The Psychedelic Furs @ Robert E. Parilla Performing Arts Center - October 24, 2018

Robert E Parilla Performing Arts Center (Rockville, MD) - Seats 509 in total. The lobby space is comfortable and quaint. Many benches are inside as you wait (tables outside too). It's a nice campus area with many places to walk around before a show. The theatre has a very homey atmosphere like you get from many art centered venues. It's in a great location with ample parking and is easy to get to, unlike some more clustered venue areas closer to DC. The more vintage architecture and lighting only add to the experience of seeing a band full of nostalgia. I had an amazing overall experience and would definitely recommend seeing a show here.

Two small setups of refreshments include a number of tasty choices including a decent selection of beers and some small snacks. When it's described as intimate, they mean it. Any seat in the house is ridiculously close (think small high school auditorium - and seats happen to be surprisingly comfortable. Someone before the show said, "It feels like we're at a talent show".

The Psychedelic Furs seemed to have a small merch setup for a band of their stature, I feel they could make even more money if they introduced pins, sweatshirts or other items, but the table did have some exclusives like a signed drum head. The t-shirt selection was surprisingly limited.


Liz Brasher (Memphis, Tennesee) - Soulful singing on top of bluesy jams that also lay down a funk groove. An exact example of following genres of days old and putting a new spin on them that helps the trio fit into a more indie based music world.

The vintage country influence is evident in slower tunes as the depth of each individual vocal note is full of emotional power.

I can envision Liz Brasher becoming a name in the realm of artists like Margo Price or Alabama Shakes if she can continue to embrace the nostalgic voice she has while also creating a sound that breaks down certain barriers.

She's reminiscent of many 1960's singers and clearly out of our time. Gifted as a multi-instrumentalist, she has great chops on guitar and piano (playing the Fender Rhodes beautifully and delivering that classic sound that's on so many famous recordings).

A great pick as opener for The Psychedelic Furs as too often you see an act that too closely resembles the headliner.

Psychedelic Furs - Lately, I have cut out a lot of suspense before I see bands as I obsess over setlists on setlist.fm, but this time I restrained and decided to allow myself the surprise. Some may think that ruins the experience but for me, it created an allure to the experience.

When The Psychedelic Furs come to the area, it's typically a place like The State Theatre, a standing room general admission venue with 850 capacity and a few balcony seats. A seated theater of 509 capacity is quite an up close opportunity to see them without getting sore feet from waiting at the rail. You'll pay double the price but the smaller, seated venue makes for a more relaxed, intimate show.

Before the show, one could hear many conversations of past encounters with the band, including someone trying to describe their sound to another. "It's like post-punk mixed with new wave but it's really just alternative rock". That didn't seem to clear things up much for that guy, but it shows how diverse and truly skilled The Psychedelic Furs are at their craft.

Dimmed hazy lights cover the stage as the legends appear. Opening with the energetic hit "Heartbeat" it gets the crowd going and their hearts pumping as most seem to remember when they first heard the song on the radio in the 80s. (OK, I'm pretty much the youngest person in attendance but I'm used to it by now).

The current lineup of the band, Richard Butler (Vocals), Tim Butler (Bass), Paul Garisto (Drums), Mars Williams (Saxophone), Amanda Kramer (Keyboards) and Rich Good (Guitar) is tight and together, really giving the songs life now more than ever.

A clear highlight over many other of their contemporaries is saxophonist Mars Williams who adds another dimension to the mystical songs like "Sister Europe".

Richard Butler's unique low and crackly baritone voice has held up and still sounds clear as it cuts through the mix.

It's hard to believe you are seeing a band of this importance when it's at a venue that makes you feel like it's an up and coming mid-level act.

"The Ghost In You" is as enchanting of a crowd pleaser as ever. The magic in the room for that song can't be overstated. The energy in the room was electric.

"Into You Like A Train" is the ultimate dance number and Richard, Rich, and Mars entice the crowd as they often close in on the edge of the stage to interact with fan and bring the experience closer.

The older crowd dies down and sits in their seats by the fifth or six song before rising for the anthem "Heartbreak Beat" which contains the first audible crowd singalong. This is my favorite Psychedelic Furs song and the 45 sleeve graced my Mom's bedroom door in her teens, making it a very sentimental song for both of us.

"Love My Way" stuns as Amanda Kramer hammers out the classic marimba notes (played by Todd Rundgren on the original track) on keyboard. Richard Butler still hits the signature high ahh-oos in the bridge.

Riveting bass lines and punchy drums drive many of the songs as the rhythm section of Tim Butler and Paul Garisto is truly a dynamic duo.

The stage was consistently illuminated with very fitting dark colors to set the tone of the songs and not much light was needed in such a small area.

Giving a slight giggle and seeming very humble every song was Richard Butler. Not much other crowd interaction nonsense was required, just pure rock.

"Heaven" delivered a euphoric chorus that had a few hugging their lovers and feeling really sentimental toward a band that may have shaped their youth in more ways than one. The gaze in they eyes of many of the crowd were fixated on the alternative rock legends.

The Psychedelic Furs ripped through all of their hits in a set of classic songs that please all the first time concertgoers and longtime fans. One song led right into another with a very straightforward direction and no time-killing banter.

