baltocourtney-blog

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Bill MacKay at Torn Light Records

Drag City recording artist Bill MacKay performed a solo set at Torn Light Records in Cincinnati on March 28 to celebrate the release of his album Fountain Fire. The new collection of songs includes a few with Bill singing, which came as a wonderful surprise. I have only known him for his stellar guitar playing and composing.

After a bit of mingling and chatting with fans, the lights dimmed considerably and Bill began to play. MacKay is a classically trained guitarist who knows how to bend notes on an electric, resulting in mesmerizing sounds. A glass slide was utilized for Pre-California, the lead off track on the album. We were treated to Birds of May, Try It On and Arcadia -- all compositions from Fountain Fire. Bill went back to 2017 Drag City release Esker to play Wail. There were a few other songs whose origins I wasn’t familiar with, but it didn’t matter, as I thoroughly enjoyed every bit of his performance.

Bill MacKay doing what he does best, making beautiful and haunting sounds on an electric guitar.

#billmackay #dragcityrecords #electricguitar #tornlightrecords

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J.S. Ondara at The 8x10

I was excited about this show since the minute I heard J.S. Ondara was scheduled to play in Baltimore. His voice is full of emotions that range from longing to overwhelming desire. His songs are about relationships and coming to America from Nairobi, Kenya to realize a long-shot of a dream.

The following background story is a summary of a February 2019 interview on npr music’s World Cafe. While in Nairobi, J. would frequent the local internet cafe and watch music videos for hours. He was enamored with Bob Dylan while in high school, to the point of being obsessed. He admits to “falling into a rabbit hole of folk music”. Although he had been writing poems, lyrics and songs for a few years, there was no acoustic guitar in his family’s home. J. asked his mother to buy him one. Her response was, “Do you want to eat dinner for a month, or do you want a guitar?”

J. left his family and friends after obtaining a Green Card in a lottery and relocated to Minnesota in the middle of winter. The influence of Bob Dylan was behind him choosing that locale, even though the climate was nothing like he had ever experienced.

He did purchase a guitar in order to accompany himself during gigs. J. opened for high profile musicians such as Lindsay Buckingham. As his audience grew, he got signed to the Verve Forecast label to release a debut collection of songs called Tales of America. Well-known indie musicians Andrew Bird, Taylor and Griffin Goldsmith, and Sebastian Steinberg contribute their talent as J.’s backing band. It’s expensive to take a band on tour, so J. is touring solo, at least for his first headlining dates.

Baltimore’s venerable and intimate club, The 8x10, was the perfect place to see J.S. Ondara on a warm summer night. The singer-songwriter told engaging stories in between songs and genuinely enjoyed hearing audience comments. He was wearing a beautiful vintage suit and fedora, which added to the uniqueness of the evening. J. played almost all of the songs from Tales of America. He asked the audience to sing the chorus of Saying Goodbye with him and was impressed with the enthusiastic response.

After a brief break, J. came out to take photos with fans and sign merch. It was a wonderful evening of music from a young man who had the guts to follow his dream to a new country with an unlimited future ahead of him.

J.S. Ondara with three strategically-placed microphones and his guitars

#jsondara #singersongwriter #the8x10

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Kevin Morby, Waxahatchee, Mary Lattimore at the Creative Alliance

Sunday, April 2nd brought three wonderfully talented musicians to the intimate room at Highlandtown's Creative Alliance. Singer-songwriters Kevin Morby and Waxahatchee (performance name of Katie Crutchfield) were joined by looping harpist Mary Lattimore. The three artists performed stripped down sets that had the audience listening intently.

Mary Lattimore

The night began with Mary Lattimore playing harp and using a looping device to maximize sound. I've never seen a solo harpist so I really didn't know what to expect. Some of the middle notes sounded as if they were coming from a piano. I don't mean that in a bad way. I had no idea that a harp had such a wide range of sound. There is a disparity between this very large instrument and the gentle sounds it produces

Ms. Lattimore described each song title before she played a composition. One was written for astronaut Scott Kelly and one for her beloved late family dog, Otis. She was happy to say that Mr. Kelly liked the piece of music.

I was completely relaxed after her set. Whatever angst I was feeling earlier in the day had vanished.

Waxahatchee

There was a short intermission before Alabama-native Katie Crutchfield took the stage. This was the last night of their tour and she shared mixed emotions. On the positive side, the three musicians had some wonderful memories, yet she felt a little sad that it was over.

The starkness of a Waxahatchee song about a failing relationship was delivered in a quiet room with maximum impact.

This tour was in support of her newest release, ivy tripp, with songs whose themes explore a mourning of her youth and looking to her future.

Waxahatchee covered Lucinda Williams haunting song Greenville.

Katie played i think i love you from her low-fi release american weekend. I had seen Waxahatchee play with a full band at Charles Village club The Ottobar about two years ago. While I enjoyed the fullness of the songs due to the extra instrumentation, there was something really beautiful about hearing her songs delivered with just her voice and an electric guitar.

Kevin Morby

It was an extra special show since it was not only the last night of the tour, but Kevin’s 29th birthday. After the cake had been consumed, it was time for some stories to be sung. I’m quite fond of Kevin’s phrasing and his soft singing voice.

Kevin Morby partially obscured by a music stand on the right, that was finally used for the last song.

Songs such as Singing Saw and a few from the Harlem River album were mixed in with a Leonard Cohen cover (There Is A War) and Townes Van Zandt’s No Place To Fall. A memorable version of Kevin’s song Beautiful Strangers honors “innocent people who were out living their lives and one day, without warning, had them taken away from them.” The song pays tribute to victims of the Orlando night club shooting, the Paris terrorist attacks, and late Baltimore resident Freddie Gray, who is mentioned in the song. The somber lyrics, along with just an acoustic guitar and soft delivery, reinforced the sadness of random violence and those who died too young.

