Author Archives: Richie Downs

The mega-sized, heavy metal shred-fest, M3 celebrated its 10th anniversary last weekend (5/4–5/5) at Merriweather Post Pavilion. Metalheads, young and well, middle-aged were treated to a heaping dose of hard rock from a myriad of artists who dominated the genre then—as they still do today. 

For this weekend’s go-around, the festival was split into 1 day and 2 nights of metal (Friday and Saturday), and 1 full day of southern rock (Sunday). I was there for the Friday and Saturday shows for a taste of the hair of the dog that bit me long ago. This year’s lineup featured some of the biggest names in the genre—Kix, Ace Frehley, Tom Keifer, and Sebastian Bach.

If you’re a metal fan in the DC area, the experience at M3 is all or nothing—meaning that you either come out and support all the bands on M3’s lineup—or you stay home. M3 fans are particularly unique, mostly decked out in rock attire—leather pants, ripped bangled shirts, or festival tees bought at merch—and in the way that they continue to support live music for the last three decades. I suppose that only time will tell if other genres will have as much of a turnout 30 years from now.

While fans do come out in droves for M3, I couldn’t help but take note of a phrase uttered for the past few years now: “If we’re able to do this next year,” this time via Eddie Trunk, host of That Metal Show and “Trunk Nation” on SiriusXM VOLUME during his introduction for Tom Keifer’s set on Friday night. I did notice that the crowd seemed notably thinner this time than in recent years, however the spirit of metal is definitely still there, and I hope M3 continues to thrive.

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Portland based indie-rock outfit, The Decemberists performed at The Anthem in Washington, DC on Saturday evening for what would be their first area appearance in a number of years. 

On tour to promote their newest and eighth studio album, I’ll Be Your Girl, The Decemberists came charged and ready to mix both their beloved classics with some newly spun yarns. While boisterously offering an occasional political rant in between songs, frontman Colin Meloy seemed to really enjoy talking politics—and bathroom stalls (a DC joke)—while in the nation’s capitol, and it all fell on eager ears.

Apparently, the 2016 presidential election affected chief songwriter Meloy so profoundly that in his view, the band’s new album is a representation of our nation’s dour political climate. For Meloy, the album is an attempt to cope with not just his, but the general sadness and despair at large since Donald Trump’s election. His view couldn’t be more apparent than with the record’s seventh track, “Everything Is Awful” which became a sort of sing-a-long mid way through the show. Personally, I wish they’d stick to tales of obscure historical events, but folk music is often about speaking truth—and Meloy is doing his fair share.

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In what seemed like a vivid, overly luscious synth-pop dream, famed British new wave outfit Orchestral Maneuvers in the Dark (OMD) performed at the 9:30 Club last Tuesday after a two-year absence from the metro area. In fact, other than a few LA gigs, they haven’t toured the US at all since 2016. For their DC engagement, OMD delivered a solid performance with the highest caliber of showmanship.

For a band who nearly birthed the synth pop genre, OMD’s audience expects quite a lot—and make no mistake about it, this band delivers. OMD pours every bit of their heart, energy, and talent into their live show, and hearing their dreamy, synthesized layers come together in a live setting is intoxicating.

Right out of the box, lead vocalist and founding member Andy McCluskey was on fire with the set opener “Ghost Star” from the new record—even dropping some expressive dance moves across the stage like he was a man on a mission. Trading vocal duties throughout the night with the band’s co-founder Paul Humphreys on tracks like
“(Forever) Live and Die,” OMD took the venue through their catalog while highlighting new tracks “Isotype,” “What Have We Done,”and “One More Time.” Cell phones were held high to record the band’s ever famous hit from 1986, “If You Leave.”

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My introduction to guitar virtuoso Joe Satriani would be his 1987 album, Surfing with the Alien. One could never forget that vivid album art featuring Marvel Comics’ Silver Surfer on the front against that stunning red background. Inside, the record’s sleeve was adorned with the artwork of yet another Marvel character, Galactus—a Silver Surfer foe and planet devourer—also from the Fantastic Four comics series. 

