--- She starts to play guitar on “Hands Clean” — nice!
--- Solid dark vibes but very little to connect with.
--- Crowd returns for “Hand Over Feet.” Woo, harmonica’s back too!
--- “You Learn”: Aww at all the audience singalongs!!
--- Angie has a CrossFit competition in the morning, so she has to leave a bit early. It’d be ironic, in the Alanis sense, if she started playing “Ironic” right as she left. “That’d be Perfect,” Angie quips. Clever!!
--- Angie: “I forgot about these songs!” As soon as we sit down, Alanis launches into favorites, so time to sit…
--- Alanis just spun an ice-skater circle for a solid minute!!!
--- “Rest”: the best pure vocal of the night!!! I dig it as a ballad and because it probably means a high-energy rocker next. In a moment of actual irony, I realize it’s the song I was most awake for! Angie: “That was beautiful.”
--- “Mary Jane”: even better — she held out that note forever!!! I wonder if she starred in Jagged Little Pill, the Broadway musical.
--- She plays the flute. Who knew?
--- “Ironic”: the first verse was sung by an eight-year-old on stage!!!! The whole thing was an unexpected rush.
--- “All I Really Want,” a Jagged track, pumps them up. Love the harmonica-guitar battle at the end of the next one.
--- Do not love that she did not personalize a single thing the entire night. She oughta know better. That said…
--- “You Oughta Know” RIPPED!!!!! Merriweather’s wall shook — and Merriweather doesn’t even have walls. Awww at the awesome woman in front of me motioning to me to fist bump — for a mighty fist bump at that. So satisfying.
--- Lol at her skipping off for the encore.
--- Wow, “Uninvited” is a completely different triumph. Piercing, spare, and ends with another literal spin?!?!? Evanescence, but better.
--- Awww, I take back part of what I said about the personalizing since has thankful tweets from fans to loved ones in the background during “Thank U.”
--- Surprise… In a rare last-minute decision, Angie joins me for the Joan Jett / Alanis Morissette concert!
--- Angie appreciates the Columbia Central Library parking lot secret.
As at Hozier, the Merriweather crowd is packed, yet barely anyone is parked at
the library, one hill away from the entrance! I appreciate Angie’s
water bottle in the heat. I’m shocked Merriweather allows people to bring
bottles. I’d assume one would be $89, to match the temperature. They wait for us to
walk in to start the show…
--- “If You’re Blue,” a
new single, is top so far — more breezy and upbeat.
--- Love that Jett
includes that she got her musical start in Rockville, where she lived from
8 to 13! Wish I could understand almost anything else she said, as the microphone
(or her lack of enunciation) seemed to swallow every other word.
--- “Different”
basically sounds the same as the opening numbers — until a mini electric riff
at the end, which was cool.
--- Clive Davis’
apparent cousin on the keyboard explains that they couldn’t get a record deal
for years with a female guitarist as their lead. Hence the song “Fake Friends.”
--- “Crimson and
Clover”: What?!?! My mind is blown as the best part of one of the my 100
favorite songs, Jimmy Eat World’s “A Praise Chorus,” was stolen from Tommy
James and the Shondelles.
--- Hark and I started the night with Inside Out 2, so far the best film of 2024. Then, as we walk to our stage-side seats, we run into Nathan Koterba and Senani Fernando!
Can this night get any better? [Update: just wait…]
--- Heh, the guy in front of has a Ben Platt trucker hat.
--- “American Queen”!!! Best new song I’ve heard in a while. From the first time I’ve heard it until now.
--- “Thank you for bringing the heat. Your fans look gorgeous actually. Everyone has a beautiful glow.”
--- So, I was brought up gay…~Sorry for the tangent. Back to being sad and queer.”
--- All the unrequited loves combined into “Andrew.”
--- “My new album, Honeymind, has been out a month, so if you have heard it, you’re already off brand. There are cameras here, so they’re watching and judging you.”