Kevin listens as a fan wishes him a Happy Birthday.

The Los Angeles resident said how much he likes Baltimore, mentioning friends he has here who have lived in the city for a while. In the afternoon, he visited the beautiful Clyburn Arboretum, because it was featured in one of his favorite scenes from HBO’s The Wire.

As the show wound down, Waxahatchee joined Kevin for an Everclear cover. She bought handwritten lyrics on stage to put on the music stand, so we all realized its purpose (besides obstructing sight lines).

Tour mates Waxahatchee and Kevin Morby sing an encore.

#waxahatchee #kevinmorby #marylattimore #creativealliance #livemusic

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Graphic Design samples

After eight years of caring for sick parents, doing light renovations to a city home, staging that home to sell and moving, I’m ready to get back to designing. I’m also available for freelance event photography, photo editing work and creating social media campaigns. If you're interested in hiring me, please send an email to [email protected]. Thanks!

Pocket folder, two-sided sales sheets and a brochure for an engineering-based product design and manufacturing company. This promotional piece was used at trade shows and for the marketing director to send to prospects in the US and world wide.

Sales brochure created to showcase the beautiful Costa Rica dry forest named Guacamaya and the beach side community availability to future residents. This piece was written, designed, produced and delivered in 21 days.

A Baltimore-based architectural firm who specializes in collegiate housing projects hired a writer who brought me in on the brochure creation. The long, multiple paneled piece was meant to tell a story as the reader opened each panel.

A colorful, fun brochure taking on a serious subject: heart disease in women. The four part brochure educated women who visited a cardiologist, many for the first time. The simple, yet effective quiz, provided women at risk with a baseline for treatment options. To save costs, the yellow pocket folder was printed in a large quantity with a cardiologist’s practice contact information printed in black as each practice was added to the campaign.

This six month PR piece for the government was a big project that just kept growing. I was tasked with designing a magazine for residents in former chemically dangerous areas to know that those areas had been thoroughly cleaned and are now safe, with lots of science to prove it. I worked with an avian (bird) specialist and an aquatic specialist. 

An eight part invite to the Maryland Governor’s Arts Awards ceremony and celebration honoring a handful of outstanding creative individuals in our state. As you can imagine, the budget was low, so creativity was a given. The musical instruments were drawn by me and the big splurge was the translucent paper announcing the winners. Quotes from the category winners provided relevance to the event that brought the best and brightest to the evening’s party.

A much simpler piece for Maryland Citizens for the Arts, a postcard handed out at Artscape and art education/administrative events to encourage membership to the organization. The square red “Arts Advocate” thing is a pin.

A personal and very significant invite to my housewarming party. After 13 years in business, I finally found the guts to buy a house in Baltimore, by myself. I'm also a two-time skin cancer survivor, so the part about “never letting go of a goal” is real. It was a memorable night!

An inexpensive solution for well respected and loved chef Linwood Dame, part-owner of Linwood Due. The menu was updated seasonally, so it couldn't cost a lot to print. Clip art was used for the graphics amid a clean, clutter-free layout.

An overdue re-branding was due for well-known local realtors Joe and Cindy Loverde. Stock photos were bought with the exception of the couple’s photo, saving on site photo shoot costs. I was told friends of Joe phoned him to say “"It was about time you updated that old brochure.” The images and copy were used to update the company's website thus saving more money.

Various logos designed for local and national clients.

#realtyconcepts marylandcitizensforthearts bowlesfluidicscorp. linwooddue. heartinstutiteofnevada #graphic design

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Cloud Nothings - WTMD

You know a mid-afternoon show is going to be very loud when earplugs are offered to the attendees of a Cloud Nothings live Live Lunch performance. And it was.

The Cleveland band was in Baltimore touring behind their recently released album/CD Life Without Sound. The Friday night show at The Ottobar sold out.

The band began by playing the lead single, Modern Act and ripped through about 35 more minutes of music.

Cloud Nothings lead guitarist and band founder Dylan Baldi.

At the halfway mark, mid-afternoon on-air host Sam Gallant interviewed Dylan Baldi. Dylan discussed working with three different producers and why he likes to switch it up. He also talked about playing music in his parents’ basement and releasing it on his own.

The band is currently recording for Washington, D.C.-based indie label Carpark Records. The interview gave the band members a few minutes to rest after a frenetic 15 minutes of fast playing. I don’t know how Dylan’s vocal cords recovered quickly enough for him to have a conversation with Sam. Maybe he drinks quarts of honey before/after the shows or doesn’t talk in the van.

Cloud Nothings (l to r) Chris Brown, Jason Gerycz, TJ Duke, and Dylan Baldi

One of a handful of photos where drummer Jason Gerycz isn’t just a blur of flying arms and drum sticks.

Chris Brown sings harmony while TJ Duke holds down the low end.

Jason Gerycz and Dylan Baldi

Dylan bends notes with one of the effects pedals.

More fuzzy distortion from Dylan.

When I first watched Dylan kneeling down, I figured he was making a quick adjustment. When he stayed on the floor, I realized what he was doing and that I needed to raise my camera and take a photo.

Chris Brown getting ready to distort some notes.

TJ Duke feelin’ it.

Jason somehow didn’t break a drumstick, but the tall microphone did wobble a few times.

Dylan swaying his guitar while singing Modern Act. (Note his feet and the clock are not blurred.)

A packed performance studio audience enjoys a blistering Cloud Nothings performance.

At the end of the interview, Sam said on air, “Please don’t head here because we’re at capacity. The doors are closed.”

A rare moment when Dylan wasn’t moving while singing and playing guitar.

After the show, the band came to the well-stocked merch table to meet and sign items for appreciative fans. Even with swimmer’s ear plugs, my ears were slightly ringing about an hour after the performance. I’ll deal with the consequences of that in about 20 years, but for now, it was worth it.