Obviously, Surfing with the Alien was not just about the artwork. The album marked the second and then most notable studio effort by Satriani and helped cement his position as one of the greatest guitar soloists of our time. The album is ranked #4 in Ultimate Guitar’s “Top Rated Instrumental Albums of All Time” and it’s one of the best-selling instrumental works to date, boasting two of Satriani’s fifteen Grammy award nominations over his career. The album is truly masterful and it’s nearly impossible to speak of Joe Satriani without bringing it into the conversation.

On tour with his annual G3 guitar excursion, Joe Satriani enlisted the help of two larger than life names in rock and metal for his 2018 lineup, Phil Collen (of Def Leppard) and John Petrucci (of Dream Theater). For this year’s DC stop, the host was the beautiful Warner Theatre.

Since its inception in 1995, the G3 tour has featured some of the most well-respected guitarists in the business and has taken to the road almost annually. While one could assume that the G3 tour would be an evening of all out guitar shredding and a complete solo-speed fest, they’d only be half correct. It is true that showing off their various talents as axe-men is certainly the fun part of the show, but when performing their own songs, it’s exceptional to me to hear the tone of their amps, the sustain of their instruments, and the pure craftsmanship of their songwriting. The G3 tour allows guitarists to do this—and it’s an experience all its own.

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Monday night the 9:30 Club hosted San Francisco based noise-rock outfit, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club who played a near-two hour set for a sold out crowd. This week’s stop was BRMC’s first appearance at the famed DC venue since 2013, and judging by the warm reception they received, they’ve been sorely missed. 

Touring to promote their newest release Wrong Creatures, the band hit a high note right out of the box with the dissonant track, “Spook,” the second song from their new effort. The band followed with the dirty, “Little Thing Gone Wrong.” It was quite clear they’re more than comfortable with their new material and spilt the night pretty evenly between new and older songs.

Bassist, Robert Levon Been and guitarist extraordinaire Peter Hayes were in fine form sharing vocal duties as they grinded through their fuzzy, overdriven tones which are married exquisitely to Leah Shapiro’s pounding rhythms.

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UK Indie-pop artists, The Wombats made a stop at DC’s 9:30 Club earlier this week on an icy-cold Monday night. In spite of the bad weather, fans managed to pack the venue for a cozy night of solid performances.

In anticipation of their upcoming release, Beautiful People Will Ruin Your Life, The Wombats have embarked on a promotional tour through the US that will last until the latter part of January. The tour will pick back up in March with European dates deep into the summer. The album itself will be available in signed vinyl editions and arrives in stores on February 9.

The record’s lead single, “Lemon To A Knife Fight” has been featured on the band’s website since November and is said to have been written by singer Matthew Murphy after a David Lynch binge then subsequently having an argument in the car with his wife while motoring on Mulholland Drive, of all places.

The Wombats performance on Monday was solid and Murphy seemed to be a good form vocally, right in line with energetic bass player Tord Overland Knudsen and speedy drummer Dan Haggis.

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For a band whose mantra contains the phrase “couldn’t sell out a telephone booth,” Descendents, the long running California-based foursome, have been dishing out clever, slacker satire for years, clearly underestimating just how deep their influence runs and how un-nerdy they really may be. Last Friday night, the enthusiastic crowd at Rams Head Live in Baltimore got a chance to witness this for themselves—and to pay their respects to a band who deserves more than their share.

When it comes to melodic punk, the Descendents are practically the forefathers of the genre, particularly for emo-core. In fact, I’d argue that the band inspired that label altogether. Mixing classic hardcore sounds with singer Milo Aukerman’s metallic vocal sensibilities and often fast paced lyrics, the band rose to prominence in the California punk scene after their formation in the late 1970s. Stylistically, the Descendents have been tagged with many labels from pop-punk, skate-punk, power-pop, and emotional-hardcore. The band’s upbeat tempos are regularly infused with melodic bass lines and harmonic guitar breaks. Toss in a scoop of well sung melodies—usually with lyrics about coffee, flatulence, defecation, and sometimes just about a girl—what you get is a mix of relatable, fun, and heartbreaking songs.

Since the glory days of post-hardcore, the Descendents’ style has become wildly pervasive. Along with Dag Nasty, Buzzcocks, and The Queers, the Descendents’ sound has directly influenced Nirvana and Green Day, and their influence lingers on The Offspring, Pennywise,  NOFX, Good Charlotte, Taking Back Sunday, and the abominable Blink 182. The 2013 documentary, Filmage is a worthwhile look at the band’s history and features interviews with members of Black Flag, Fugazi, and Minutemen. There’s also a Descendents brand IPA, “Feel This Coffee,” from Mikkeller Brewery. The beverage is named after a track from their latest album and another Descendents mantra—their love of coffee.

