Author Archives: Rachel Lange

Last Thursday night, I was in the pit of the Fillmore Silver Spring, focusing on photographing Hatebreed, when I was startled by a firm nudge to my ribs, inching me closer to the stage. It was a member of the Fillmore’s security staff making his way to a crowd surfer who was swiftly approaching the barrier. In a flash I had to recalibrate my actions in the photo pit to dodge security, the half dozen other photographers sharing the space, and fans coming at my head, all while getting my shots.

It was 6:50pm and the roof was already coming off the joint five minutes into the support act’s set. The tone was locked in for the rest of night as Anthrax and Black Label Society’s coheadlining tour made a stop in the Washington, DC area and were received with headbanging enthusiasm by thrash and heavy metal fans of all ages.

While the night got started early, the venue was already full when Hatebreed (Jamey Jasta, Wayne Lozinak, Frank Novinec, Chris Beattie, and Matt Byrne) took the stage for a loud and aggressively fun set. It was a fuss free, no-frills production but that didn’t matter—the Connecticut metalcore vets delivered. After I left the pit, I retreated to a far upper corner of the venue. From there I could watch the fans on the packed floor. Hatebreed had the crowd fist pumping and headbanging in sync. The setlist drew from across the band’s career; it speaks to the strength of a tour’s lineup that the support act has a career that spans 25 years.

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I love telling the story about how I discovered The Budos Band, because it was, for me, like finding a unicorn. A special event that only happened by chance. In 2011, I was in Milwaukee for a conference and stepped out one evening for a stroll. My feet led me to a park across from the Milwaukee School of Engineering. My instincts served me well; The Budos Band just happened to be there, playing a free show. Captured by the band’s funky, Afro-soul sounds, I fell hard and remain a Budos disciple to this day, attempting to convert the uninitiated any chance I get.

Over the last year, these lords from Staten Island (Jared Tankel, Thomas Brenneck, John Carbonella Jr., Mike Deller, Daniel Foder, Andrew Greene, Rob Lombardo, Brian Profilio, Dame Rodriguez) have played a few dates here and there; much to my frustration, I was unable to attend shows in Seattle and Chicago in the fall and spring. So I was thrilled when the summer tour was announced—the band’s longest in four years—and joined many others for a Budos party at the 9:30 Club Wednesday night.

The band crowded the stage which had been fully stocked with beer (beer that was generously shared with the audience), and launched into “Old Engine Oil,” from their 2019 album, simply titled V. It was a good thing the photo pit set up by the 9:30 Club was narrow that night, otherwise it would have been impossible not to use it as a personal dance floor.

The great thing about a Budos Band show is they could pick songs out of a hat and the setlist would still be great—their catalog is just that good. However, they were careful to choose tunes from across the band’s history, from 2005’s Up From the South, to 2020’s Long in the Tooth. As usual, I was happy to hear “Chicago Falcon” and “Black Venom,” two songs I can honestly say I listen to daily.

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The Fillmore in Silver Spring, Maryland had the privilege of hosting a stop on Faroese vocalist and musician Eivør’s very first North American tour Saturday, bringing a night of Nordic music to the Washington, DC area.

First, a little context for the unfamiliar. The Faroe Islands are a tiny archipelago located halfway between Norway and Iceland and is a part of the Kingdom of Denmark. Known for its isolation and subpolar climate, it’s from this environment that musician and vocalist Eivør Pálsdóttir, who performs professionally simply as Eivør, comes to us. Raised in the village of Syðrugøta (population <500), she performed on television for the first time at age 13 and has since dabbled in jazz, classical, folk, chamber pop, and electronic music, releasing her first album Eivør Pálsdóttir, in 2000.

In the last decade, Eivør has also contributed to the soundtrack of BBC’s The Last Kingdom, her voice has made an appearance in a video game (God of War), and she received the 2021 Nordic Council Music Prize. Eivør’s latest album is Segl (2020). Unlike most of her catalog, her latest release is mostly sung in English.

It was a seated show Saturday night, unusual for the Fillmore, but chairs were filled with fans who not only knew the music but could also sing along in Faroese. I arrived unfamiliar with Eivør’s work and was in the minority that night. There was a woman in full face makeup who never bothered to take her seat, she simply danced in the back of the room all night. Others shouted words of support and threw horns. Eivør seemed genuinely humbled by the support of the crowd, saying she only expected “maybe about 10 people” to show up.

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I’ll confess to being unfamiliar with Warpaint prior to last Tuesday, when I had the pleasure of photographing the LA dream/ psychedelic pop quartet at Washington, DC’s Capital Turnaround. I’m more into rock and metal and usually prefer loud, shredding guitars to dreamy harmonies. So, while I headed into the venue not entirely sure what to expect, I headed home a new fan.