#cloud nothings #punk rock #dylan baldi #wtmd #rocknroll

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Ryley Walker - Metro Gallery

The 10th time is a charm. I’m not exaggerating when I say I am enamored with the guitar playing, songwriting and singing of Chicago’s Ryley Walker. I first discovered his music on WTMD and saw him live at a July 2015 1st Thursday Concert in the Park. I have since traveled twice to Chicago and to the 2016 NY Guitar Festival to hear him play. I’ve gone from a fan to a supporter to a friend.

Ryley is a throwback (in a good way) to the best of British and American folk masters such as John Fahey, John Martyn, Bert Jansch, and Richard Thompson. Ryley’s songwriting and vocal phrasing has been compared to a young Van Morrison, specifically the Astral Weeks recording.

In Baltimore on January 25th, he brought two musicians in his band supporting the well-received Golden Sings That Have Been Sung, which was released last August.

Openers Zannie Hall and Functionary brought guitar-centric songs to the intimate Metro Gallery space.

Zannie Hall opened the evening by sharing new songs.

Former Baltimore band member in Wume now performs as Functionary.

Ryley and his band hit the stage at 10pm and played almost all of the songs on his new album. It’s no secret that Ryley is a Dead Head, bringing the best of the legendary improvisational group’s influences to his music and live shows.

Ryan Jewell gets comfortable on the floor playing tablas.

Ryan, with sleigh bells in his mouth, plays the cymbal with a violin bow.

The trio expanded on many of the already long songs on “Golden Sings That Have Been Sung”.

#ryley walker #metrogallery #zanniehall functionary live music

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Mitski - Black Cat D.C.

Rising indie force-to-be-reckoned-with Mitski Miyawaki, who performs by her first name only, played a sold out show at Washington, D.C.’s Black Cat on November 18, 2016. This show was the third time the singer-songwriter and guitarist has played the Maryland/DC area in the fall. Every time she plays, the crowds get larger, and for good reason.

I caught her at University of Maryland’s Next Fest and was just floored at the power of her voice. She nails the “fast playing loud singing” that is followed by barely a whisper vocal delivery. The audience, thankfully, was respectfully quiet.

Mitski is currently touring heavily in support of her full length debut called Puberty 2 on the Dead Oceans indie label. The basic theme of the majority of the songs focus on the struggles of being an adult, failed or failing relationships, and navigating an uncertain world filled with negativity. With that said, you would think the album would be really depressing — but it isn’t depressing. The word cathartic fits better for me.

The opening bands were both fantastic. Canadian quartet Weaves were loud and very energetic. Their lead singer, Jasmyn Burke, had a fierce attitude, yet finished most songs with a big smile.

Jasmyn Burke of Weaves

The second band to play, Fear of Men, is fronted by Jess Weiss.

Lots of movement from Fear of Men.

Jess Weiss of Fear of Men

After what seemed like a long wait, Mitski came on stage and gave it her all. I was told by her tour manager that the van broke down and they arrived about 30 minutes before the doors opened. The audience had no clue as Mitski just ripped into one song after the other without mentioning what happened earlier that afternoon.

Mitski and her band in very low light.

A rather grainy Mitski playing guitar.

The low light forced me to compensate my exposures, something I usually loathe. I spoke to another photographer and she was also deleting more photos then usual. I’m glad I spoke to her, because I was beginning to think I was having a really “bad photos” night.

Mitski and her guitarist made quite a lot of sound come out of two guitars.

Happily, there were songs played off of her release bury me at make out creek. I fell in love with the song drunk walk home, especially when she swears and it’s followed by a brutal wail. I was literally standing next to one of the massive speakers and even with good earplugs I had ringing ears about two hours after the show ended.

#mitski weaves fearofmen blackcatdc livemusic

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Live music reviews from 2013

Photos and commentary from live shows I’ve photographed

WTMD Live Lunch: The Alternate Routes Two of Connecticut’s favorite residents, Tim Warren and Eric Donnelly, were in the WTMD performance space on Friday, November 1, 2013 to play music and update fans on their new release Etcetera and talk about their song Nothing More. The co-founders of The Alternate Routes brought a bassist and drummer to add fullness to their show.

(l to r) Tim Warren, Eric Donnelly, their touring bassist and drummer

The song Nothing More was written to raise awareness for NewtownKindness.org, which was founded in memory of Charlotte Bacon, who passed away at the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in Newton, Connecticut in 2012. The band is splitting the proceeds of the song’s downloads with the organization. You can learn more about it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OXb3qBRTtYk

Tight harmonies from the two high school friends who started a band and have continued to write and play music.

Tim Warren

In addition to playing Nothing More, the band also performed fan-favorites Carry Me Home and The Future’s Nothing New.

WTMD Live Lunch: White Denim The four-piece Austin-based rock band White Denim played for a large audience at the beautiful WTMD performance space on Friday, October 18, 2013. The day before they appeared on The Late Show with David Letterman and shared some details about that experience. The band played many of the songs from their fifth studio release Corsicana Lemonade, and got an enthusiastic response after playing lead single Pretty Green. WTMD Program Director Scott Mullins interviewed front man James Petralli about life in Austin, the band’s increased national recognition, and his creative influences.

Primary songwriter and front man James Petralli.

(l to r) Steve Terebecki, James Petralli and Joshua Block (no relation).

WTMD Program Director Scott Mullins interviews James Petralli.

An animated James Petralli faces guitarist Austin Jenkins.

Music fans enjoy an hour of free music at the WTMD performance space.

WTMD September 1st Thursday Concert 2013 The last concert of the 2013 season featured returning 1st Thursdays performer Diego Garcia and his band along with headliner Joseph Arthur. The weather is always a concern, and thankfully, it was a beautiful evening. This was also the last season for the concerts to be held in West Mt. Vernon Park. The Washington Monument will be undergoing renovation, so the park will be unable to accommodate the several thousand people that attend the free shows. The station General Manager is tasked with finding a new home for the very popular concert series.