"Pretty In Pink" is played as the first encore song but doesn't end their performance. Instead they end on "India" which seemed to throw some of the crowd for a loop, some just exited the theatre and headed home after hearing the gigantic 80s film theme song.

This was a very special concert for me as The Psychedelic Furs shape much of the music I listen to that my peers have never heard of. My mom shaped much of my musical taste and truly set me on the path for music that I'm now so dedicated and grateful for. A performance like this is truly inspiring and one I'll never forget... despite how jealous my mom was. Don't worry, Mom, I'll take you to see The Psychedelic Furs next time they're around. :)

Garbage @ Lincoln Theatre (Washington DC) - October 22, 2018

Garbage is in my top five favorite bands and they have always been on my list to see live. This time around they played two nights (October 21st and 22nd) at the historic Lincoln Theatre in DC playing their critically acclaimed second album Version 2.0 in its entirety plus B-sides for the 20th anniversary. They did the same tour setup three years ago for their debut album.

Version 2.0 isn't my standout favorite Garbage album, but as I listened to it to prepare for the show in the months before I quickly fell in love with the songs and B-sides.

This show was general admission seating so getting there early was a priority for me. As I waited in line I heard one of the VIP concertgoers speak about the numerous times he had seen Garbage over the years. "This has to be the weirdest tour just in the sense that the songs are so slow and the set feels like it drags on a bit". Frankly I found the album did take a little while to grow on me as a whole, though I've always liked it since first listen. Upon entrance to the venue the layout, lighting and decor took me by storm. The venue lived up to the regal pictures I saw online while purchasing tickets. Front row seats were easily secured and now all that was left was waiting.

Garbage came out and started the night off with the B-side "Afterglow", a slow and dreary tune that set up the perfect emo/goth tone the album often embraces. Most of the crowd lived the first few songs through their phones.

The first feeling of crowd energy and excitement came at the third song played, the opener to Version 2.0 "Temptation Waits". One of the strongest songs on the album, the crowd singalongs to the chorus of "You come on like a drug - I just can't get enough - I'm like an addict coming at you for a little more - but there's so much at stake - I can't afford to wait - I've never needed anybody like this before". A brilliant display is painted in the song and the enthusiasm seemed to kick in.

The set list didn't follow the traditional album order. The band pieced the songs together in such a way that you never knew what emotions would be felt next.

"13x Forever and "Get Busy With the Fizzy" were a great pair of back to back B-sides played next. Butch Vig's dominating drums and the ever adaptable guitar duo of Steve Marker and Duke Erikson were on top of the songs the whole night.

Songs were often proceeded by prerecorded audio and quotes from various sources. This heightened the impact of a gut-wrenching ballad like "Medication". The theme of depression and getting through hard times is one repeated on the album, so you can only imagine what Shirley must feel singing some of the songs, she often looked as if certain songs really hit her.

"I Think I'm Paranoid", "Push It" and "When I Grow Up" were dispersed toward the end of the pre-encore set. The crowd erupted when each hit was played and the band owned the stage as you could feel the experience in these songs as they are typically played on other tours whereas most of Version 2.0 doesn't see the light of day. Getting the opportunity to hear the lesser played songs was amazing for any super fan.

"Soldier Through This" and "You Look So Fine" were standout songs diving deep into the potential of Garbage as a band. They often create so much sonic depth and transcend into something so surreal.

An interesting part of the show was the covers played. Some were originally B-sides while others were played in the middle of other album tracks. An enchanting and heartfelt version of Big Star's "Thirteen" was my favorite. Garbage's version was even praised by songwriter Alex Chilton himself, who wasn't please by most covers of the song. Another brilliant cover was the fuzzy and spacey rendition of The Seeds' "Can't Seem to Make You Mine". Others that were played included Depeche Mode's "Personal Jesus", The Kinks' "Tired of Waiting", Siouxsie and the Banshees' "Happy House and Fleetwood Mac's "Dreams".

A reoccurring issue throughout the show was Shirley Manson's frustration at the sound mix she was getting in her in-ear monitors. She often took one out and plugged her ear to sing and shrugged and grunted at the sound man. From what I've heard this has happened at other shows on this tour as well. Personally most artist I have seen use in-ear monitors always end up taking them out anyway, when they could easily use earplugs and on stage monitors instead.

"The Trick is to Keep Breathing" started the encore as the band returned to the stage. Manson explained she had gotten the song title from a novel and dedicated the song to anyone going through a tough time and reminded everyone that you have to remember the special things in life.

Aside from Version 2.0 and its B-sides, Garbage did grace the near sold out crowd with three other songs. The James Bond theme "The World is Not Enough" being played early on and they would end with the other two during the encore.

"#1 Crush" was played as an "audible from the printed set list and was a pleasant surprise.

"Cherry Lips (Go Baby Go)" was played last and Manson expressed her distaste with the current happenings in the fight for gender fluidity and equality. An uplifting message that had the crowd applauding loudly and it was quite the way to end the night.

If you ever have a chance to check out a show at the Lincoln Theatre, you should definitely shell out the money. A great venue experience.

Nowns (Frederick)/Evil Sword (Philly)/Slow Groan (Baltimore) @ Guido's - October 19, 2018

Nowns - One man project (guitar and vocals). Backing tracks with heavy hitting drums and dominating bass/synth parts keep everything pounding and on track as the rest is disjointed in a magical mangled noise fest. These backing tracks are clearly a painstaking programming process as they are every bit complex.