--- “I wanna love you, but I don't’”!!! So much better with his hilarious, earnest intro. Better vocal range than “American Queen” as well. The concert has officially started.
--- “Rain”!! Somehow I don’t remember it from the first album, but it’s awesome. Such a different rhythm. Love the variety.
--- “Share Your Address”!!!!
--- “If you’re here, you’re either gay or anxious. If you’re both, you win a prize. I win a prize.” Hark: “You know about anxiety,” right after we’d seen Inside Out 2. I yelp “Inside Out 2” to the crowd because, of course I do.
--- “Ease My Mind”!! I’m glad he invited me and the audience to join in, but his range is better than mine.
--- “Grow As We Go”!!!! It’s been so long since I’ve played Hark’s arm as a guitar. Clearly this one was acoustic guitar. So smooth.
--- James Taylor’s “Your Smiling Face”: “This song was the soundtrack to the Camp Friends section of my sister’s bar mitzvah.” Awww at him literally running off so the electric guitarist, drummer, and accompanist could take literal center stage!!!!!
--- Joni Mitchell’s “River” is haunting AF!!!! If he wanted to, I think he could make it on Broadway. Move over, Bruce, I now have two “River” songs.
--- “Shall we go and sing this in our ‘Treehouse”?” Yet another facet. He and Brandy Clark are exquisite!!!! I wonder if I could get them to come to Busboys next year…
--- “Cherry On Top”: Technically, strong as usual, but it’s midtempo, so it gives me a breather. That is about his fiancé Noah.
--- “Need You Like This”: Aww, the guy in front of me is the air in my lungs, as he is loving every moment!!!! Love that Ben Platt went for it, in the song and life. Brought me to Lukas’s dad after my A Few Good Men scene at Busboys.
--- Hahaha at his Liza Minelli’s “Maybe This Time”!!!!! I have never seen an involuntary, collective ovation – like an unplanned ovation flash mob. Hehe at “See you next time” — like Riley.
--- Awww at Hark grabbing and kissing me during “Loved You Before I Knew You” before I was about to go for it!!!! Heh at me referencing the website and the other dates.
--- “Imagine”: Not a closer, but points for the “Buddy Holly” / “Monkey Wrench” pause.
--- “Misunderstood”!!!! How do you start with that?! Immediate buy in.
--- “Forget The Flowers”: I have no use for the song, but I love that they have two Being There tracks to start with! The women who have seen them since the 90s love it too.
--- Heh, the guy next to me thought “Handhake Drugs” was off Yankee Hotel Foxtrot. He also choked when he found out I was born in 1985 -- he graduated high school then. The actual song is dynamite of course!!! Love Jeff’s precise feedback solo; I swear it’s new.
--- “At Least That’s What You Said”!!!!! They actually played it -- for me! I end up yelping this to the world, and happy laughter could be heard from the rows in front and behind me. At this point, they have hundreds of songs, and they played that one. Woo. They also added piano, which it’s never had before. The piano may have taken a little away from the transition from spare to fierce, but it was worth it.
--- “I Am My Mother” and “Cruel Country”: The lyrics stand out, so it makes sense that they’d play them. Their new stuff is often indistinguishable, but I enjoy hearing the songs live.
--- “How are you all doing?” Heh, he needs to talk more, but anything is appreciated.
--- “I Am Trying To Break Your Heart”: hahaha at him mirroring the guy in the crowd with the touchdown motion. Not coincidentally, the crowd virtually all starts to stand!!!
--- “Meant To Be”: validation: this one did stand out on their most recent album, Cousin! Its insistent and upbeat. Heh, “I just sang, ‘Each day is longer than the day before.’ If I sang that tomorrow (June 21st), it wouldn’t be true anymore.” Hee!
--- “You guys look amazing. Earlier, when the sun was fading, it looked like the back of a Meat Puppets record.”