Diego Garcia and his band.

Diego Garcia sings love songs to the 1st Thursday audience.

Diego Garcia chose Baltimore to kick off a North American tour to support his new CD Paradise. Listeners were familiar with the lead single, Sunnier Days, and when it was played the audience responded by dancing. Garcia had a wonderful rapport with the crowd, encouraging them to sing along, remain dancing, and enjoy the beauty of the park.

Joseph Arthur Brooklyn, N.Y.-based musician and visual artist Joseph Arthur, along with a drummer, wowed the audience with songs from his recently-released CD The Ballad of Boogie Christ. Many of Arthur’s songs are deeply personal, revealing flaws and shortcomings on his journey through life. After recently becoming sober, Arthur describes life lived through the eyes of an addict on I Miss the Zoo. The more upbeat and catchy lead single, Saint of Impossible Causes, got the crowd singing along.

Joseph Arthur

Joseph Arthur and his touring drummer.

July 4th to remember Happiness was in plentiful amounts in Baltimore last night, especially in West Mt. Vernon Park, where several thousand people gathered to celebrate our country’s Independence Day. The evening kicked off at 5:15 with local talent Cara Kelly and the Tell Tale, next up was Nashville-based band (by way of Colorado Springs) Night Beds, followed by The Wild Feathers (from East Nashville).

Lots of sweat was flying around, as the humidity was a sopping 100%. It’s all good… because after weeks of rain (the grass and flowers were quite lush), we all got our wish for a beautiful evening.

Cara Kelly and the Tell Tale Unfortunately, I only heard Cara and her band due to driving around and around in an attempt to find a close parking spot. The lady has some pipes and a fabulous backing band. Next opportunity to see her and hopefully take some images, I will be front and center.

Night Beds Singer-songwriter/guitarist Winston Yellin, his brother Abe on drums and friends on slide guitar and bass perform as Night Beds. The sad, whiskey-soaked songs (hence the image below) of heartbreak, messing up relationships, and begging for forgiveness are all laid out like an open wound. I have had the pleasure of seeing this band before—in March of this year at a sold out Washington D.C. Black Cat gig. The review of that show is posted as Night Beds/Indians/Cat Martino. This time, I just wanted to take in the show and give myself a break. I stood in my favorite spot near the stage and let Winston and his trio perform their magic. I was thrilled, along with the appreciative crowd.

Artisanal whiskey hauled from Ohio and a beer from Baltimore’s Brewer’s Art.

The Wild Feathers Straight-ahead, loud rock-n-roll as it was meant to be heard. The five-piece includes Ricky Young (guitar), Taylor Burns (guitar), Preston Wimberly (guitar), Joel King (bass) and Ben Dumas (drums).

The Wild Feathers brought a Southern-inspired party to Mt.Vernon to celebrate July 4th.

Rockin’ out with The Wild Feathers.

Guitarist Taylor Preston

The band as viewed from backstage.

WTMD June 1st Thursday Concert 2013 It was a humid, overcast June 6th evening with rain threatening as the crowd gathered at West Mt. Vernon Park to see Goldspot, Ivan & Alyosha and Alpha Rev.

Goldspot The first band on stage was WTMD favorite Goldspot, playing songs from their new CD Aerogramme. Siddhartha Khosla, the band’s founder, has a new set of band mates and is now based in Brooklyn, NY after relocating from L.A. This band’s use of traditional Indian musical instruments brought a freshness to their songs.

I have fond memories of the original Goldspot lineup inaugurating the Towson University Arts Center in 2006 (I think it was that year). The band was based in L.A. then and played only three east coast shows; one in New York, one in Philly and one in Towson. The Towson show was the most well received, and Sidd always remembered the positive support from the Baltimore community.

Siddhartha Khosla on lead vocals and bouzouki.

Siddhartha plays a harmonium.

Side’s love of his Indian culture is represented with a colorful fabric table covering.

Ivan & Alyosha The second band to play was 5-piece Seattle band Ivan & Alyosha. No one in the band is named Ivan or Alyosha, by the way. They were on a cross-country tour in support of their debut CD All the Times We Had. Four of the five band members sing, so the harmonies were powerful and reached the far corners of the park. I had a chance to talk music and touring with Tim Kim and Pete after their set. In addition to being very nice, they were genuinely thrilled with the enthusiastic response from the audience, in spite of the rainfall. They expected people to leave in droves when it was heavily raining.

Ivan & Alyosha brought lots of energy in spite of the threatening rain and 100% humidity.

(l to r) Tim Kim, Matt Yeates, Tim Wilson, Pete Wilson and Ryan Carbary

Tim Wilson belting out a song for the audience.

Alpha Rev As Ivan & Alyosha finished their set the rain began falling harder, but that didn’t stop people from dancing and getting ready to hear headliners Alpha Rev. The quartet hails from Texas and is lead by singer-songwriter Casey McPherson. The songs on their 2013 release Bloom explore themes of redemption, creative expansion, personal growth and transformation.

Casey McPherson shared personal stories of family tragedy through song as only a singer-songwriter can.

Casey McPherson

Backstage view of Alpha Rev playing to a drenched audience.

WTMD May 1st Thursday Concert The 2013 WTMD Concert in the Park season kicked off with a tremendous line up from Bobby Long, Baltimore’s Great American Canyon Band and The Lone Bellow. The combination of a stellar line up and fantastic weather (68˚ and no humidity) drew about 10,000 music loving people to West Mt. Vernon Park. It was the biggest crowd yet, topping the 7,500 attendees from 2012, and ranging in age from infants to the AARP set.

British singer-songwriter/rocker Bobby Long and his band opened the show. The trio was in fine form and Bobby seamlessly switched from electric to acoustic guitar. He sang many songs from his sophomore album, Wishbone. The song I’m most familiar with is Devil Moon, and many in the crowd were singing along.

