the regular percussionist, Jason Neal: Scott Devours, a supremely talented individual who normally plays with Roger Daltrey of The Who. I also caught the ear of Carter for longer than I probably should have, discussing music and musicians at length, ranging from Paul Gilbert to Ricky Skaggs to Clutch. It was a good evening indeed, and one that I hope you’ll all go out and find next time Carbon Leaf stops by your neck of the woods. You deserve it. For more photos of this evening, check out photographer Elmo Thamm’s album. 15 years ago, by accident, I stumbled upon a copy of Queensrÿche’s Greatest Hits album. Enticed by their logo, I took a chance on their music. To say I was blown away would be a vast understatement. The heaviness, the melodies, and the twin-guitar harmonies were enough to win over my ears. With each album I bought, my appreciation grew deeper and fandom stronger. Queensrÿche has long been one of my favorite bands, despite line-up changes, but I had never been to a show until last Saturday night, Dec. 3, 2016, when the band came to play the Baltimore Soundstage, along with Armored Saint and Midnight Eternal. Not only did I have the pleasure of attending the show, but I had the honor of doing photography in the process! Click here for the full photo gallery! The opening act for the night was NYC-based symphonic metal band, Midnight Eternal. Fronted by the very talented Raine Hilai, whose vocal range is quite wowing, and backed by a formidable band, the group received wide-ranging applause after every song. Guitar theatrics from Richard Fischer, thick bass lines from Greg Manning, and powerful drumming from Dan Prestup helped to warm up the crowd, who had hurried in out of the chilly Baltimore night to see this show. 80s heavy metal veterans, Armored Saint, were up next. I must confess, barring listening to one song by this band and the previous one, I had never heard any of their music. As a man without expectations, I was impressed! The sheer immensity of energy radiating from these individuals was quite quickly felt throughout the entire room. If anyone had murmured a word about wanting to skip straight to the headlining act, that thought was squashed by song-after-song of high-intensity aggression. Frontman John Bush was on fire from start to finish, and both guitarists, Jeff Duncan and Phil Sandoval, brought the attack to the crowd. Bassist Joey Vera was a man of many faces, and one of my great defeats of the night was being unable to keep up with these exploits as I shot the show. Last, but not least, drummer Gonzo Sandoval was solid behind the kit, and looked to be having as much fun as the audience! One worrisome moment occurred when Bush stepped forward onto a stage monitor, but that monitor wasn’t exactly on the stage. Due to limited space, the monitors had been set upon rolling crates in front of the stage, resulting in Bush crashing down into the photo pit. With some quick reflexes he caught himself on the crate, preventing himself from meeting the floor. Security was quick to come to his aid. To everyone’s amazement, he barely missed a beat; continuing to sing throughout the fall as though nothing had happened. He received quite a huge applause at the end of that song, and he commented, “No show is like another! One show we play these songs, another we play that, and tonight you got to see the lead singer fall on his face.” I’ll definitely be looking into this band more intensely now. I could hardly wait for Queensrÿche to take the stage. Armored Saint was positively thrilling, but I’d been waiting 15 years for this concert. They unleashed the photographers shortly before the band came on, giving me time to snap a shot of the setlist and geek out a little at knowing what the concert would hold for us before anyone else. The first three songs, the ones I would get to shoot, were “Guardian,” “Operation: Mindcrime,” and “Best I Can.” The lights on their LED board glowed with an introduction of the band, and drummer Scott Rockenfield banged out a forceful musical accompaniment. His headlamp illuminated his sticks and drumheads as he went. The crowd’s cheers grew as other members of the band took their positions onstage, before launching into the opening track. Singer Todd La Torre ran past me in his studded leather jacket to command things from the front of the stage. Before I knew it, the first three songs were over. I was perhaps a little too caught up with having my musical heroes within a few feet of me to really keep track of the time [but not too caught up to miss snapping what I hope are images that you will enjoy viewing]. The rest of the show was for me to watch from stage right, enjoying how they pulled such a diverse collection of songs from their back catalog. There was quite an even number of tracks from their first six albums (that’s all the way up to Promised Land), and even a few from this incarnation’s latest release as well. I was overjoyed that they played “Eye9,” one of my favorite tunes from the new album, Condition Hüman, featuring hefty bass lines from Eddie Jackson. Guitarists Michael Wilton and Parker Lundgren were in top form as well, sharing lead guitar duties and melting them together in the classic Queensrÿche fashion. The evening closed out with the final Mindcrime track, “Eyes Of A Stranger,” which left everyone in the audience begging for more as the band tossed guitar picks and drum sticks into the crowd and bid them adieu. For those that endured the weather outside after the show (like I did, for an hour and a half), they were treated to some kind smiles from the frigid band members. 