--- “Bird Without A Tail / Base of My Skull”: !!!!! Ironically, I stated to pre-write that the title was much more memorable than the song. Well! From there on out, it grew and grew and blew me away. I’d never even heard the song. It cut off right as I finished my run, and I’m glad it did. I could experience it first live. A minute in, I could tell it was way better than the one-note norm for most of the new albums. Then this swirling electric wormed its way in, and it was off to the races. The best part is it didn’t just throttle, which is inherently powerful live. It went in all these nuanced, comforting places that felt right. Discovery, man, there’s little better.
--- “Every once in a while, you have to ask the audience how they’re doing. Otherwise you don’t know. It’s in the rule book…[We love you, Jeff.] Thanks for loving.”
--- “Evicted” has a cool recurring plink. “That was a single off our last record. This is a single off our first record.” Nice! The 90s women next to me are so excited for “Box Full of Letters.”
--- Hahaha: “This is a song off our second record….[checks with the band]…our third record.” Lol! “I’m Always In Love”!! I’m not sure I’ve actually heard it live, but it’s so fun.
They need to play for another two hours!!!!
--- “Impossible Germany”: awww, the 90s woman gives me a high five at the start. Her song came! Oooh, I swear Nels switched it up. The plink is slower and smokier -- and now it goes to the moon -- and the band joins in -- wheeeeeee!!!!!
--- “A Shot In The Arm”: Seconds before I plead they play it, they PLAY IT. Fogies who wouldn’t get up earlier are nearly doing a mosh pit!!!!
--- Aww, “California Stars,” an ideal warm table-setter after the encore. Cool new piano and ghost electric as well.
--- Ha, pretty bold putting “Falling Apart (Right Now)” this late. At least they’re not pandering and are playing something they presumably like. It actually has a fun cowboy vibe — especially when the other guitars get involved.
--- Woo at “Via Chicago” — with Jeff’s son seemingly drumming!!
--- Wait, why is Jeff bringing out electric for the first time all night? It couldn’t be. It’s already super late, the song is super long, they don’t often play it, and yet again, I requested it. Yet…there it is…”Spiders”!!!!! Lawn, balcony, orchestra, and the band in a first-time call-and-response complete with a shout out to a guy lifting his crutches. Unreal.
--- “Bridge Over Troubled Water” intro involves his grandma,
who died when he was 10: “Music helped me navigate troubled water. One of my
biggest regrets is she never got to see most of this. I have to think she’s
looking down now.”
--- He started high school at 12! College at 16!
--- Whoa, John Legend is from Dayton! His first concert was
a Star Search at the Dayton mall. He won a $500 shopping spree to the mall, but
Ed McMahon didn’t turn his chair for me. “That’s okay; I can turn my own chair
now…”
--- This Stevie Wonder song is not strong.
--- Heh: “Disclaimer, I’m going to be dropping some names
tonight.”
--- At his wedding, Stevie randomly played the song he’d
been playing on the piano since he was 13!! “My friend Kanye played too”:
lllllonnnngg awwwkward pause.
--- “I was number two in my high school class, but going
into University of Pennsylvania, I’d never even been on a plane, and I felt
like the poorest/non-whitest.”
--- On his John R. Stephens piano credit on The
Miseducation of Lauryn Hill: “I asked for $500. Y’all laughing like you
know how much you’d ask for.” “They started calling me Track 13.”
--- In Philly, he went to a lot of open mic nights – like
the one I managed at Busboys the night before, where I referenced him!!!
--- Heh: “I was a management consultant for three years out
of college. I created value for our clients -- you might refer to it as BS.”
--- “Stay With You” is no crescendo heading into
intermission. Odd…
--- The mood after intermission is night and day: everything’s
great!!! The acapella opener and the moody version of “Dancing in the Dark” is
haunting. Bruce!!!
--- Heh, he got turned down by the record label he’s on now.
“The same music they’d heard.”
--- “How am I going to call myself a legend when I don’t
even have a record deal yet?” I’ve gotta live up to it! No backup plan. F’ it;
I’m going to call myself John Legend. Hahaha, him having to distinguish himself
from rockabilly musician and adult-film producer Johnny Legend!!!