Bobby Long’s expression says it all.

Bobby Long and his band mates.

This young man knows how to play the blues.

Bobby proceeded to play Worry About That Now, How Do I?, When I Come Around, Without Me and You, Somethings, Line of Sight, and Anytime. (I didn’t get to see a formal set list, so don’t hold my ears and memory to this song set.)

Great American Canyon Band The second act to play was Baltimore’s Great American Canyon Band, consisting of married couple Paul and Krystal Jean Masson. As noted in an older post, I photographed the band in 2010 when they were going by Paul Masson Band. At that time, the Paul Masson Band opened for Joshua James at a 1st Thursday Concert in the Park.

The Massons moved to Chicago a few years ago, then moved back to Baltimore. They have found a solid ground in their new effort, and are getting the attention of taste makers such as NPR Music and the World Cafe’s Next Artist series of up and coming musicians.The duo played songs from their EP, Lost at Sea, and closed with the title track.

Krystal and Paul Masson

Not too many people got to see this angle, complete with lyrics and notes.

Singer songwriter Paul Masson

My only criticism is that their set was too soft. They were competing with the sounds of a city, and their lush music didn’t project the way I hoped it would. This is something that can easily be corrected, as I’m sure they’re used to playing indoors where the environment is more favorable to a quieter set of music.

The Lone Bellow Headliners The Lone Bellow took the stage to thunderous applause and lots of cheering. Lead singer Zach Williams told the crowd “we’re playing 90 minutes and only have one album’s worth of songs, so we’re just going to start making up stuff.” He proceeded to toss out song titles that reflected his immediate surroundings, mentioning the Wyndham Peabody Hotel and That Lion I’m Going to Dream About Tonight. (crowd photo with lion below)

(l to r) Brian Elmquist, Zach Williams, Kanene Pipkin, Brian Griffin and Jason Pipkin

Their second song was the first single You Never Need Nobody and the very large audience was enthusiastically singing along. The band switched from up tempo songs such as Green Eyes and a Heart of Gold to the ballads Two Sides of Lonely and Looking for You. The tempo swings continued throughout the night, and at one point, almost everyone just stayed standing. What’s the point of sitting down when you’re just going to get up again and continue dancing?

Brian Elmquist, leaping Zach Williams and Kanene Pipkin

Zach Williams “conducts” the audience sing-along, while Brian and Kanene harmonize.

A small portion of the 10,000 attendees along with the aforementioned lion.

I have been coming to the concert series since it’s inception in 2005 (I think that’s when it began), and I can honestly say this was my absolute favorite show. There have been many fabulous performers, but The Lone Bellow really impressed me.

The fantastic set of music came to an end around 9pm. After giving their all on stage, the band members signed posters, CDs, and albums, and were photographed in countless smartphone pictures by appreciative fans. I had the pleasure of talking with Zach and Brian Elmquist while Brian was drinking a Natty Boh and trying to unwind. The Natty Boh was a nice touch, even if it isn’t brewed in Baltimore anymore.

If you were lucky enough to be present at this concert, you will remember the time you saw this fast-rising band in an intimate setting. Perhaps when you’re watching them perform on Leno in the near future, or at Bumbershoot, or Newport Folk Festival, or Wolf Trap when they open for Brandi Carlile this July.

Night Beds/Indians/Cat Martino I had great anticipation for this sold out show as I have become a huge fan of Night Beds. Their CD Country Sleep has quickly become one of my favorite releases of the year. I was also looking forward to hearing Indians live. My only knowledge of them is from watching a three-song video created by their label (4AD). I had not heard anything about Cat Martino but was curious, so I arrived early to find out.

Cat Martino 

The Black Cat was full of ethereal sounds as I walked into the Backstage room on Sunday night. Cat Martino was singing over a wall of keyboards along with her bandmate Sven. It was quite dark in the room, since the stage was only lit by a single red spotlight. Their music was built with many layers of keyboards and Cat’s use of a looping pedal. Her voice was strong and soared over the lush, mesmerizing sounds.

The duo played songs from their latest release, Yr Not Alone, an EP which came out in January. In addition to playing keyboards, Cat also played a snare drum with one hand and used a kick drum. I couldn’t help but think of Wye Oak’s Andy Stack while watching her perform. According to Martino’s web site, she has toured internationally, opening shows for Rufus Wainwright, RIDE frontman Mark Gardener, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, and more.

Indians 

The Danish multi-instrumentalist Søren Løkke Juul performs as Indians. He primarily plays keyboards but picked up an acoustic guitar for a few songs. Reviews of Søren’s music have noted similarities to Sigur Ros blended with a bit of Bon Iver. I agree, and found myself liking the songs with guitar since it added another dimension to the music.

The songs I Am Haunted, Bird, New and Magic Kids are from his 4AD debut called Somewhere Else. The lyrics tell stories of love, longing and hope over languid melodies.

Søren Løkke Juul

I recognized one of the two female musicians as Heather from Sharon Van Etten’s touring band. My guess was confirmed when Søren introduced her. Heather played an electronic drum pad when she wasn’t playing keys.

I noticed that Indians will be hitting Austin later this week as part of SXSW. They’ll be playing an HGTV + Paste Presents show at the Stage on Sixth. Their star is rising, and that likely translates to a larger venue the next time the band plays the DC/Baltimore area.

Night Beds The five piece Nashville-based band led by Winston Yellen took the tiny stage around 10:45pm. They started with Faithful Heights and followed with Ramona. Winston said the last time he was here (guessing he meant DC and not the venue), there were eight people. He then added, “What happen?” Well, for one thing, a collection of 10 wonderful, hauntingly beautiful songs called Country Sleep. Music critics have made comparisons of Winston Yellen’s music, dark lyrics and soaring voice to that of the late Jeff Buckley.