15 years of feelings welling up inside me, I should have known it wouldn’t be possible to convey myself as well as I’d have liked. For that, I would have needed to invest in one of the VIP tickets. But I managed to shake hands with Michael and Eddie, and tell them how excited I was to be experiencing one of my favorite bands for the first time. That was it. I didn’t have anything for them to sign. I didn’t ask for anyone to take my picture with them. I just thanked them and walked home. And you know what? Thank you, Queensrÿche. It was a damn good show. Ron Scalzo, the artist formerly known as Q*Ball, as well as frontman of the metal band Return To Earth, celebrated his birthday last weekend, Nov. 12, at the Rockwood Music Hall in New York City. But unlike the traditional birthday party, Scalzo decided the best way to throw this bash was with a little less cake and a little more music. Sitting down at a Steinway & Sons piano, he was joined by the local three-piece Bandits On The Run, as well as a few more friends, to spread the joy he felt that night. I was in attendance as well, as a friend and photographer, to capture as much of this joy as I could manage. His set list consisted of a number of original tunes, such as “I’m Really Super,” which received a standing ovation (well, it was general admission, so everyone was standing); as well as a few covers ranging from Faith No More’s “Midlife Crisis,” to his encore of Whitney Houston’s “Greatest Love Of All.” Needless to say, by the end of the night many were surprised, and all were impressed. It’s been a long day. A very long day. But luckily, The Neal Morse Band’s newest release, an immense double-LP concept album, The Similitude Of A Dream, is the perfect companion. I have been glued to this album for two weeks straight, and I can assure you that this piece of work is nothing short of breathtaking. The foundation of the story is John Bunyan’s 1678 The Pilgrim’s Progress (specifically Part 1), with a little artistic license thrown in, and it’s beautifully done. One might expect that telling such an old story would come across feeling anachronistic, and that we might not be able to connect with the material. But Morse, along with Mike Portnoy [drums], Randy George [bass], Bill Hubauer [keys], and Eric Gillette [guitar], have modernized and made mesmerizing what many might find to be a dated, historical Christian narrative. I can sense some of you turning off right about now. Did I say that this album is a Christian narrative? Yes, I did. But before you turn away, let me say that you certainly don’t have to be a Christian, or even religious, to enjoy what these fellows have created. Similitude is such an organic release that it carries you along effortlessly. This is a tale, more than anything else, of a man who is moved to live his life in a way that others don’t understand. His desire and goals scare those around him, simply because he doesn’t fit their way of life, and he is constantly impeded by those who would rather see him let his dreams slip away. I think we can all empathize with the Journeyman, as we’ve likely met resistance at least once in our lives when reaching for our dreams. Perhaps there are those of you who are more in the loop than I am. I will shamefully admit that this is my first foray into the world of Neal Morse. But what a foray it has been! It was immediately clear that I was listening to a collection of masters. Each member of this ensemble is here for reasons quickly evident, most of which are made known by the second track! But there’s are things more important than being proficient at a musical instrument. It’s called chemistry, and this collection of individuals have it! Perhaps more astounding to me than the buttery guitar solos, the beautifully crafted piano arrangements, or the funky basslines that litter this release, are the utterly astounding vocal harmonies. The blending of vocal harmonics in this group is stunning, as evidenced in “The Ways Of A Fool” (a personal favorite). Not just that, but the trade-off of one vocalist after another, such as in “So Far Gone,” allows not only for this concept album to make great strides in character development, but to keep it fresh as well. I know I’ve gotten a bit sappy, so let me reel things in. The Neal Morse Band has created a truly delightful release with The Similitude Of A Dream. While it certainly possesses a Christian message, it is far from preachy and lines up with what I can only imagine so many of us desire ourselves: a little less resistance and a little more encouragement for us to achieve our dreams. But just like the Journeyman, many of us aren’t on an easy road. Life is tough, and full of those who would gladly have us fail, or even unintentionally divert us from our goals. But the message in the music is, to quote Shia LaBeouf, “Don’t let your dreams be dreams.” The Similitude Of A Dream is out November 11, and I think my recent foray has turned into a journey itself. I encourage you to take that first step. Buy The Similitude Of A Dream at: Amazon | Radiant Records For more on The Neal Morse Band, visit: Official Website YouTube My wife and I had the honor recently of attending a private performance by national touring artist, Jenn Grinels, put on in the Baltimore area by Deer Creek House Concerts. We’ve both been fans of Jenn for a number of years, ever since we first happened upon a set she played at Rams Head Live in 2012. Known for her upbeat attitude, between song banter, and the ever-popular audience participation segments, she continues to sell out venues and astound crowds wherever she tours. While she was plagued that night by being “more sick than [she’s] ever been in [her] life,” a strong cup of tea and sheer perseverance on her part resulted in a phenomenal and humorous show that won over the hearts of all those who had not been familiar with her prior to this intimate affair. Here are a few shots I snapped throughout the night. I’d highly recommend seeing her as she continues touring across the West Coast. Find a date near you right here. For those interested in learning more about private shows by Deer Creek House Concerts, look here. They do a wonderful job that blends intimacy with professionalism. Click here for the full photo gallery! For more on Jenn Grinels, visit: Official Website Patreon Youtube |
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