--- Wow at his process à He mumbles his melodies
first and then adds lyrics!!!
--- “Ordinary People”!!! A masterclass in mood, pacing, and
by the end, vocal jungle gym. “Pretty glad I kept it for myself.” Can’t wait to
re-listen after seeing the film.
--- Hahaha: “I knew I’d made it in 2005 when Magic and Oprah
called me on the same day. I’d never spoken to them before. The who’s who at
Oprah’s Legends Ball was off the charts!”
--- “Redemption Song” by Bob Marley: love how it didn’t try
to do too much. Spoke for itself.
--- “What’s Goin’ On” felt the opposite. Big choir, way too
busy. Whoa at Marvin Gaye being from DC though.
--- “Glory”!!! Startling example of how important all
elements of a song are, as it really misses the verses by Common. That said,
with the McDonald’s Civil Rights essay intro, the choir (this time majestic),
and his instrument, it still soars.
--- “Free” is a meandering misfire. The end is interesting,
but overall, meh.
--- “All of Me” intro, about his wife Chrissy Teigen: “She’s
the fire to my ice. And she can cook too…She knew it was her from the first
lyric: ‘What would I do without your smart mouth’: LOL. The actual song:
exquisite!!!
--- Omg at the masses leaving early!
--- “The definition of being cool is being able to be
yourself in any circumstance.” Quincy Jones
--- “Memories” is not the song to end on, but I’m glad he
went for it if it really spoke to him. Dig the silky electric accompaniment. Aww
at this Indian family taking a selfie at the end. He does bring people
together. I have legit never seen a concert more of a mix of rages and ages.
Fascinating. I take back my dismissal of “Memories.” Fittingly, by the second
half, it slays! Falsetto city!! Melody first, lyrics later!!! Introduced
everyone by name and lets them be the last ones on stage!!!!
--- The first time he ever played in the states was at Merriweather! Apparently he was “as green as the grass on the lawn out there.” Individualizing from the start!!
--- Omg, I’ve never seen this place so packed. There’s no room on the LAWN. Now they’re telling me there’s no room in General Admission?! A manager had to get me in?!
--- Hozier is genuinely moved by the guy in the front with the Free Booze t-shirt. “Did you actually know that was the name of my dad’s band? He’s going to get such a kick out of that.” Aw!!!
--- The first ten songs are solid and varied, though, like on the albums, they drift for me and rarely land.
--- “Wildflower and Barley”: First music he got to share with Allison Russell. He wrote it during the pandemic.
--- “Too Sweet”: it’s no Will Baskin on Google Meet, but it’s aight… In reality: !!! The crowd energy makes it soar. “A sincere thank you to anyone who’s been playing that or streaming it. It’s been the first number one of my career. It’s been nice.”
--- “Would That I” is way better live. He includes so many instruments and vocalists to go with the falsetto. For the first time, I involuntarily cheer!
--- Heh, I think they know “Take Me To Church.” I don’t have much connection to it, but the familiarity and the crowd make it rip.
--- Awww at him moving to a stage right next to the lawn and him addressing them!! The acoustic “Cherry Wine,” on the first songs he ever wrote, has a purity that has been missing for me amidst all the midtempo.
--- Aww at the woman next to me: “He’s really doin’ it.”
--- “Nina Cried Power”: Awww at Mavis Staples turning 85. “The small things we do can have a lasting impact.” He connects Mavis’ protests songs to protests in Northern Ireland, products in South Africa, work hours, pensions, reproductive freedom, lgbtq, and Free Palestine. [Wow at the thunder for Free Palestine.] There has been no revolution without poetic expression.” He then connects it back to Mavis Staples and Allison Russell. The actual song is fine, but the urgency is !!!!
--- Awwww, he thanks by name security and the CARPENTERS!!! That’s a first and strong symbolism.
--- On “Save The Last Dance For Me,” Heather Shue hits much lower notes than she did during her virtual concert. Impressive range. Aww at the couple dancing during it. Good for them.