Straight up rock with a twist on unconventional guitar parts (think jangly indie pop). Dazed with lots of spacey sounds and high frequency guitar. A slightly whiny voice somehow stays in the constraints enough to sound like some sort of acid dream. The set ended on the coolest and absolute crazy version of "Fade Into You" by Mazzy Star. At least that's what I think I heard... even with earplugs the buzzing becomes instilled in your ears.

| LISTEN HERE |
Bandcamp

Evil Sword - The band was dressed in grey robes beforehand to disguise what was to come. An ominous backdrop with the silhouette of leafless trees and pointy prop fences set the mood. The show opened with a siren-like high pitch frequency to build suspense.

The members lurched down the guido's hallway dressed in costumes: one featuring a giant monster head mask. The show began with a slam poetry like intro with creepy dialogue. Pots, pains and even a metal chain were thrown at the ground and slammed against each other in the most nonrhythmic fashion.

Demonic chants lock in to the most disjointed yet calculated drumbeat. Drums, trumpet and bass all played into the sound along with many unconventional percussion instruments (bells and more). The band mended punk with more complex math rocky basslines and drumbeats. Other instruments like whistles were used, seemingly anything was a perfect fit for their sound (even a small recorder or piccolo flute).

Everyone was covered in some sort of creepy makeup (black and ashy, apocalyptic). This is a pure stage show and far from a gimmick. Dropping drumsticks purposefully and many other stage antics made for the most exciting live experience. Evil Sword was chaotic and wild fun. They are a must see.

| LISTEN HERE |
Bandcamp

                Slow Groan - Throat singing that elaborated on the classic sound you usually hear with lyrics full of comedy and introspective hilarity. Played an interesting two string electric instrument by sliding a bow like some sort of psychotic violin with more mid range. Every possible sound and genre that the normal person would find to be intolerable is simply an interesting and engaging mix as the act switches each song/dialogue bit.

| LISTEN HERE |
Bandcamp

Middle Kid's Zack Willis/Grayling (Philly)/I'm Glad It's You (California)/Silent Old Mtns.' Andrew Bromhal @ 11:11 Cafe - October 17, 2018

What do you expect to hear at a DIY show hosted at a cafe besides a joking conversation about Dave from Dave's Killer Bread. Zack Willis exclaimed, "Man, I wonder how much he would charge to be booked on a show... THIS DUDE SHREDS, LOOK HOW JACKED HE IS... and what a mustache! (pointing at the logo on the packaging and)... I hope he's not a real person, this man could never live up to my expectations".

My mind always seems to expand when I'm eavesdropping at these kinds of shows.... Though I like to look at it as more of myself trying to capture the feeling and atmosphere of concerts through the interesting dialogue you'll hear.

The Frederick music community really tries its best to really and support touring bands who come into town with the hopes they'll get a few new fans while making enough money to cover the bare minimum of traveling expenses between a suggested $5 door charge donation and their merch. Despite odds being very against them, the bands continue to come. It's I'm constantly liberated by the passion of people/bands who come from all over the globe just to express themselves through live music in Frederick, MD.

Do yourself a favor and get out to more shows. We're lucky to have so much music surrounding us and you'll experience feelings like no other.

Zack Willis from Middle Kid (Frederick, MD)

Zack Willis

Before the show starts, there is music playing on a little speaker in the corner of the cafe. No one can figure out how to turn it off and no one is sure where the owner went, so Zack calls on everyone to sit in chairs up close and around him in the little nook space the gear is set up in.

Wielding an acoustic guitar, he begins the set and ignores the plugged in microphone (given our close proximity to him) and opts to belt out his singing in the reflective space given.

Dissident yet melodic chords mingle with his subtle shaky vocals full of emotional honesty. He utilizes the full range of the indie genre, showing true colors in only moody and slightly downer anthems but also upbeat folkier numbers. Cutting deep into vulnerability, the music makes you feel a depth of emotions.

Grayling (Philly)

Grayling

Typically a band, they announced this was one of the first duo shows they had done.

The ipod driven drum machine powered the duo, but it would be hard to call that a weak point. Soft-spoken airy vocals often dive into choruses of anguish and remorse. Powerchord powerpop and a layer of unbelievably simple guitar leads provide a punchy drive. The harmonies between the two braoden the potential of their sound.

Thriving in a style reminiscent of Frankie Cosmos.

I'm Glad It's You (California)

I'm Glad It's You

Melodious guitar picking with reverb induced fields of sound. Often-buried low pitch vocals follow deeply in the dreampop/bedroom genre tradition. Perfect road trip music to put you in a trance looking at scenery.

Shrill bouncy riffs create an eclectic dimension of electric sound. Melancholic singing with remorseful lyrics and bits of punky jams.

The slower atmospheric songs seem to be where most of his talent shines, though he's clearly well established in the comforting repetition in the unique blended guitar parts he creates.

Andrew Bromhal from Silent Old Mtns.

Andrew Bromhal

Rolling fingerpicking and folky guitar sounds mix with his croaky yet smooth voice. This is the music you'd hear at a pivotal point in any indie movie.