Warpaint faithful gathered early to get good seats in the general admission venue and to catch techno duo Belief. Belief is a collaboration between Warpaint drummer Stella Mozgawa and producer Bryan Charles Holon. For roughly 20 minutes they played their thumping techno music shrouded in darkness, against a backdrop of rapidly changing graphics projected onto a screen. It got the crowd moving in their seats and many fans leapt to their feet and cheered the duo as they took their bows.

Soon the quartet of casually dressed, cool, LA women (drummer Mozgawa, guitarists Emily Kokal and Theresa Wayman, and bassist Jenny Lee Lindberg) took the stage, launching into “Stars,” from the 2012 album Exquisite Corpse. The band’s latest album, Radiate Like This, was released in the spring; six of the ten tracks on that album were in the set. The audience ate it up. There were many notable moments, including the stunning “Melting,” when the group gathered at the front of the stage to sing together while only Kokal strummed a guitar and, appropriate for DC, a cover of Fugazi’s “I’m So Tired.”

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Veteran rockers The Cult made a stop on its “We Own the Night” tour at The Anthem in Washington, DC, bringing along Black Rebel Motorcycle Club and Zola Jesus to play to the mostly Generation X crowd.

Kicking off the night was Nika Roza Danilova, who goes by the stage name Zola Jesus. Her latest album Arkhon, was released just last month; the album explores heavy themes brought about by the current state of the world. In a 30-minute set, Zola Jesus introduced the still-assembling Anthem crowd to this music, appropriately wrapped in an industrial and goth sound and bathed solely in red light (the latter making for a frustrating photographic shoot, especially from the soundboard). There are elements of classical music in her songs as well as underscored by the presence of a violinist in her backing band.

After a quick turnover, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club took the stage. The setlist spanned most of B.R.M.C.’s albums, but leaned mostly on songs from earlier LPs, like “Spread Your Love” and “Red Eyes and Tears” from the band’s first album, B.R.M.C (2001), and lasted an entire hour, rather unusual for a support act. While well-performed, the band’s vibe was also distinctly mellow, somewhat flying in the face of their garage rock sound. Nevertheless, including B.R.M.C on the “We Own the Night” tour was a good choice. The band’s catalog complements that of The Cult, and provides aural lubrication for the crowd, prepping them for the headliner.

It was 10:20PM when The Cult finally took the stage. In 2022, The Cult consists of two original members, Ian Astbury (vocals) and Billy Duffy (guitar), as well as John Tempesta (drums), Charlie Jones (bass), and Mike Mangan (keyboards). They launched into a setlist of fan favorites, which included all the songs you’d hope for, “Sun King,” “Edie (Ciao Baby),” and of course, “Fire Woman” and “She Sells Sanctuary.”

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An enthusiastic group of ska/punk fans gathered on a stormy night in Washington, DC to catch co-headliners Flogging Molly and The Interrupters take on the Anthem. The evening got off to an early start—6:30PM—a necessity given the bill’s four bands.

Kicking off the festivities were The Skints. Hailing from London, this young reggae punk band expressed gratitude to the still small crowd for getting in early—something, they acknowledged, they wouldn’t be likely to do themselves. In a swift 30 minutes, The Skints introduced themselves to the crowd, me included. I’m more of a metalhead but was quickly impressed by the band’s energy and talent. Drummer Jamie Kyriakides and bassist Jonathan Doyle provided the tight rhythms, while guitarist Joshua Rudge engaged the crowd. The remarkable Marcia Richards acted as frontwoman while playing guitar, keyboards, and sax.

After a quick turnover, Tiger Army took the stage. The California psychobilly trio, who’ve been at it since the late 1990s, consists of singer-guitarist Nick 13, stand up bassist Djordje Stijepovic, and drummer Mike Fasano. In a quick set, they gained more than a few new fans, including me. Tiger Army’s brand of psychobilly has a classic but modern sound and doesn’t feel at all dated.

The Interrupters then took the stage like Energizer bunnies to an explosion of cheers from the audience who sang along from the very first note of “Take Back the Power.” Fronted by the charismatic vocalist Aimee Interrupter, the band also features twin brothers Jesse and Justin Bivona on drums and bass, respectively, Kevin Bivona on guitar, and Billy Kottage from Reel Big Fish on trombone and organ.

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A delighted crowd packed Merriweather Post Pavilion in Columbia, Maryland Saturday night to see Robert Plant and Alison Krauss “raise the roof” during a set that showcased the magical pairing of the two music legends.