--- “All of Me” by Billie Holiday. Now we’ve gone all the way the other way -- high notes aplenty. She contains multitudes.
--- “Natural Woman” brings me to Melinda Doolittle. Any memory of Melinda is a good memory.
--- Wish I could highlight the other members of the band, as there were some legitimately enjoyable solos. Hard not to talk to Annelle, Barb, Randy, Therese, Katie, Mike, Pam, and Mama Purcell.
--- “Respect”: Mama Purcell says without prompting, “Wow, she’s good.” Her clarity, power, and *ease* was remarkable. I ask Randy and Annelle why this one stands out from the others. Randy’s reply: “She has been drinking wine.” If I drank wine, I’d sound like a duck. She sounds divine.
Every Heather Shue show has been a good one, so I really should not have been hesitant this time. My hesitation was that we barely had any time. Brody and Riley had to go swimming not long after the morning concert started, so was it worth going?
As it turned out, absolutely! “The Girl from Ipanema,” Norah Jones’ “Don’t Know Why,” and Ella Fitzgerald’s “Blue Skies” each had different vibes and sounded great. The fact that there were “nothing but blue skies” for us to see on Commonwealth’s outdoor deck added to it. Hearing about all of all of Ari Morrobel’s music-store stores, and she and Ana generously offered us breakfast did as well.
Plus, on Main Street, which rarely ever has parking, we got a spot right next to our table. What’s not to like?!
--- There goes the inevitable “Mr. Verbicar?!” gasp as I walk in. The funniest part: pretty sure the kids assume Joe Kessler is my husband. #BrotherhoodREALLYRedefined
--- Smart to make “Heartbreak Americana” shorter. Makes for a smooth transition.
--- This version of “Cruel Summer” with a 40,000-fan panorama was much more effective than the one I heard on the treadmill…
--- She has eerie Kownacki mannerisms!!!
--- The wordplay and relevance made “The Man” my favorite song of Lover. Joe informs me the video’s also cool.
--- “Shame never made anybody less gay”: true story.
--- Surprise: “Fearless” is by far my favorite so far. Lyrically and melodically, there’s not much to it, but it has a soar and believability I hasn’t realized the Lover tracks lacked.
--- “You Belong With Me”!!!!! I fling my seat back and forth throughout. I am not the only one.
--- “Love Story” continues the happy unity. [Since the concert, its use in the "Forks" episode of The Bear may be my favorite use of music in a show ever -- well, second to this one!!!!!!]
--- Heh at the “like a 90’s trend” line in “Willow.” The lighting, costumes, and set design are on point. It’s not cheesy Halloween. It’s elegant.
--- Love the “clever/kind” balance and the overall vibe of “marjorie”!!
--- Aww, this is the last city of the tour. Heh, Joe: “Would you describe it as being like an old cardigan?”
--- Wow at the moss piano beneath an impressively knotty tree. This set design is something else.
--- “Champagne Problems” has way more weight than I remembered. Not a moment forced.
--- Heh at the Reputation snake. Kids flipping out for “Ready For It” and “Delicate” is rather disturbing. LOL at the tween chorus of “1, 2, 3, Let’s Go B.” To be fair, Adam Sandler’s car song was a thrill during my era, so it makes sense.
--- “All Too Well” didn’t merit ten minutes. It’s good and in my wheelhouse, though, so I liked it. I think my slight reservation is its rhythm echoes Kelly Clarkson’s “Sober,” but it can’t measure up to it. If you haven’t heard “Sober,” pause, take a few minutes, and listen. In spirit, Dan O’Hara and James Porter will thank you.
--- Not sure how someone could claim this was a bad concert or film. Mileage may vary based on fandom, but it’s *really* well done.
--- Hahahah, Joe points out that there are now kids dancing directly in front of the screen -- and a few trying to literally touch Taylor.
--- I’m not a great person to judge “Betty.” It’s so rare I like midtempo.
--- “The Last Great American Dynasty” benefits from a shouted line in the middle and more outstanding visuals. Honestly, the best set design of any concert I’ve seen.
