Concert Reviews

Young the Giant: Baltimore Show Review

Published

2 years ago

June 13, 2023

Marley Hein

Photos and review: Marley Hein

Hello everyone. There was a lot going on in the DMV yesterday. We had the Pixies with Franz Ferdinhand at the Anthem in DC, the Pride Parade, and Young The Giant and Milky Chance performing at the Merriweather Post Pavilion in Columbia!

Who doesn’t like a cold beer at Merriweather and sitting underneath the pavilion with your close friends and singing your favorite songs at the top of your lungs? I know I do!

Let’s “talk” about who kicked-off this shindig. Vocalist Nicholas Durocher known as Talk hails from the great country of Canada, but maybe it’s not so great since we in the North East were bombarded by smoke from their forest fires. Talk had gained international attention and platinum status with the huge hit single “Run Away To Mars”. Their new track “Afraid Of The Dark” was just released a couple days prior to the show at Merriweather. This new track’s lyrics focus on Durocher’s grandmother, who was hospitalized while Talk was recording their debut album.

The second artist to hit the stage was Milky Chance. They came very far to be with us since the duo of childhood friends; Clemens Rehbein and Phillipp Dausch, are from Germany. Their new album, Living In A Haze, was released on June 9^th. So it felt kind of cool knowing that it was still very fresh for both them and the fans. It was also exciting knowing that they hadn’t been on tour in the US in some time. Milky Chance opened the show with several tracks from the new album, including: “Synchronized”, “Cocoon”, and the title track. They also performed their haunting version of The Culture Club’s 1980s hit “Do You Really Want To Hurt Me?” Closing out the set were “Colorado” and “Sweet Sun”.

The lights begin to dim and eventually fade to black as the packed house of fans are chanting “Young The Giant!, Young the Giant!” at the top of their lungs. The band is preceded by a short intro video that I believe featured frontman Sameer Gadhia’s parents, who emigrated in 1984 from India to . The video served to draw you into a stage that had been transformed into a Bollywood wonderland. As the band appears from out of the darkness, you can see that lead vocalist Sameer Gadhia along with one of the guitarist are clad in beautiful saris.

The quartet performed a mix of fan favorites, including multiple tracks from their latest release, American Bollywood. The set also included an accoustic version of “Metropolis”. They closed out the set with “Tightrope”, “Silvertongue”, and “My Body”.

The tour continues through late August, so make sure you catch this enthralling show when it comes to your area. In addition, Young The Giant has partnered with REVERB to reduce the tour’s environmental footprint and engage with fans to take action for people and the planet. Visit REVERB.org for more details.

About Author

Marley Hein

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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

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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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.