You might argue it was long overdue. Plant and Krauss first collaborated in 2007, which resulted in the successful Raising Sand. Only in 2021 did we get a follow-up, Raise the Roof, released in November. The setlist drew from the new album and threw in some covers.

Of course, these covers included some Led Zeppelin. Over the years, the retooled, folk rock/country version of “Rock and Roll” has grown on me and I’ve come to appreciate hearing it live. However, this setlist also included two of my all-time favorite Zeppelin songs, “When the Levee Breaks,” which gave guitarist JD McPherson the opportunity to take the spotlight, and “The Battle of Evermore.” I daresay that Krauss’ angelic but powerful vocals on “The Battle of Evermore” rivaled Sandy Denny’s original recording in 1971. I’m not ashamed to admit that it brought a tear to my eye and was what finally got the mostly grey-haired audience on its feet Saturday night.

For his part, the Robert Plant of 2022 is matured and subdued, but there are hints of rock’s Golden God of the past, which manifest these days as the occasional familiar hand gesture, hip thrust, or “ooh yeah.” Mostly he is a lovely, harmonizing, on-stage partner for Krauss. The two elevate and improve upon material they cover together. Live, the duo is supported by an incredible backing band wielding instruments that include mandolin, fiddle, and stand-up bass. It really is magical to witness.

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The sold out 9:30 Club felt tropical last Thursday night as Royal Blood made a stop in Washington, DC on its Typhoons tour. Canadian rock duo Cleopatrick provided support.

Security provided water to those in attendance; the sold out club felt like a sauna. It hardly seemed to matter to the crowd, which collectively lost its mind over the English rock duo (vocalist/bassist Mike Kerr and drummer Ben Thatcher), touring to support its latest album, Typhoons, the first since 2017’s How Did We Get So Dark?. It wasn’t just a great gig, it was one of the very best I’ve seen in recent years.

Canadian rock duo Cleopatrick kicked off the night. In thirty minutes, they showed they are musical kin to Royal Blood, blasting the crowd with a steady stream of aggressive rock, which was infused with punk energy. While drummer Ian Fraser provided the rhythmic backbone for each song, Luke Gruntz played guitars with an intensity that set the tone for the rest of the night. The already full club responded with an enthusiasm usually reserved for headliners.

Singer-bassist Mike Kerr and drummer Ben Thatcher took the stage at 9PM sharp and kicked off their set with two songs from the new album, “Typhoons” and “Boilermaker” (with additional support from a keyboardist who sang backup). The set drew from all three Royal Blood albums, weaving the loud, sexy, metal-edged rock of their early tracks (which famously got the attention of Jimmy Page), such as “Loose Change” and “Out of the Black,” with the more danceable, but equally hot, new material. Wow, does it ever work—the crowd spent 90 minutes nearly bouncing off the walls.

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Mongolian rock lords The Hu brought their Black Thunder Tour to a packed and rowdy Warner Theatre in Washington, DC on May 16th. Supporting the Black Thunder Tour is Florida rock quartet The Haunt.

Fronted by siblings Anastasia Haunt (vocals) and her guitar-wielding older brother, Max, along with Nick Lewert (drummer and producer), and bassist Nat Smallish, The Haunt are a very young rock band, like Plush, embracing rock music. The crowd arriving early at the Warner Theatre got to witness their energetic set. I was particularly impressed with the siblings’ charisma and mature stage presence; I suppose this should be unsurprising as vocalist Anastasia has been in front of an audience since age nine. The Haunt are a promising sign for rock music’s future.

Between sets, the venue—the elegant Warner Theatre, mere blocks from the White House in downtown DC—filled and buzzed with energy. At 9:15PM The Hu took the stage to the now familiar chants of “Hu! Hu! Hu!”

The last time I saw The Hu was on their first U.S tour in 2019 when they played at Baltimore Soundstage, and it was a crowd similar in makeup that gathered in DC Monday night. Seasoned metalheads, grandparents, younger people, even children had come to see this band whose sound mixes the modern and the traditional; that mashup what The Hu really excel at here. The band consists of four core members, standing at the front of the stage, and are backed by a touring band who play percussion, bass, and guitar.

Galbadrakh “Gala” Tsendbaatar and Enkhasaikhan “Enkush” Batjargal play the morin khurr (the horsehead fiddle), a two-string instrument played with a bow. Temuulen “Temka” Naranbaatar plays the tovshuur, a three-stringed lute. Finally, Nyamjantsan “Jaya” Galsanjamts takes on throat-singing, singing melodically, and playing the jaw harp and wood-carved flutes. This mixing of old and new extends even to appearances, as the men mix beads and flowing robes with boots, jeans, and their own band shirts.