--- Heh, nice reflection on “nightmare/daydream” during “Blank Space.” Hahaha at the Tron getups and golf clubs.
--- “Shake It Off”!!!! “Bad Blood”: underrated!! The two songs flow into each other so well
--- “Our Song”!!!! Awwwwww at Joe. Singing every single word, slapping his chest, reliving his first Taylor track. It stood out to me by a mile on the first album. “Pen/napkin” is an underrated rhyme.
--- “You’re On Your Own, Kid”: love how smooth it is. If it were an Idol audition song, she’d sail through.
--- The pool dive!!! Joe questions whether she’ll make it through. She does.
--- Hahahah at the chest stroke during “Lavender Haze,” another strong song title.
--- “Anti-Hero”!!! The verses and chorus are so well balanced. Underrated.
--- “Vigilante S---”: uncomfortable, considering the children, but it nails the vibe.
--- Hahahah at the extra credit / grading on a curve in “Bejeweled.” Love the audience participation and the way she says “shimmer.”
--- Haaaaa at the “Knights of Cydonia” intro to “Mastermind.” Joe agrees it fits, as does, in spirit, Mike Vance and Mike Erickson.
--- The credits says the Music Supervisor is David Cook, and the choreographer is Mandy Moore?! (Update --> Apparently they’re definite people haha.)
--- Thank God for “Long Live” off Speak Now. Way better to end on than Midnights.
--- “The District Sleeps Alone Tonight”: Heh at the all-white costume change. Interesting that there’s a female co-singer and that the crowd seems more hyped for Postal Service than Death Cab. Hahahahah at everyone flipping out for “DC sleeps”!!!
--- “Such Great Heights”!!!! Wow, this is straight up better. Remarkable, as the reverse is true on the album. Electronic is superior live.
--- “Sleeping In” / “Nothing Better”: Hahahah at the bass-voiced drummer coming in during “don’t wake me, I plan on sleeping.” The crowd goes wild. The female singer commands the stage. So many different sounds. No lack of color here!!!
--- “Recycled Air”: gah, backslide. Cool autotune riff at the end though.
--- “Clark Gable”’s got a groove back -- slick! Wow, Ben Gibberd is throwing DOWN. Not the guy I remember!!! Love the bonus thumps afterward.
--- “Brand New Colony”: “This is a song of unrequited love.” HA, cue plinky Mario music. He then leads the crowd in three earnest coos of “everything will change.” Such layers?!!!
--- “Natural Anthem”: and now they’re blowing the discordant roof off the place. Wild!!
--- During the wait for the encore, a guy shouts “One More Album! One More Album!” HA!
--- “This is a song that Sam Beam stole from the Postal Service. We’re stealing it back.” Awww at the acoustic “Such Great Heights” duet. Beautiful!!! Plus a perfect shift on the last note! HA, he throws his towel in addition to his pick.
--- They end with Depeche Mode’s “Enjoy The Silence”: I don’t know the song, but I salute the tribute. Feels right. Lynda Hensley, this one’s for you.
--- Wow, the most crowded I’ve ever seen The Anthem. Three levels of packed!
--- Oooh, "The New Year” has a polish, color, and energy I don’t remember. Everyone’s got electric guitars: another surprise.
--- “Lightness” is back down to earth. It’s one squeaky voice warbling through a song more suited to an album. “How’s everyone doing? Our name is Death Cab for Cutie…Let’s start again. Let’s make this f’ing great.” Hahaha, didn’t see that coming, and it makes the back half of the song rock!!
--- “Expo ‘86”!!! Underrated. Great balance of catch and release.
--- “The Sound of Settling”: Seth Cohen ftw!! As ever, the disconnect between the rhythm and message is hilarious.
--- Crowd check-in --> I’m about to murder the jabberers to the left of me, woo to the hype man and lyrics woman behind me.