He has an extensive range and is able to hit all the lows while still managing more subdued notes.

Truly a perfect fit for the alternative genre as it's so hard to classify his/Silent Old Mtns. work under one roof sometimes.

Do yourself a favor and catch the next Silent Old Mtns., full band show you can, I can only describe it as a truly wild and fun listening experience.

The Thing 2018 Overview

Cheshi

The Thing has come and gone yet again (this past Saturday the 6th). Now in its third year, the Frederick music festival (hosted by Frederick Playlist) aims to bring local bands/artists together for a jam packed day of entertainment at venues and businesses all over downtown. The event attempts to span across many genres yet leaves some communities in disappointment and feeling like they’ve been overlooked, mostly heard in my experience from the Metal scene. Still, we take what we can get in the area musically with only a few traditional venues having original music year round and cover acts being much more desirable to bars and places whose main concern is crowd draw.

This year seems to be the most successful yet in order to maintain and keep the annual spectacle going.

Year one I missed it completely - Maybe that was a fault of my own but it surely wasn’t on my radar as an avid concert-goer.

Year two (last year) was full of promise, I was able to book a slot playing and many others were encouraged to reach out by email leading up to the event so lineups were announced very late. There was even a regional headliner in the Weezer-ish indie rockers Rozwell Kid, who’ve become one of my favorites (Check out Precious Art - My favorite album of 2017).Some bands (Time Columns, Silent Old Mountains and other notable acts) would not be on the bill for year 3. It seemed to be the most excited I was for the scene in a while but it still seemed weird for a band like Rozwell Kid to epically close the 200 East venue spot. They have 24,000 likes on facebook after all.

I mean, this is Frederick we’re in - I thought the populace was overtly only into 80s cover bands and our few local legends who are amazing in their own right (Scott Ambush, Mary Ann Redmond). But I’ve been thinking about the times I caught indie-rock pioneers The Smithereens and Marshall Crenshaw at the Baker Park Bandshell on the 4th of July. Clearly Frederick wants these cool and often overlooked bands/artists to converge with its many art galleries and record stores that have thrived in recent years.

Frederick even had its own crazy nightclub (The Xhale) a while back that hosted Cheap Trick, Squeeze, Ratt and other crazy names your parents will remember. Do people still care about these rock bands, let alone live music in Frederick anymore though? (YES, I have seen it with my own eyes, even if it's a only a select group)

So on we go to year three. The lineup was almost purely Frederick based bands, with the exception of a few with members from Baltimore/DC.

A cool addition was a stamp card which allowed you to get prizes for the more venues you went to. The prizes were (in order) a pint glass (2 stamps), Frederick One Take CD (4 stamps) and a T-shirt (5 stamps and the Finale on Carroll Creek). (I managed to nab all of them). This is a great value considering a wristband for all day attendance was $20, or $5 a venue/$10 for the creek main stage.

The following is an overview/review of my experience with the venues and bands throughout the day.

Venues are in bold and bands are italicized.

Cellar Door: It was announced the day before that the two jazz performances here were cancelled and there was no time to find a replacement venue. This didn’t kill the spirits of Saxophonist Darryl Brenzel who could be spotted busking outside the venue and playing his heart out. I had to chip in and throw a dollar into his instrument case.

PC Lamar performing at Cafe 11:11

11:11 Cafe: Small space with minimal seating. Intimate as you can get with the sound reverberating very well. Attendance: crowded in my time there early on.

PC Lamar - Serene folk songs with a twist on the traditional flavor. Bluegrass harmonies blend with the calm river-like flow of the lightly strummed guitars and mandolin. All the relaxing qualities of acoustic music seamlessly take you with them. Highlight of the set was a great Tom Petty cover.

Frederick Rock School band performing.

Taco Daddy: Hectic venue choice because of the layout. All tables were full upon arrival and the bar wasn’t much better. A mass of people were huddled in front of the server podium right in front of the entrance of the restaurant where the stage was. Nowhere for the sound to go so it was very loud.

Frederick Rock School - Any organization progressing future musicians should be a central part of a community. Sure, not every kid will blow you away but it’s important in establishing a love and passion for music and expression in future generations.

The crowded entrance of Taco Daddy.

Cafe 611: I had only stopped by in between two bands I wanted to catch so that I could get a stamp on my reward card. Frankly, I’m not too familiar with the local hip hop scene that was present at the venue (aside from favorites Stitch Early and J Berd). Of course the 611 stage has graced some decent names so it’s an obvious venue choice for The Thing. I never make it to Cafe 611 enough because it’s
frequented with acts that just aren’t on my usual radar (I clearly need to expand in local hip hop and metal).

Sullen Brother rocking.

New Spire Arts: So much promise lies in this space for many art events. The show was held in an open room with fluorescent lighting that was luckily turned off prior to the bands playing. Some full length mirrors graced the space (obviously used for a dance class but provided some cool angles to watch bands). The open space with nothing to absorb the sound was surprisingly decent, but it didn’t do a lot of the acts justice. Attendance: moderate at some times but was the least occupied space I saw all day, which was a shame because it has some of the most interesting sounding acts and some out of towners you don’t get to catch often.

Sullen Brother - Enchanting post rock that encapsulates so many emotions. I caught this band at Guido’s a while back and they were at the top of my list for the day. Blissful guitar melodies and a straightforward yet heartfelt drum/bass combo make the instrumental four-piece soar.