Winston kept thanking the crowd, and seemed genuinely happy with a 200 person room packed to the point of people standing on the church pew along the wall. He announced that his Mom was present, along with other family and friends, on this last stop of the tour. Night Beds was also playing a full schedule of shows at SXSW.

Winston Yellen

The band played all of the songs on Country Sleep; the aching songs of lost love such as Cherry Blossoms, Was I For You?, and Lost Springs translated well in the intimate venue. An older song, Night Beds, in addition to a cover of Fleetwood Mac’s Silver Springs and Mac DeMarco’s Dreamin’ rounded out the set. The range of Winston’s voice is quite wide, which provides the listener with a stellar live performance experience. As a raucous end to the set, Winston furiously strummed his guitar while facing the stacked amps, before falling to the floor. The band quickly ran off stage to cheering, whooping and whistling. After a brief break, Yellen returned, a bit winded, to sing TENN as the encore.

I had the opportunity to speak with Winston after the show, and he said the show they just gave was the best of the tour. I challenged him about that statement, and he expanded on it by saying he was happy the crowd was quiet during the songs. The audience wasn’t as respectful at the previous night’s show, and the band cut their set short as a reaction to the high level of chatter. 

We spoke about his upcoming SXSW shows, and I was able to inform him of the circus-like atmosphere that the famous festival has morphed into. It was much more enjoyable for me to attend when there were only 5,000 attendees versus the 15,000 attendees (give or take a few thousand) in 2012.

I asked Winston if they would play in Baltimore on the next tour. He immediately said, “Yes, Baltimore is on our list for the next time we circle around.” With that comment, I left even happier than I already was after the Night Beds set was finished.

Winston Yellen covering a Mac Demarco song.

7Horse/Jerad Finck/dada California duo 7Horse, Spokane, Washington singer-songwriter Jerad Finck, and rock-power pop trio dada played Recher Theatre on Saturday, February 23, 2013. 7Horse is a side project of dada drummer Phil Leavitt and guitarist/bassist Joie Calio. Baltimore band The Royal Wigs were added to the line up at the last minute and played for about 25 minutes to a very small audience.

dada has been touring since late January to celebrate the 20th Anniversary of their Puzzle release. I was introduced to the band in 1992 when I worked for Capitol Records’ distribution division, Cema Distribution. Money was so tight that I got paid in CDs every other month and Puzzle was included in my large stack one month. I’ve been a huge fan of that CD ever since, and have revisited it many times over the last 20 years. It’s one of my “stranded on a desert island” CDs.

Joie Calio and Phil Levitt (2/3rds of dada)

7Horse singing Low Fuel Drug Run

Total concentration from Phil Levitt.

Joie Calio tearing it up with the finger slide.

I had the pleasure of hearing 7Horse play live during the June 2012 WTMD 1st Thursday Concert in the Park. The duo played plenty of songs from their debut Let the 7Horse Run, including Blackjack Moon and Mind of My Own. The audience sang along to their first single, Low Fuel Drug Run and likely considered Phil’s offer to join the duo in the tour bus for a quick run up north. Three new songs were also played, Famous Faces, The Party’s On and Weeds.

Meeting Phil Leavitt and Joie Calio in the musician’s tent in June of 2012 was quite special for me. When learning of their winter tour, I reached out to Phil for an opportunity to take photos, and he gave the “yes” I was hoping to hear.

Jerad Finck played next and I’m guessing no one in the room had seen him live. That’s got to be a tough position to be in for a musician. He sang two songs and the audience was quickly cheering. It was my first time hearing him play, and I was impressed by his musicianship and lyrics. He said he’s just been signed to Warner Brothers Records and usually plays as a five-piece band. Finck used looping pedals to give his songs a fullness that is impossible to achieve with just one guitar. I was not happy with my photos of Jerad, so I’m not posting any sub-par images.

After a short break, dada finally took the stage. Michael Gurley, Phil and Joie entered the stage to cheers and whistling from an appreciative audience. Phil started drumming, and I recognized the riff from Posters off of Puzzle. Their long set was off to a rousing start! Other songs played from Puzzle included Dorina, Here Today, Gone Tomorrow, Dim, and their well known single, Dizz Knee Land, which the audience happily sang with them.

I first saw the band at Max’s On Broadway in Fells Point (before it was just known for craft beer), when they toured in support of Puzzle. One wonders if, after 20 years, a band can still pull off a high level of talent for 90 minutes. No one faltered on any of the songs and the interaction and smiles were genuine between these three musicians. More songs were played from American Highway Flower and El Subliminoso, their second and third releases respectively.

Two standout covers were California Dreamin’ and a slow, bluesy version of Take the Last Train to Clarksville. I did stop taking photos long enough to sing to my favorites and savor what I waited so long to see. After the last encore, Phil and Joie came out to sign CDs and talk with their fans. It was a fabulous night of hard rockin’ music with a sweet interlude of intelligently written songs! I’m already looking forward to their return to Baltimore.

(l to r) Joie Calio, Michael Gurley and Phil Levitt

Many years ago, Michael Gurley played guitar so fast and hard that he needed carpel tunnel surgery to repair his damaged wrist. Thankfully, those days are behind him.

Joie Calio tears it up with the finger slide.

#7horse #dada #nightbeds #winstonyellen #thealternateroutes whitedenim bobbylong indians thewildfeathers alpharev ivan&alyosha goldspot josepharthur diagogarcia #thelonebellow

[baltocourtney-blog]

Live music reviews from 2014

WTMD September 1st Thursday Concert 2014 The last show of the season is yet another reminder that summer is coming to a close. Many people give this designation to Labor Day weekend, but for me it’s the final WTMD 1st Thursday concert. The lineup consisted of Among Wolves, Hamilton Leithauser and headliners The Hold Steady.

Happily, the weather cooperated since it was a beautiful night after a rather humid day. This year’s series was one show short due to the July concert being cancelled after a fierce thunderstorm passed through the city.