--- Omg, I cannot escape the jabberers. Why did they bother coming? Rage…
--- WAIT, I escape, slip through several people, and am free of the morons! Just in time to enjoy the rest of…“Transatlanticism” / “Passenger Seat”!!!! The former has more muscle and movements than I remember, and the latter sounds better than ever. In the past, I’ve barely appreciated “Passenger Seat,” but back-to-back, it’s haunting. Well done.
--- “All these songs on the album are little movies of my life, but this next song is about an actual movie: ‘Death of an Interior Decorator.’” Gibberd should probably stick with his own life, as this is a big step down.
--- Shoutout to opener Lauren Mayberry. “I’d say this is song is dedicated to her, but that’d be kind of f’d up. This is hard record to dedicate songs to.” HA.
--- “A Lack of Color”!!!! I’d always liked the song but never loved it. This time, I LOVED it. The lyrics, flow, and delivery were beautiful. Plus, maracas?! Who knew. I’d worried about ending on what I thought was an uneventful song. Glad I was wrong.
Wilco, The White Stripes, Dispatch, Muse, The Shins, Guster, Jimmy Eat World, Bruce Springsteen, Foo Fighters, Ok Go, Foo Fighters, The New Rockers, Bruce Springsteen, Lifehouse, Nada Surf, Death Cab for Cutie, Modest Mouse, REM, Alkaline Trio, Alkaline Trio, Bruce Sprinsteen, Bruce Springsteen, Wilco, The Offspring, Jack Johnson, Foo Fighters, Counting Crows, Ben Folds, Weezer, Cake, Alkaline Trio, Rise Against, Coldplay, The Who, Smashing Pumpkins, AC/DC, Oasis, The Killers, Kings of Leon, Jimmy Eat World, Ben Kweller, Tokyo Police Club, Girl Talk, Modest Mouse, Flogging Molly, David Cook, Death Cab for Cutie, Kings of Leon, Sister Hazel, The Decemberists, Alkaline Trio, Bruce Springsteen, Bruce Springsteen, Tv on the Radio, Wilco, Bob Dylan, John Mellencamp, Willie Nelson, Blink 182, Weezer, Taking Back Sunday, Rise Against, Green Day, Jet, The Bravery, Blink 182, Weezer, Ben Folds, U2, Bruce Springsteen, Bruce Springsteen, The Get Up Kids, Bob Dylan, The Pixies, Weezer, Rock and Cole, Rise Against, Arctic Monkeys, Muse, Alkaline Trio, Spoon, Ben Folds, Nada Surf, Vampire Weekend, The Protomen, Phoenix, Weezer, Arcade Fire, Spoon, The Presidents of the United States of America, Live, Naughty by Nature, Everclear, Third Eye Blind, Billy Idol, Rock and Cole, Wilco's Jeff Tweedy, Gogol Bordello, Girl Talk, Jimmy Eat World, Bon Jovi, DJ Pauly D, Carbon Leaf, Dropkick Murphys, Girl Talk, The Strokes, Lupe Fiasco, Rise Against, Alkaline Trio, Jack's Mannequin, Guster, Wilco, Smashing Pumpkins, Givers, Ra Ra Riot, Wu Lyf, Foo Fighters, Trans-Siberian Orchestra, Rock and Cole, O.A.R., The Black Keys, Bruce Springsteen, Nada Surf, Guster, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Radiohead, Wilco, Motley Crue, Kiss, Band of Horses, My Morning Jacket, Bruce Springsteen, Alabama Shakes, Nas, ZZ Top, Jack White, Nas, Skrillex, Dispatch, Passion Pit, Of Monsters and Men, Rock and Cole, Fun., Mumford and Sons, Elliott Yamin, Crystal Bowersox, Rockapella ft. Carmen Sandiego, Alkaline Trio, Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, Grizzly Bear, The XX, Bruno