Cosmic Halitosis

Cosmic Halitosis - Energetic poppy grunge. The trio blasts intro abrasive and unforgiving anthems of angst. Every song explodes before burning out into noisy and unorchestrated jams. A crazy and fun live unit.

Flooring

Flooring: The set started off a bit wonky with the singer’s vocal mic seemingly turned all the way down. This sort of thing is expected with quick setups with many bands and the issue was fixed promptly. The band regained confidence almost instantly and delivered some solid garage rock entertainment. You can’t help but bounce around while listening to the punchy beats and demanding pop-punk vocals.

Dot-Dash - A DC band composed of long accomplished musicians who define themselves as avant-garde. A mixture of 80-s jangly indie pop rock with a new wave aftertaste. Even a member of the legendary band The Undertones proclaims this band put out his favorite album. This is a band you check out, especially when they’re right in Frederick.

Dot Dash

Miss Lonelyheart - Often classified as dad-rock or any other slightly offending genre you could make up would overshadow this band. You could slap the word “post” to just about any staple sound the members create, whether it’s punk, rock or indie. Next to Dot-Dash, they were the tightest and most concise lineup despite
bassist/vocalist Andy Stout telling me the band was “pretty rusty” after a year of not playing shows.

Eagles Club: Solid turnout and a good venue choice for sure, given there is a real stage. The only other time I had been here was for a benefit show a few months ago and it was unbearably hot and humid with many fans going but no air was escaping. This time was much less crowded and more bearable.

Miss Lonelyheart

Jim Shorts - Real 90s inspired indie power pop with simple hooks that are your best friend.
I’ve been avid fan of this project and its likeness to many early predecessors to the “revival” genres of rock. The interlaid guitar parts are are the secret to the overall success. You’d be mistaken if you mention Ben Gibbard’s influence on David Haynes’ vocal delivery, but he has his own style and frankly a more shakey delivery that adds emotional honesty to the mix.

Jim Shorts

Carroll Creek: The epicenter for outdoor live music. You often forget how relaxing a stroll down the creek path is - It’s something to be grateful for. I arrived right before Cheshi’s set because I sought out original music as opposed to the acts providing a mixture of covers and a small slew of their own songs. The attendance was great and promising.

Cheshi - They’re at the pedestal of the Frederick music scene and have earned it in many ways. Having played before the headliner last year, they repeated the feat. Reviewers constantly note their Cranberries influence. Cheshi’s inevitable rise in the community makes perfect sense given the people who attend most music and art events share the band’s views and message - one of finding your way out of alienating self-despair, anguish, being grateful to those who have wronged you, equality and overcoming obstacles that define struggle.

The band shines much more as a live act, even though the EP they released is full of exceptionally hard-hitting songs. Ashli’s vocal presence and vocal power stuns crowds and Trevor, Matt and Evan are so connected dynamically that they’ve become sonically unstoppable.

Cheshi

At the end of the set they staged a protest of recent actions with a few people that marched in front of the band with handmade signs that spoke loudly, and an even louder Ashli screaming into the microphone for justice, equality and rights.

Frederick has embraced this band at the top of it all. They have the music to back it up as songs like “Poison” and “Thank You” have become powerhouse staples in their sets. This time they also added some songs from their forthcoming album they’re working on and their future looks very bright.

Conclusion: All in all, year 3 proved to be the most favorable setup for the festival if it does continue to be an annual event. As with any festival, it’s nearly impossible to make your way to see everyone, and I had to make the choice to miss some great acts. I’d hate to not mention them so I’ll wrap up by giving everyone a shoutout. Go support local music and arts! See you at The Thing 2019! (hopefully).

Check out these other great acts that played The Thing 2018!

Jeff Cosgrove
Redd Alexander
Ethan Larsh

Provoke The Hope

Frisco
Dajohn
Sewasquad
Nameless Mobb
Iodine P
Bead Gawd
Downtown Dawson
Cidida
Jase Kevion
Shadow Apparatus
Marzy Maddox
Chevre
Middle Kid - Rock on, Zack!
The Fun Boys - They really are FUN!
Mr. Husband - Dreamy
Hard Swimmin’ Fish
Michelle Hannan and One Blue Night
Samuel Powers
Scott Ambush - Bass God/”Hendrix of the Bass” - what my brother calls him

Elton John @ Capital One Arena (September 21, 2018) Review

Elton John's farewell tour made a stop in DC for two nights at Capital One Arena. I was beyond thrilled to be able to attend night one: Friday, September 21st.

These sorts of events sell out so quickly, only leaving resale tickets and scalpers to not even make you question yourself as you spend more than double the original price just to be able to go. Your only real chance at going to shows/concerts with big names anymore is presales.

Typically you can almost always expect 2 or 3 presales minimum. An artist presale, venue presale, american express cardholder presale... etc. You must find a way to get in on one and be ready to rapidly go through the motions to secure your purchase. Take it from me, an absolute concert junkie.

Now onto the show...

Upon arrival at the arena, expect to walk an extended distance to get to your nosebleed seats. It's the same at any other gigantic venue.

The crowd energy before the show seemed to be quite tame. I, however, could not stop my anxious and excited leg shaking. Elton's music has always been a part of my life and I watched his Muppet Show episode countless times growing up.

