Vets Aid at Eagle Bank Arena on 9/20/17

Legendary rocker and Gold Star family member Joe Walsh kicked off his annual charity concert VetsAid, which benefits smaller veteran organizations that are helping those who sacrificed their lives for the United States. The show’s line up was packed with heavy hitting guitar players that are known for their masterful skills.

Gary Clark Jr., Keith Urban, Zac Brown Band and Joe Walsh played an incredible show that ended with a once in a lifetime jam session with all of the guitarists on stage. The night was filled with videos in between sets that showcased the charities that will benefit from VetsAid. Throughout the night, incredible stories of bravery were shared, such as one Navy Seal who was brought on stage by Keith Urban, which prompted Urban to change the next song in his set to an acoustic version of his popular song “For You” from the 2012 motion picture Act of Valor.

Another guest that made an appearance on stage was retired Army Lieutenant Colonel and current Illinois Senator Tammy Duckworth. Sen. Duckworth is also a Purple Heart recipient and former assistant secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs. She shared her harrowing story of how her Blackhawk helicopter was shot down, which resulted in the loss of her legs. She said that her flight instructor’s teachings saved her life that day. Sen. Duckworth also spoke how Joe Walsh wanted this show to be dedicated to the people who give so much for their country and specifically his father, Robert Newton Fidler, who served in the military as a flight instructor but was unfortunately was killed in a plane crash when Walsh was a child.

Overall, the show was entertaining and even better for the fact that it supported such a great cause. The first-go at this annual event has set a solid foundation to build on and will continue to bring more talent and legendary acts in the future.

Daddy Yankee at Wolf Trap on 9/17/17

Wolf Trap closed the summer season on Sunday at the Filene Center in Vienna, Va., with the international hit maker Daddy Yankee. It was a night filled with dancing and music as two separate Zumba flash mobs formed shortly after doors opened. Coming from Puerto Rico, the producer and rapper has become famous for his mixture of Latin and Caribbean beats that have elevated him to the top of the music charts with hits like “Gasolina,” “Rompe,” and the undisputed song of the summer “Despacito.” He put on an exciting performance as the choreographed dancers backflipped around the stage and air cannons shot out massive streams of smoke. The entire event was an experience I would recommend to anyone looking for an exciting time. It was a giant party from the time the doors opened.  This year’s summer line up shows a promising change in the type of acts that we will start to see at the historic venue known for its orchestras and ballets.

Upcoming Shows:

Thursday, Sept. 21, 2017 Ford Amphitheater at Coney Island Boardwalk, Brooklyn, N.Y.

Friday, Sept. 22, 2017 Aragon Ballroom, Chicago

Saturday, Sept. 23, 2017 Grand Theater at Foxwoods, Mashantucket, Conn.

Saturday, Oct. 14, 2017 Centro Dinamico Pegaso, Toluca, Mexico

Sunday, Nov. 12, 2017 American Airlines Center, Dallas

The Werks & Passafire at U Street Music Hall on 9/14/17

The FireWerks Tour featuring The Werks and Passafire made its stop in Washington, D.C., at the U Street Music Hall on Thursday, Sept. 14. Eager fans piled into the small venue early to catch Passafire hit the stage first. Passafire recently released their new album “Longshot” which is the first since their last studio album was released in 2013. While Passafire played some of their big hits, they mostly played songs from their new album – some of which were played live for the first time. On top of their own songs, they covered MGMT’s song “Kids.” Even though U Street Music Hall holds approximately 500 people, Passafire made the entire crowd move and sing along with every word.

The Werks, the multiple-genre jam band from Dayton, Ohio, closed the night with their unique and always-changing-set filled with amazing guitar riffs. They gave the crowd what they came for and then some. Their diehard fans danced along to the magnificent melodies and improvised riffs. Overall, the show was a terrific opportunity to see some popular festival acts in an intimate setting as well as getting to see some of the newer content played for the very first time.

You can catch the rest of The FireWerks Tour on the following dates:

Sept. 16 at The Knitting Factory in Brooklyn, N.Y.

Sept. 17 at Middle East Downstairs in Boston, Mass.

Sept. 20 at The Loft in Lansing, Mich.

Sept. 21 at The Magic Bag in Ferndale, Mich.

Sept. 22 at The Chubby Bear in Chicago, Ill.

Apocalyptica at Lincoln Theatre on 9/9/17

Finland’s Apocalyptica came to Washington, D.C. with their Plays Metallica by Four Cellos tour which they are doing to promote their remastered debut studio album which first came out in 1996. The orchestral rock band attracted metal and classical music fans alike to the historic D.C. theater to hear some of the biggest hits from the Metallica catalog transformed into classical music pieces. The four cellists started the show by silently walking on the stage and going directly into their cover of Enter Sandman and followed with a more up-tempo Master of Puppets which accompanied by the awesome lighting that flashed throughout the venue and made the crowd join in by singing the lyrics to the iconic metal song. They flawlessly transitioned into Metallica’s Harvester of Sorrow but by now three of the four cellists were standing and two of which were whipping their long hair as the crowd continued to sing along. The show proved that Apocalyptica still has it just as the band they covered does. If you happen to be along the path of the tour it is definitely worth the ticket price to see a unique live show of truly talented and trained musicians doing what they do best.

Set List:

Enter Sandman

Master of Puppets

Harvester of Sorrow

The Unforgiven

Sad but True

Creeping Death

Wherever I May Roam

Welcome Home (Sanitarium)

Fade to Black

For Whom the Bell Tolls

Fight Fire With Fire

Until It Sleeps

Orion

Escape

Battery

Seek & Destroy

Bryson Tiller in Vienna, VA at Wolf Trap on 9/2/17

Bryson Tiller's Set It Off tour made it's stop in Vienna, VA at Wolf Trap on Saturday supported by H.E.R. and Metro Boomin. The show was added as a late addition to Wolf Trap's summer schedule and for good reason. H.E.R. kicked off the show followed by the BET 2016 Producer of The Year Metro Boomin.  Bryson Tiller took the stage to an excited crowd that was on their feet the second he stepped out. Bryson took time in his set to talk about his new experiences with touring and how these experiences have influenced him. He said while touring life was difficult and at times makes him want to quit, the fans make it all worth it. Bryson has shown that these types of shows thrive in this historic venue and was worth the stop as his tour winds down. You can catch Bryson Tiller on the rest of his tour at the locations and venues below:

September 6 – Lowell, MA @ Tsongas Center at UMass Lowell

September 7 – Mashantucket, CT @ The Grand Theater at Foxwoods Resort Casino

September 8 – New York, NY @ Radio City Music Hall

September 9 – New York, NY @ Radio City Music Hall

September 11 – Philadelphia, PA @ Skyline Stage at the Mann Center

September 13 – Toronto, ON @ Echo Beach

September 14 – Detroit, MI @ Masonic Temple Theatre

September 15 – Chicago, IL @ Aragon Ballroom

September 16 – Louisville, KY @ KFC Yum! Center