Mars, Beyonce, Guster, Ben Folds Five, BN Ladies, American Idol Season 12 Tour, Jimmy Eat World, Imagine Dragons, The Flaming Lips, Franz Ferdinand, Alkaline Trio, Alkaline Trio, Elton John, Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, Kanye West, Rock and Cole, Rebelution, Young The Giant, Bruce Springsteen, Bruce Springsteen, Alabama Shakes, Ben Folds, Queen ft. Adam Lambert, New Politics, Paramore, Fall Out Boy, Phillip Phillips, OAR, Arcade Fire, Jimmy Eat World, Foo Fighters, Zac Brown Band, Black Keys, Carrie Underwood, Metallica, Bruce Springsteen, Rihanna, Eminem, Taking Back Sunday, Ben Folds, Dave Matthews Band, Mumford and Sons, Kelly Clarkson, Foo Fighters, Rise Against, OAR, Christina Perri, Ed Sheeran, Stevie Wonder, Kendrick Lamar, Givers, Straight No Chaser, Melinda Doolittle, Muse, Bruce Springsteen, Wilco, Bruce Springsteen, Pearl Jam, Alice in Chains, Guns 'n Roses, Paul Simon, Panic! At the Disco, Weezer, Tony Bennett, Paul McCartney, Billy Joel, Bruce Springsteen, Weird Al Yankovich, Bruce Springsteen, Adele, Jimmy Eat World, Green Day, Explosions in the Sky, Wilco, Rise Against, Dispatch, Jimmy Eat World, Incubus, Sister Hazel, Regina Spektor, Ben Folds, Roger Waters, Coldplay, Ed Sheeran, Colony House, Mutemath, Foo Fighters, Bruce Springsteen, Haley Reinhart, Dispatch, Franz Ferdinand,U2, Foo Fighters, Jimmy Eat World, Game of Thrones: Live Concert Experience, The Pixies, Weezer, Gary Clark Jr., Muse, Snow Patrol. Ben Platt, The Rolling Stones, Ra Ra Riot, Jimmy Eat World, Third Eye Blind, and The Mountain Goats, Sonic Castaways, Jeremy Eliot, Norah Jones, Mavis Staples, Katy Perry, Wilco, Nada Surf, Jazz Trotters, Foo Fighters, Guster, Rise Against, Sleater-Kinney, Wilco, The Eagles, Noah Kahan, Laughing Colors, Up All Night, Guster, Robert Plant and Alison Krauss, Dave Tieff, Rage Against The Machine, Franz Ferdinand, Dispatch, O.A.R., The Killers, Broken Social Scene, 'Bruce Springsteen' at Paul Verbesey's 'Surprise' Party, Arcade Fire, Noah Kahan, The Struts, Spoon, Jimmy Eat World, Straight No Chaser, Van Morrison [Newmyer Flyer], Bruce Springsteen [Newmyer Flyer], Colony House, Bruce Springsteen, Bruce Springsteen, Lauryn Hill, Dispatch, Jason Isbell, OAR, Goo Goo Dolls, Death Cab for Cutie, The Postal Service, Taylor Swift, Nighthawks, Jazz Trotters, Hozier, John Legend, Wilco, Ben Platt, Joan Jett, Alanis Morissette. [Recaps soon to come for The Doors, David Bowie, Grateful Dead, Talking Heads.]
Upcoming Shows
Foo Fighters (Tuesday, July 23, Hersheypark Stadium, Hershey, PA). Fitz and The Tantrums (Saturday, July 27, Merriweather Post Pavilion, Columbia, MD). OAR (Saturday, July 27, Merriweather Post Pavilion, Columbia, MD). Bruce Springsteen (Saturday, September 7, Nats Park, DC). Pearl Jam (Thursday, September 12, CFG Bank Arena, Baltimore, MD). Weezer: Blue Album (Sunday, September 15, The Anthem, DC). HFStival: Lit, Filter, Tonic, Violent Femmes, Girl Talk, Jimmy Eat World, Garbage, Bush, Incubus, Death Cab for Cutie, The Postal Service
(Saturday, September 21, Nats Park, DC). Rise Against (Sunday, September 27, 9:30 Club, DC). Dispatch (Monday, October 21, 9:30 Club).