Among Wolves The Baltimore band won a spot as the opener after coming in first in the WTMD Baltimore Band Block Party. Eighteen musicians and bands competed for great prizes, one of which was opening at a 1st Thursday show. This band has been building momentum and were chosen to play Artscape 2014, which was another big opportunity to expose new fans to their music.

I had not seen the band before and was quite impressed with their sound and energy. The four-piece (expanded to five tonight) played songs from their recently released EP Separations & Other Loves.

Baltimore’s Among Wolves

Billy Tiedeken and Jason Butcher

Hamilton Leithauser Washington, D.C. native Hamilton Leithauser and his band took to the stage as the sun was setting. The former front man of The Walkman played songs from his album Black Hours. Leithauser’s powerful voice was fully showcased at the end of the set when he put aside the guitar to stun the audience with two ballads.

Hamilton Leithauser

Hamilton Leithauser and his band

The Hold Steady The crowd swelled to capacity in anticipation of The Hold Steady, even the VIP section was more crowded than it had been all season. Photographers were kept to the traditional “first three songs and no flash” rule so as not to distract the band. After a brief sound check, the crowd was forced to wait a bit longer for the Brooklyn-based band to take the stage as a song (not by THS) played over the sound system. Finally, the band members ascended the stairs and walked onto the stage to a rupture of applause and whooping.

Lead singer Craig Finn was waving to the audience and they were giving him back the love. Finn was in almost constant motion; often jumping up and down or walking fast around the stage with hands spread.

Many songs from Boys and Girls in America were played during the set, along with several from their recently released Teeth Dreams album, and 2008’s Stay Positive.

Steve Selvidge and Craig Finn

The Hold Steady

Craig Finn

Craig Finn worked both sides of the stage, clapping and reaching out to acknowledge fans in all areas of the park. He professed his love for Baltimore since his days in his former band Lifter Puller.

I left the show 30 minutes before it ended in order to relieve the woman taking care of my dad (I’m his primary caregiver). I’m guessing there was a raucous end to the set, befitting one of the most enthusiastic bands to play a 1st Thursday Concert in the Park to date.

#AmongWolves #Hamilton Leithauser #TheHoldSteady #CraigFinn #WTMD #livemusic

WTMD June 1st Thursday Concert 2014 June 5th was a beautiful night for any outdoor activity. A large crowd filled Canton Waterfront Park for the best attended 1st Thursdays concert to date. This month’s line up was LP, Spanish Gold and headliners Los Lonely Boys.

LP LP (born Laura Pergolizzi) took the stage to sing songs from her third album Forever for Now. Her soaring strong voice had the crowd whistling and yelling after each song. LP’s instrument of choice is the ukulele, not typical, but it works with her songwriting.

LP (center) and her band

The audience was even more frenetic when she sang the lead single Night Like This from her current album. About halfway through the show, the singer took the mic off of its stand, stood at the edge of the stage and just belted out a song.

LP impresses the audience with her vocal range

The crowd responded with whoops and cheers. LP continued to thank the audience and the station for being so supportive of her music. She then sang her most well known song, Into the Wild. After a few more songs, LP’s set was over, as she exited the stage to much applause from an appreciative crowd.

LP whistling during “Into the Wild”.

Spanish Gold The three piece is comprised of Dante Schwebel, lead singer and guitarist (also guitarist for City and Colour), Patrick Hallahan, drummer (drummer for My Morning Jacket), and guitarist Adrian Quesada (formally of Groupo Fantasma). They brought along a bassist and two back up singers/percussionists for the performance.

Spanish Gold’s expanded touring band.

The band played songs from their debut album South of Nowhere. I’ll admit I’m a sucker for a dramatic drummer, and Patrick Hallahan provided plenty of emotive facial expressions and flying long hair.

Patrick Hallahan in full-on rock and roll mode.

Dante Schwebel recognized WTMD for being the first radio station in the country to play the first single Out on the Street. He also apologized for the long sound check, which did seem to drag on past the usual 10 minute ones. I don’t know if the band arrived late or why a sound check wasn’t done before the gates opened. They still put on a good set full of music with solo guitar jams and a pounding back beat.

Spanish Gold

Los Lonely Boys Headliners Los Lonely Boys asked the audience if they were ready for some Texican rock ‘n roll before they ripped into their long set of music. The brothers Garza define Texican rock ‘n roll as a combination of rock ‘n oll, Texas blues, brown eyed soul, country and Tejano (according to their web site). The reply from the crowd was a thunderous cheer. What followed was about 75 minutes of feel good music even when the topic was about heartbreak or a bad relationship.

(l to r) Henry, Ringo and JoJo Garza

Ringo Garza (behind drum kit) and bassist JoJo Garza

The band is touring in support of their CD Revelation, which came out in January. Their first song of the night was Don’t Walk Away, which was sung by JoJo. Henry and JoJo really had fun when they took turns on guitar and bass solos. The hours of practice and years of playing shows provide fans with quite a show of talent.

The crowd was waiting for the Los Lonely Boys’ breakout hit Heaven. It came as their first encore. The audience went wild and sang along. The second encore was a cover of the Spencer Davis Group’s I’m a Man.

I was pulling out of the parking lot as the song was finishing, so I don’t know if there was a third encore. Even if there was not, Los Lonely Boys put the wrap on another wonderful night of music by the water.

Henry Garza

Los Lonely Boys and their percussionist.

WTMD May 1st Thursday Concert 2014 A new season of the very successful free WTMD 1st Thursdays Concert in the Park series began at a new location — Canton Waterfront Park. The move was necessary due to the restoration of the Washington Monument in Mt. Vernon, home of the 1st Thursdays concerts for the last six years. In spite of cloudy skies and wet grass, about 2,000 music fans inaugurated the 2014 show featuring Marah, Joseph Arthur and headliner Joan Osborne.

