Mindful Photo

by Rob Wallace

DC101 Kerfuffle at Merriweather Post Pavilion in Columbia, MD on 5/14/17

The Washington D.C. area alternative radio station DC101 had its annual summer festival Kerfuffle in Columbia, MD and hosted some of today’s popular acts. The lucky break in weather made for a perfect day of great music on Mother’s Day. The lineup for the day consisted of Kings of Leon, Weezer, Jimmy Eat World, Fitz and the Tantrums, Catfish and The Bottlemen, Highly Suspect, MISSIO, and The Unlikely Candidates. After several years of Kerfuffle, 2017 definitely reflected one of the strongest lineups they’ve had for the festival.  In a statement DC101’s program director, James Howard acknowledged, “We are truly proud of the artists we have assembled for this year’s DC101 Kerfuffle.  These artists are defining the sound of our generation and they are together for us on one exciting day.”

Matisyahu at The National in Richmond, VA on 3/28/17

Matisyahu’s tour made it’s stop in Richmond, VA this week at the National, and while his look may have change since he broke onto the music scene in 2004, he sure can still deliver a powerful performance.

Matisyahu’s conscious and insightful lyrics provide a narrative that makes the audience feel alive and ready to move. This mixed with the vibrant light show and interactions with the crowd to pick the set list makes for a show you don’t want to miss. His new full-length album is due to be released this coming spring and is said to be announcing some big news on Friday, March 31st”.

On this tour Matisyahu plays a wonderful mix of old and new tracks, as well as a few covers sprinkled in. From “King Without A Crown” and “Aish Tamid” to “No Woman, No Cry,” the show if full of wonderful, powerful joy. Few artists manage to remain as positive in their political dialogue as Matisyahu, which makes seeing him live an engaging, enlightening experience.

Matisyahu has a number of upcoming shows all across the U.S. Find dates and tickets here.

Secondhand Serenade & Hawthorne Heights at Black Cat in Washington, D.C. on 3/15/17

Secondhand Serenade came to the Black Cat in Washington, D.C. for his Ten Year Anniversary Tour accompanied by Hawthorne Heights, Red Jumpsuit Apparatus’s Ronnie Winter, and Kenny Holland. .

Secondhand Serenade played a set of his more popular songs which brought a nostalgic feel for those that have been following the artist since his first album back in 2007. Hawthorne Heights also added to the intimate feeling of the show by playing a special acoustic set.

Reel Big Fish & Anti-Flag at Fillmore Silver Spring in Silver Spring, MD on 1/17/17

Reel Big Fish and Anti-Flag stopped in Silver Spring, MD to celebrate the 20th anniversary of their albums “Turn the Radio Off” and “Die for the Government”. While the two are very different in style the show brought back that glorious feeling of the late 90’s/early 2000’s Warped Tour.

The upcoming inauguration was a popular topic during Anti-Flag’s set and Justin Sane explained how Donald Trump inspired the popular song ‘Your Daddy Was A Rich Man, Your Daddy’s Fucking Dead’. They wrapped their set by setting up the drum set in the crowd and finishing the song ‘Bradenburg Gate’.

The two headliners were supported by Direct Hit! and Maryland locals Ballyhoo!

People's Blues of Richmond at The Jefferson Theater in Charlottesville, VA on 2/4/17

People’s Blues of Richmond brought their powerful and energetic show to Charlottesville, VA over the weekend. After coming off a packed summer schedule sharing the bill with huge acts such as ZZ Top and playing major venues like Red Rocks, it isn’t hard to see why they create the buzz they do when they come to town. They along side another Richmond, VA great, The Trongone Band played two killer encore’s of The Rolling Stone’s Jumpin Jack Flash and Rage Against the Machine’s Killing In The Name. You can catch People’s Blues of Richmond at the Brooklyn Bowl February 21st or their upcoming residency at the 8×10 in Baltimore coming in March.

All Content © 2021 Rob Wallace