Concert Reviews

M3 Rock Festival 2024

Published

1 year ago

May 12, 2024

Ron

It was another year at Merriweather Post Pavilion for the 15th annual M3. As you know the weather in May in Maryland can be any way it likes and again this year the weather decided to rain upon the crowd, but that didn’t stop the fans from coming and listening to some amazing bands. 2 days of 80s rock and roll.

The Highlights of day 1 on Saturday has to be Fan Valen kicking off the stage and bringing us some awesome music of Van Halen. We got to sit down with the guys and talk and these guys are no joke, super awesome guys. Of course you had Baltimore’s own Child’s Play rocking out the stage as well. Germany’s pride Doro rocked the stage and always puts on a hell of a show while still looking amazing (it must be the Jagermeister). Quiet Riot got the crowd to bang their heads, Stephen Pearcy got them going round and round while we got a rare Queensryche set. Saturday set the bar very high.

Sunday we got a little warmer weather mixed in with a little rain but not as much as on Saturday. Sundays lineup I was super excited for. After Sundogs had to cancel do to illness that meant my boys in Pretty Boy Floyd got to open up the day and damn those boys know how to rock, and given a little extra time was able to have Steve banter and throw some fun shade. We got to sit down and talk to drummer Nick Mason which is always fun.

The other highlights of Sunday were Cold Sweat kicked ass on stage and we talked to them on Saturday back at the hotel which was a awesome time and kept running into the band the whole weekend and they kept just hanging with us and talking and taking photos, such a class act is Cold Sweat. Faster Pussycat tore the stage up as well. The i guess you call them maybe the “White Sheep” of M3 Stryper put on a “Heavenly” set and we also got to sit down with Michael and Robert Sweet which was a huge highlight of the weekend .

Then came Bret Michaels and his band to end the night and boy did they ever. Before they hit the stage we got to talk to the drummer Mary about playing with such an icon like Bret. Bret destroyed the stage and the night and might have been one of the best performances I’ve seen ever on the M3 stage. He played some classic Poison songs along with other covers bringing his friends on stage with him as well as another icon Dee Snider. It was such a great way to end the night and to end the 15th M3 Rock Festival.

About Author

Ron

Ron has keen eye for new talent, a love for the underground, and a tremendous passion for music of any genera. You’ll probably bump into him at a horror convention or some seedy club checking out the next need-to-know band.

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Related Topics:Baltimore MD Empire Extreme featured M3 Festival

Concert Reviews

NEVER EARLY FESTIVAL BALTIMORE MD SHOW REVIEW

Published

2 weeks ago

June 6, 2025

Ron

Never Early Fest in downtown Baltimore at Power Plant Live was a great experience and fun event that was held on May 31st. Having 5 stages, the main stage in power plant live , one stage at the old tin roof, one stage at angels rock bar, another stage at PBF and one at the Beer Garden.

Never Early Fest had a good mix of all types of genres. If you’re into punk rock, ska, metal core, rock, acoustic sets and everything in between, this was the place to be in Baltimore.

Some of the highlights were the headliners Deep Blue Something and Sumo Cyco( both of which I got to interview. Check out Below)

Sponge was great, along with Bikini Trill and The PieTasters on the main stage.

At Nutter Stage (Tin Roof) I really enjoyed The Upside, Skitzo Calypso, Tristan Tritt and Emily Wolfe.

Empire Tattoo Stage (PBR) highlights were When the Sun Sets, Act109 and Keep Flying. Punk Rock Saves Lives stage (Beer Garden) I enjoyed Distance to Dawn with an acoustic set, and LoveBoxx.

Dark Stage (Angels rock back) was probably my favorite stage only because it had the most metal/rock bands that I enjoyed. With Allswell, Lives Lost, Devil in Disguise, Awake at Last , A skylit drive and Sumo Cyco all killing it on that stage.

Overall I thought the fest was fun. We had a little rain that went by quick then some nice sunny weather with occasional crazy winds. The band were all great, the food and food trucks were great. The fans from all walks of life were enjoying the diversity of the music.

Huge shout to Nic Rappolla and His Team for putting on a great event.

About Author

Ron

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Concert Reviews

JET 930Club DC Show Review

Published

2 weeks ago

June 5, 2025

Marley Hein

Last night, the 9:30 Club got a full-force blast of rock ‘n’ roll straight from the Gold Coast — JET touched down in D.C., and they did not come to play. They came to remind us why they dominated the early 2000s and why rock will never die as long as they’re around.

You know the hits: “Are You Gonna Be My Girl,” “Cold Hard Bitch,” and “Look What You’ve Done.” But hearing them live? It’s a whole different beast. JET brought every ounce of raw power and swagger they’re known for, and the crowd was right there with them — screaming every lyric, fists in the air, living for that gritty garage-rock goodness.

Opening the night was U.K. trio Band of Skulls, and they didn’t hold back either. With tracks like “Death by Diamonds and Pearls,” they delivered a moody, grungy set that set the tone perfectly — dark, loud, and ready to erupt.

And let’s be real: JET flying all the way from Australia to give us this show? That’s commitment. These guys don’t tour the States often, so when they do, it’s a big deal — and they made sure this night was unforgettable. The guitar riffs were sharp, the vocals hit just right, and the energy? Off the charts.

If you weren’t there, you seriously missed out. And if you were there… you might’ve spotted me in full glitter mode, rocking my mermaid sequin pants and repping Empire Extreme loud and proud. Not to flex too hard, but I even got a shout-out from JET’s lead singer mid-show. Iconic behavior all around

About Author

Marley Hein

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Concert Reviews

Ministry brings the squirrelly years to Baltimore Soundstage

Published

1 month ago

May 16, 2025

Ron

Ministry on tour now with Die Krupps and Nitzer EBB stopped into Baltimore to bring us the early years of Ministry.

German industrial band Die Krupps opened up the show and got the crowd pumped and ready. With a good mix of synth , guitars and booming bass, Die Krupps was a great opener. With songs like Metal Machine Music, Robo Sapien, and Bloodsuckers.

Nitzer EBB was up next. Armed with just vocalist Bon Harris and his keyboardist , Nitzer EBB set was full of energy and life, Bon was all over the stage dancing and just living his best life. With songs like Blood Money, Hearts and Minds, and Join in the Chant, Nitzer got the goth crowd up and moving.

Ministry was up next and it was gonna be a fun and weird night. I’ve seen Ministry many times but this would be the first time I’ve seen them without them playing either Thieves or NWO. That’s because we got blasted back into the in 1983 and 1986 with albums “With Sympathy” and “Twitch”.

The band sounded and looked amazing with AL supporting a disco fever fuzzy hat and glasses. Now like I’ve said I’ve seen Ministry many times and they have been heavy as all hell, but apparently the old school set with much bass in it was too much for Soundstages speakers as the band blew them out many times during the set.

The fans didn’t care they stuck in full force and watched one of the most fun Ministry shows. It was great to hear all the old songs with a little bit of a modern twist to them. If you get to go and see this tour I encourage you to do so.