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While we were away. —Ed.

A packed to the rafters 9:30 Club in Washington, DC hosted Tuareg guitarist and songwriter Mdou Moctar as he wound down the US leg of his Afrique Victime tour on March 22.

Philadelphia guitar goddess Emily Robb kicked off the night. Performing alone, Robb provided support to this tour promoting her first solo album How to Moonwalk. While some of her instrumentals were fuzzy and, as others have noted, lacking in melody, others had a decidedly blues bent. All were loud and raw and, without vocals, even meditative and hypnotic. Dressed in traditional robes, Mdou Moctar and his backing band (Ahmoudou Mokadassane, Souleymane Ibrahim, and Michael “Mikey” Coltun) then took the stage for a loose and joyful hour-long set.

If you are unfamiliar with the Mdou Moctar’s backstory, gather ‘round. Moctar is based in a desert village in rural Niger, called Agadez. Growing up in a conservative family that disapproved of electric music, Moctar built his own guitar with almost no instructions, using items like bicycle cables, reclaimed wood, and bits from a sardine can. His self-taught shredding—which has earned him the moniker “Hendrix of the Sahara”—spread via mobile phone data cards, a popular local form of distribution. Moctar eventually won approval from his community by writing, producing, and starring in the first Tuareg language film, a remake of Purple Rain.

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While we were away. —Ed.

The elegant Lincoln Theatre in Washington, DC hosted Gary Numan on March 15, where Numanoids young and old, goth and bureaucrat, gathered to greet the electronic pioneer during this stop on the Intruder tour. After four decades, he demonstrates he is still as creative and fascinating as ever.

Along for the tour is Tara Busch, performing as I Speak Machine, an experimental music and audio-visual project. I Speak Machine is due to release a new album in April (War) which is described as visceral and honest. As an example, the single “The Metal Of My Hell,” examines Busch’s battle with addiction. On stage, Busch managed to command the audience with her presence and charisma during her 30-minute set, an impressive feat given her minimal stage setup of computers and synths.

Taking the neon lit stage shortly after 9PM, Gary Numan and his fellow musicians dressed and sounded like a house band from a Bartertown bar, which felt fitting given our modern times. Long gone is the “android” look from yesteryear; it is a visual signal of his ability to evolve as an artist. After all, he is known for not only influencing younger bands like Nine Inch Nails, he also is open minded enough be influenced by those musicians in return.

This tour is in support of Numan’s latest album Intruder, which Numan has characterized as something of a companion piece to 2017’s Savage (Songs from a Broken World); both albums address themes of the Earth’s pending climate disaster. The set list was sprinkled with songs from Intruder, including the title track. While it’s exciting to hear Numan perform his early songs like “Cars,” “Films,” and “Down in the Park,” in concert his more recent work more than holds its own. The song I was the most stoked to hear, “My Name is Ruin,” is from Savage (Songs from a Broken World) and happens to be one of my favorite songs of the last ten years by any artist.

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Slash featuring Myles Kennedy and the Conspirators’ highly anticipated River Is Rising tour made a stop at the Fillmore in Silver Spring, Maryland on Wednesday night, much to the thrill of rock fans in the Washington, DC area.The River is Rising tour is in support of SMKC’s fourth album release, simply titled 4. Young rockers Plush are on the tour in support of the October release of their self-titled album. Both bands stoked the already brimming energy of a full house eager to once again hear rock and roll played live. DC knows how to show up for a gig and we (one of “the best crowds of the tour”) ate this up.

On the heels of International Women’s Day, it was great to see a band like Plush—four young women who describe themselves as being on a mission to bring rock back to the forefront of the music industry. It’s a goal I wholly support and, given the crowd’s reaction to them, I’m not alone. They were entertaining and energetic. In 2022, it’s great to see such young bands (Dirty Honey is another that comes to mind) embrace rock and roll once more. As if their hard sound weren’t enough to let us know their goal is to bring rock back, they underscored this commitment by blazing through a rendition of Heart’s “Barracuda.” It was a raucous thirty-minute set and, as these women continue to mature (they range in age from 19-21), they will get even better.

Nearly thirty-five years after the release of Appetite for Destruction, rock legend Slash took the stage along with Myles Kennedy & the Conspirators. The gentlemen took the crowd on a hefty 21-song journey of some of their best tunes, with a few surprise covers thrown in (don’t expect any GnR, however). Along with some of the band’s earlier greats like “Anastasia” and “You’re a Lie,” they’ve also thrown in “The River is Rising” and—a personal favorite—“Spirit Love,” both from 4.

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