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Wednesday night is a hard sell for any venue. In DC, it takes a band of great strength to lure mid-week concert-goers to any hall. Although when the right act shows up, rooms fill elbow to elbow just as they did last week as a sold out Rock and Roll Hotel hosted San Diego’s Hot Snakes, and with them some very impressive opening acts.

Hot Snakes are touring to support their upcoming 2018 release which, along with their entire back catalog, will be released on Sub Pop records next year. The new release has been highly anticipated and will be the band’s first since 2005’s Thunder Down Under. Their current nine stop November tour has included dates in San Francisco, Seattle, LA, Boston, Philly, and Washington, DC before the band jets off to Europe in January. It’s been five years since Hot Snakes played a show in Washington, and Wednesday’s crowd was primed with excitement before the band took the stage despite a painfully long set change between bands.

While the star of the show for many is Reis’ crisp guitar tone, it serves as the perfect punctuation for his longtime band mate Rick Froberg’s (Obits) more steady, open guitar lines and distinct throaty vocals. Hot Snakes’ rhythm section consists of Gar Wood on bass and not one, but two separate drummers—Jason Kourkounis (Delta 72) and Mario Rubalcaba (Rocket From The Crypt, Sultans)—both behind the kit for the specific songs they recorded with the band.

Just prior to Hot Snakes’ performance, John Reis leaned down toward the front of the stage where I was standing. He was plugging in guitar cords when he looked over at me like a werewolf before a full moon. “I’ll be sweating and falling all over you—you may need to pick me back up.” “It’ll be okay,” I offered. “I’ve got you—but I move around a lot too.” “But seriously,” he insisted, “you might wanna tell the people behind you—I’ll be all over here.”

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Few people in rock music have the pipes of Evanescence’s Amy Lee. Her soulful tone and distinguished sound are as identifiable as they are unique. Belting out tunes like “Never Go Back” and “Lacrymosa” at the opening of her performance at the MGM National Harbor last Tuesday night, it was clear she was not only there to sing—she came to rock.

Performing with a 20 piece orchestra to reflect the direction of the band’s forthcoming album Synthesis, the show was far from a classical recital and leaned more toward the operatic. As usual Lee’s vocals were unearthly and soared beautifully above the mix. Fan favorites like “My Heart Is Broken,” “Bring Me To Life,” along with the more reflective “My Immortal” and “The In-Between” spanned the band’s catalog through several line-up changes and Amy Lee’s own solo projects.

Lee was quoted in 2013 saying, “I am Evanescence. I am the only original member. I have basically hired the band. Evanescence has become me. It is mine and it’s exactly how I want it to be.” (And rightfully so.) Their current line-up includes Tim McCord on bass guitar, Will Hunt on drums, and guitarists Jen Majura and Troy McLawhorn. Whatever change in personal the band may have undergone through its various incarnations, Lee’s vocals are the bedrock for their loyal fanbase.

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Last Wednesday night EagleBank Arena in Fairfax, VA played host to the inaugural VetsAid Charity Benefit Concert sponsored by Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee and multi Grammy Award winner, Joe Walsh. As if the Eagles guitar-man wasn’t enough, Walsh recruited a virtual powerhouse of guitar talent that included Keith Urban, Gary Clark Jr., and The Zac Brown Band as support for the evening.

VetsAid is a non-profit organization whose annual concerts will support veteran centered charities that provide physical and emotional care to soldiers and their families. A Gold Star family member himself, Walsh is no stranger to the trials veterans’ families face, having lost his father in active-duty when he was only 20 months old. Over the years, veterans charities are something that Walsh has kept close to his heart, supporting various organizations and even having visited Walter Reed Medical Center offering free guitar lessons to wounded soldiers.

Working hands-on with his new project, Walsh has reviewed numerous organizations and picked the following as beneficiaries of the inaugural performance: Semper Fi Fund, TAPS, Hire Heroes USA, Warrior Canine Connection, Operation Mend, Children of Fallen Patriots Foundation, Stop Soldier Suicide, and Swords to Plowshares.

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