Most people only filed in maybe 10 minutes before the show, perhaps seeking the commemorative farewell yellow brick road merch. My mom purchased the main display shirt with Elton looking off into the distance of the yellow brick road like he was exiting, one of the many allusions to the end of his touring that occurred around the show.

The lights went dark as the prerecorded instrumental section of Elton's cover of The Who's "Pinball Wizard" played over the speakers. The band entered from stage left and took their positions as EJ strolled in stage right and proved the sheer star power he instills in so many.

Starting off the night was a rousing rendition of "Bennie and the Jets". The jazzy piano flourishes were grand and the light show illuminated the whole building. I expected the crowd singalong to be a little more powerful to one of the catchiest hooks ever (EJ is responsible for quite a few songs of the same nature!).

After the second or third number Elton mentioned he was feeling a little weak and told the crowd to "bare with him" as he ate a candy bar to re balance his blood sugar levels. What felt like a somewhat uneasy moment had no effect on the rest of the jaw dropping show.

"Tiny Dancer" was played fifth, and it was the song I was looking most forward to hearing. My parents made me fall in love with the movie "Almost Famous" when I began writing about music for my high school newspaper. The famous bus scene will always have a special place in my heart. I could've easily seen the song being an easy crowdpleaser to end the night on and yet it was played ridiculously early. That's Elton John for you.

Hits. Hits. Hits. EJ rocked through "Philadelphia Freedom", "Rocket Man", "Someone Saved My Life Tonight" and an emotional performance of "Levon" accompanied by a tearjerker video on the stage backdrop (my two favorites of the night were the video for this song and "Tiny Dancer").

"Candle in the Wind" slowed things down a bit and you could truly feel the powerful voice EJ still has to this day. You feel every note he hits with meaning, regardless of the bad sound mix (muddy vocals and everything other instrument being too loud and distorted) that could've ruined some concerts.

Elton then exited the stage as his band launched into the thirteenth song and epic jam "Funeral For a Friend/Love Lies Bleeding". Davey Johnstone's guitar cut through and sounded as incendiary as ever and Nigel Olson's solid pounding drums kept the backbeat the whole night. Also worth noting was the guy everyone had so much fun watching - Ray Cooper - he was delightfully energetic playing every percussion instrument imaginable and took the crowd by storm as he really kept the show going.

Other highlight songs were "Don't Let the Sun Go Down On Me" and "Daniel".

"Crocodile Rock" - was the biggest singalong of the night (LAAAAA LAAA LAA LAA LAA LAAA) and "Saturday Night's Alright For Fighting" - the crowd energizing dance number, ended the pre-encore show.

The crowd roared for more and EJ and band promptly returned to the stage ready to give everyone two more emotional bombshell performances of songs they know and love.

"Your Song" is undoubtedly one of the greatest love songs of all time and it cannot be overstated how brilliant the partnership of EJ's longtime songwriting partner Bernie Taupin is. If the song hit anyone as hard as it did emotionally for me that night, it would be hard to ever top.

EJ went through many wild wardrobe changes throughout the night and frankly looked incredible in every different style he came out in. He changed one last time into the track suit blazed with his initials in sequins that could be seen in the tour promo photo and on most of the merch for sale. Lanching into "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road" he thanked everyone for all the years of music and love as his piano moved across the stage once again on its movable track.

At the end of the show he stood and bowed before standing on a platform that took him backward before the backdrop opened and he was whisked away backstage. People afterwards noted how the ending felt as if he died. Weird perhaps, but what other way could Elton have left the stage? Certainly not conventionally being the legend he is.

What was most amazing about the whole show was Elton's personal touch and how truly grateful he was to have had his music career and the fan support to go along with it. Elton John's music will continue to live on.

Interview: Marshall Keith (#2) | The Slickee Boys | Guitarist

I wrote the following interview that was published in Subversive Zine issue #5 (subversivefrederick.com). This was my second interview with Marshall Keith.

WHO ARE YOU AND WHERE DID YOU COME FROM?

Marshall Keith. Moved to Rockville, MD when I was 7 from Louisville, KY. Lived up here ever since.

WHAT SPARKED YOUR INTEREST IN MUSIC?

I was probably interested in it before I was even paying attention. The Twilight Zone was a big influence. My parents liked the “easy listening” genre and Broadway musicals like Carousel and My Fair Lady. I liked that stuff too. I would watch The Wizard of Oz and think “OMG” I WANT TO GO OVER THE RAINBOW WITH YOU, DOROTHY, I KNOW EXACTLY HOW YOU FEEL!!! I would hear big band stuff like Glenn Miller’s “Moonlight Serenade” and “String of Pearls”. I hardly ever heard country music, or blues or anything like that. My siblings would make fun of those kinds of things. But some of the things that would pop up on the radio were irresistible: The song “Charlie Brown”- starts off with these lyrics: “walked in the classroom cool and slow, who calls the English teacher Daddy-o?” We started thinking beatniks were cool; my sister listened to modern jazz. When the Beatles and Bob Dylan came along, we jumped right in with everybody else. I was too young to be “cool.” Just the pesky little brother.