Marah Marah brought their “Mountain Minstrelsy of Pennsylvania” to the stage and likely won over a lot of new fans. This band has been around for more than a decade and were in Baltimore to support their 11th full length collection. Perhaps most unusual about the scene on stage was the young boy playing violin and guitar. His name is Gus Tritsch and he’s a 10-year-old fiddle prodigy who is new to the band.

Marah kicks off the new season and new location of free summer concerts in Canton Waterfront Park.

Gus Tritsch plays a cigar box guitar and stole the spotlight.

The band’s music incorporates rock n’ roll, blues, country and folk into their sound. The group has relocated its base to rural central Pennsylvania from the hipster-hub of Brooklyn, NY.

Joseph Arthur Brooklyn, New York-based musician Joseph Arthur returned to 1st Thursdays to play songs from 2013’s The Ballad of Boogie Christ and one from his new Lou Reed tribute album, Lou. The sky was darkening and sure enough, right as he was ready to go on stage, a heavy rain began falling. Joseph waited a few minutes but soon braved the elements to start his set. The rain did stop so umbrellas could be collapsed for improved views. Joseph took a few minutes to talk about his friend Lou Reed before singing his cover of Walk on the Wild Side.

Joseph Arthur

Joseph Arthur sang his cover of his late friend Lou Reed’s Walk on the Wild Side.

Joan Osborne Headliner Joan Osborne came on stage wearing a light sweater and carrying a mug of tea. It was appropriate given the cool air that came in after the rain. Osborne was grateful for the enthusiastic reception and was impressed the crowd didn’t disperse after the rain fell. The set stretched from her 1995 Grammy-nominated Relish to the just-released Love and Hate. I recognized the new single, Thirsty for My Tears and a few others since the new collection was the station’s April CD of the Month.

Joan Osborne

A few songs from 2012’s Bring It On Home were included in the hour long show. Osborne danced throughout her set and looked like she was having a lot of fun. The last two songs, One of Us (her most well-known song) and St. Teresa, were taken from Relish.

Joan Osborne made sure the attendees at the back of the park had no trouble hearing her voice.

Joan Osborne punctuating the chorus of a song.

#LP SpanishGold LosLonelyBoys WTMD livemusic #josepharthur #joanosborne #marah

[baltocourtney-blog]

2016 Best Live Music Photos

Amy Helm and the Handsome Strangers perform at the first WTMD Rock ‘N Roll Chili Bowl cooking competition and concert.

#AmyHelm #AmyHelmandtheHandsomeStrangers #livemusicphoto

Andy Bopp, his fantastic band and a large crowd, at WTMD’s June 1st Thursday Concert in the Park.

#AndyBopp #WarrenBoes #AndrewGrimm #WTMD

Chicago’s Anton Hatwich & Ryley Walker in the cavernous Met Cloisters chapel during the NY Guitar Festival.

#AntonHatwich #RyleyWalker #NYGuitarFestival2016

Members of Sun Club perform at a fund raiser for the fire-damaged Baltimore Book Thing on a sweltering Memorial Day.

#SunClub #BaltimoreBookThing

Devin Mccord of Sun Club destroys the drum kit at the Peabody Brewery for a Baltimore Book Thing benefit concert.

#SunClub #BaltimoreBookThing

Australia’s Boy & Bear entertain the crowd at June’s WTMD 1st Thursday Concert in the Park.

#Boy&Bear #WTMD

Backstage view of Boy & Bear as they sing to a very crowed Canton Waterfront Park full of music fans.

#Boy&Bear #livemusicphoto

New Orleans guitarist and producer Anders Osborne jams with Baltimore musician Cris Jacobs.

#AndersOsborne #CrisJacobs

Husband and wife, bandmates, proud parents David Wax and Suz Slezak of David Wax Museum.

#DavidWaxMuseum

David and Suz play a WTMD live Live Lunch show. Suz is playing a donkey jaw bone.

#DavidWaxMuseum

Haley Fohr, who performs as Circuit des Yeux, plays the 12 string guitar at a Rock ‘N Roll Hotel show that blew the mind of those present.

#CircuitdesYeux #RockNRollHotelDC

Mike Taylor, who records as Hiss Golden Messenger, performs with his band at a WTMD October Happy Hour show.

#HissGoldenMessenger

Former Baltimore resident Jenn Wasner plays for a crowd at BWI Airport as part of WTMD’s BWI Live series of concerts near the Southwest Air baggage claim. Her solo alter ego records as Flock of Dimes when she’s not one half of Wye Oak.

#FlockofDimes #BWIAirport

New Zealand native Marlon Williams sounds as if he was born and raised in south Texas. This man loves bluegrass and can yodel with the best of them.

#MarlonWilliams

Matt Bishop, lead singer and guitarist for Seattle band Hey Marseilles, in front of a beautiful blue sky.

#HeyMarseilles

Crowd favorites Moon Taxi got the audience dancing at the July WTMD 1st Thursday Concert in the Park.

#MoonTaxi

Harmonicist Dustin Arbuckle and Kendall Newby tear up the stage during the May WTMD 1st Thursday Concert in the Park. Their band, Moreland & Arbuckle, kicked off the 2016 season of free shows.

#Moreland&Arbuckle #WTMD

Oliver John-Rodgers (or OJR) performs with his band at the season closing September WTMD 1st Thursday Concert in the Park.

#OJR #WTMD

Seven-piece New Orleans-based band The Revivalists brought the crowd to its feet and they stayed dancing for over an hour.

#TheRevivalists #livemusicphoto

Glenmont Popes’ guitarist (and pie maker) Rodney Henry tears it up during a mid-summer food truck rally in Baltimore City.

#RodneyHenry

[baltocourtney-blog]

Happy to be active again on tumblr!

It’s been a few years as I had switched to WordPress for my blog posts. Well, my affair w/WP is over.

Currently editing and gathering my take on a very active and strong year captured in live music photography.