I always liked the outer fringes, but for instance playing clarinet in elementary school was cooler than you might think! Our band teacher wrote a couple of cool things- things that would "tug at your heart strings." When you're involved emotionally, mentally and physically with something, that can be profound.

WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST INSTRUMENT AND HOW DID YOU GET IT?

Clarinet – My parents bought it. But bass was my first “real” instrument. I left the clarinet at school and stopped practicing after I got the bass. I remember the band teacher whacking me on the head with his baton. (I probably deserved it).

WHO WERE YOUR FAVORITE ARTISTS GROWING UP?

Besides the British invasion groups, the “jangly” stuff- The Byrds, The Mamas and Papas, more rocking things like “You Really Got Me” (Kinks), Mitch Ryder, Question Mark and the Mysterians, then the psychedelic stuff, Jefferson Airplane, Cream, The Doors, and especially Jimi Hendrix. I loved the years 1966 through 1970. I hated when everything went country and folk-y after that. I was playing a lot by myself in my room by the time I was 14.

DESCRIBE YOUR FIRST EXPERIENCES PLAYING LIVE/FIRST BANDS.

I played bass in a band with a few friends. We played at a party in the 7th grade. A lot of jamming/party situations up until college age. Slickee Boys was the first actual gig.

WHAT MADE YOU WANT TO SWITCH TO GUITAR?

Seeing the Beatles movie A Hard Day’s Night. But music seemed to be everywhere then, with not much else to do but watch black and white TV. Also I was very shy and awkward, so I guess I secretly hoped to meet girls and cool people.

HOW DID THE SLICKEE BOYS FORM AND WHAT WERE YOUR ORIGINAL ASPIRATIONS?

My friend Martin "Kim" Kane was a quirky artist friend of mine who wanted to make a record. He knew how to actually manufacture a record- where to send it to get it pressed, etc. Nobody had that information back then. He wanted to do the artwork himself for the cover and knew Martha Hull who sang in a band called Lone Oak, so he recruited me, her, and her band members. He wanted to make a "punk rock" record, but that was a big stretch for all of us. It was an EP called Hot and Cool.

THE SLICKEE BOYS SOUND IS VERY DISTINCT YET NO ONE GENRE COULD SPECIFICALLY DESCRIBE IT. EXPLAIN THE INFLUENCES/THE PROCESS THE BAND WENT THROUGH TO FIND THE SOUND AND THE SOMEWHAT UNUSUAL LYRICAL CONTENT.

The first song Kim wrote was a bunch of visual type lyrics. Pretty stream of consciousness- "Our star names are heard like blued steel. By pulsing stratos crackling Ruby Starr voices." Martha took his random words and rearranged them into sing-able phrases. The song was called “Manganese Android Puppies”. He just had chords, so I had to write a lead part and we put it together committee-style. Not really very punk aside from rock guitar bar-chords. We added a few punk-ish sounding songs to the EP including "Brand New Cadillac" which The Clash did later on. The most punk sounding was "Psycho Daisies" (a Yardbirds song).

When we decided to become an actual band, we played anything we could think of that WASN'T what was popular in the '70s- all that disco and smooth un-emotional un-creative slimey-ness. Luckily, there were a lot of audience members that thought like us. Surf music was NOT cool in those days, but we loved it so we played it. Rockabilly, goofy 60s songs, etc. We were way too eclectic for our own good, but we had fun. In the 80s when Mark Noone became singer, he had a lot of good songs written, more mainstream, but we all liked them. That sort of became the "center" of our sound. We still wrote quirky things like "The Brain that refused to Die." On my own, I usually wrote un-Slickee stuff. One of the few songs I wrote was"Escalator 66." It was originally a metal parody of "highway to hell" called "escalator to purgatory." But then I wrote an intro inspired by the TV show Route 66, so the working title was Escalator 66 when Mark got it and wrote the vocals.

YOU OPENED FOR SOME LEGENDARY BANDS. WHAT ARE SOME OF YOUR FAVORITE SHOW MEMORIES?

In Baltimore at The Marble Bar, this big guy named “Space” got so excited he jumped up on stage and tackled the drum kit. They all fell over like bowling pins. Dan Palenski managed to hold on to the snare drum and kept the backbeat going.

After a gig in Boston, we went to an after hours party at the top of an old abandoned building. We carried all our guitars, amps and drums up about 7 flights of steps. Took us awhile to set up. People were more uninhibited than in a normal venue, so there was some sketchy stuff going on. We started playing, and about 10 seconds into the first song a bunch of cops came running in blowing whistles and yelling at everybody. So we moved ALL THAT EQUIPMENT all the way back down 7 flights of steps. But it was actually pretty fun. We all have good senses of humor.

We toured France, Germany and Switzerland for a month. The audiences were crazy in love with American music, so the whole trip was fantastic. After I got back to the states, I wished I could have stayed over there.

Opening for the Cramps in New York was a great night for us. But New York was never a good town for us before that. NY bands were used to playing at 4am and doing a 20 minute set. By 4am the Slickee Boys had hangovers and were NOT in good shape. Besides DC, Boston and Baltimore were our favorite towns. Here are some acts we opened for back in the 80s The Ramones, The Pretenders, U2, The Kinks, The Replacements. There were a whole lot of punk bands we played with that I can’t remember. Kurt Cobain was in our dressing room once. I remember watching Dave Grohl drum for Scream.

DID YOU EVER CONSIDER AT THE TIME THAT THE D.C PUNK SCENE YOU WERE A PART OF WOULD BECOME LEGENDARY?

No, I had no idea. I assumed after 20 years people would be listening to robot music or something. At that time nobody listened to my parents’ music anymore. I figured that would keep happening. Music changes, and nobody likes the old stuff (or so I thought).

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE SLICKEE BOYS SONG?

Probably “Here to Stay.” It had all the elements that the Slickees did best – the chugging guitars, the psychedelic fuzz lead breaks, and I really like the vocal phrasing and lyrics Mark Noone wrote.

THE SLICKEE BOYS FORMED IN 1975 AND LASTED FOR AROUND 16 YEARS TO 1991. WHEN DID THE FIRST SIGNS OF A POSSIBLE BREAKUP OCCUR? WHAT STRUGGLES/PROBLEMS LED TO IT FINALLY HAPPENING?

It was pretty hard getting gigs until punk/New wave got trendy. At our peak, we could pack clubs, but in later years only a few venues were dependable. Even the 9:30 club (probably our most dependable spot) was focusing exclusively on non-local bands. We had a lot of core fans, but outside the urban/suburban areas, nothing happening. Clubs wanted dependability like Blues, Country, Metal etc. We were in our mid thirties, so had to make a hard decision. Personally, I was sick of "starving" and mooching off of people. Our best songs were behind us. Kim Kane was the first to quit. I started training to be a piano tuner.

A SLICKEE BOYS PHOTO MADE A SMALL APPEARANCE ON FOO FIGHTERS’ SONIC HIGHWAYS SERIES ON HBO. HOW DOES IT FEEL TO STILL HAVE PEOPLE TALKING ABOUT THE EFFECT THAT YOUR MUSIC AND OTHER BANDS HAD ON D.C.?

When DC hardcore acts started to get going, that was exciting to see. They started a whole new scene, but we stayed mainly in the old familiar bar scene. It’s very cool to be remembered as a part of that. Mainly, I just like having been a part of something that gave people some happiness, and for being a jumping off point for other bands to do their own thing. When we first started the tiny little scene seemed to be much more diverse. Bands like The Insect Surfers (New wave quirky surf band), The Urban Verbs (synth pop angst band), Overkill (prep school outcasts telling long-haired people to “get a haircut”), Razz (the greatest most underrated live rock band I ever saw). Razz helped break us into the club scene. All of us were having a hard time getting gigs. The DC area was a very Country, Blues type of place (I knew next to nothing about what was going on in the go-go scene). But once we were in the clubs, we had steady gigs for around 8 years. We did reunion shows once a year after we broke up (1991-2011). Those were always great – hanging out with all the scenesters from a long time ago.

YOU HAVE RELEASED SOLO MUSIC AND CONTINUED TO PLAY GIGS. WHAT KEEPS YOUR MUSICAL DRIVE GOING?

I'm mainly motivated to write and record. It seems like a basic need. I always want to come up with new things. Sometimes conventional musical structures weigh me down. It's like I'm fighting against them, but at the same time, within those structures, there's so much cool stuff that can be done. I'll write stuff and think "Okay, this is pretty cool, but WHAT IS IT? Could be a movie sound track. Could be a commercial jingle. Should this have vocals? Should I be spending my time doing this?" Sometimes it's better not to think, and just do it because it feels good.

SOLO MUSIC CAN BE A CHANCE TO STEP AWAY FROM WHAT AN ARTIST IS TYPICALLY KNOWN FOR. DO YOU THINK YOU GO FOR A CERTAIN SOUND SOLO AND IF SO HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE IT?

The stuff I most easily write is depressing ballady stuff. That's why I didn't write many Slickee songs. I like a mysterious atmosphere. Maybe I'm writing in a therapeutic way. Although sometimes it feels more like wallowing. It's fun to rock. I'd like to be more "uplifting" (not sure if that's the right word). But lately I find myself concentrating on livelier material.

ANY NEWS OR MUSICAL UPDATES YOU WOULD LIKE TO SHARE?/WHERE CAN PEOPLE FIND YOUR MUSIC?

Right now I'm just exploring. I never like to repeat myself and do anything too similar to what I've already done.

(The "Roadside Shrine" and "ON" CDs are generally available on most places like ITunes)

https://marshallkeith.bandcamp.com/
https://store.cdbaby.com/m/Artist/MarshallKeith

WHAT ARE 5 RECORDS YOU RECOMMEND THAT EVERYONE SHOULD LISTEN TO?

I don't expect a lot of people to necessarily LIKE these albums, but here are 5 I grew up with:

Ogdens Nutgone Flake by the Small Faces (pre- Rod Stewart)
Kiln House by Fleetwood Mac (pre- Stevie Nicks)
Foxtrot by Genesis (pre- Phil Collins as vocalist -BUT- he kicks ass on drums)
Love it to Death by Alice Cooper (pre-Alice Cooper solo)
The Doors - The Doors

ANY LIFE ADVICE OR FINAL THOUGHTS?

Life is hard sometimes. We all interpret things differently. We all have biases and blind spots. Music can help us rise above bitterness. It takes time to become a musician, but music makes life more enjoyable, so spread music around if you can.