Dirty Honey
Can’t Find the Brakes Tour
Rams Head Live! – Baltimore, Maryland

Dirty Honey brought their California rock and roll to Rams Head Live! in Baltimore recently and played a smoking set showcasing music from their brand new album, Can’t Find the Brakes.

Texas guitarist and singer Austin Meade brought his band to Baltimore as the opening act for Dirty Honey on Nov. 3.

They entertained the crowd with a nice set of original southern rock songs, some with a slight country tinge, along with their multi color light show. Austin Meade’s most recent album is Abstract Art of an Unstable Mind, released in 2022.

Highlights of the set were the songs “Happier Alone,” their new single, “Blackout,” and a wistfully sweet “Deja Vu.”

Watch Austin Meade perform “Blackout” live on Haute Spot on YouTube:

The band definitely made new fans this night and are ones to watch in the future.

Dirty Honey is a bluesy, hard rock band from Los Angeles, California, that has been making waves in the rock scene with their catchy songs and energetic live performances.

Led by charismatic frontman Marc LaBelle and gunslinging guitarist John Notto, Dirty Honey are touring to support their latest album, Can’t Find the Brakes which was released on Friday, Nov. 3 — the same day the band performed at Rams Head Live! The tour will take the band across North America until Dec. 15.

The crowd was buzzing in anticipation and then the house lights dimmed and the California foursome took the stage.

Opening their set with the title track from their brand new sophomore album, Can’t Find the Brakes, bassist Justin Smolian’s smoking bass runs started the song and he was joined by guitarist John Notto and new drummer Jaydon Bean.

The band were grooving as they laid down an uptempo music bed for singer Marc LaBelle to tell the story of a young lady living a fast life with no intention of slowing down.

In the middle of the song John ripped a blazing run up and down the fret board while Jaydon provided harmonies to Marc’s vocals.

The night would find the band mixing in half a dozen tracks from their new album with older songs from their catalog along with a couple of cover songs.

“California Dreamin'” was one of Dirty Honey’s first singles that made rock fans sit up and take notice of the new guys in town. The stinging rocker “Heartbreaker” let everyone know that the band was no one hit wonder and the presence of both songs in the set list Friday night, set the tone for the evening.

Watch Dirty Honey perform “Heartbreaker” live for Suitcase Sessions on YouTube:

The grungy strut of “Scars” led into the even grungier “Dirty Mind” and the kinky “Tied Up,” which extolled the fun one can have with a free wheeling partner.

The boys performed a countrified cover of “Honky Tonk Women,” by the Rolling Stones and then followed that up with some thing from their latest album, a chugging, 70’s style rocker called “Don’t Put Out the Fire.”

A sludgy take on Prince’s “Let’s Go Crazy” had the fans dancing and singing along with Marc while John delivered a wailing solo before the pace picked up to close the number. When the song ended, Marc thanked the cheering crowd for their enthusiasm.

Dirty Honey then slowed things down a little with a trio of earlier songs from their back catalog, “The Wire” and the ballad “Another Last Time” along with the break up kiss off of “When I’m Gone,” before briefly leaving the stage. The band returned to the stage for the encore and they ripped through their brand new single, “Won’t Take Me Alive,” which warned everybody not to mess with them or else. They followed that scorching rocker with the fan favorite “Rolling 7s,” from the band’s 2019 Dirty Honey album, and it closed the set to loud cheers from the audience.

But there was one final piece of business to take care of as guitarist John Notto and the guys in the band led the audience in singing “Happy Birthday” to frontman Marc LaBelle, who was celebrating his 37th birthday, that very night.

Dirty Honey has taken the rock and roll music from bands like Aerosmith, Humble Pie, and the Black Crowes — and added their modern take to create a wonderful blend of rock, blues, jazz-influenced bass, and a hint of gospel style backing vocals for today’s audiences to enjoy. Catch the band during their current North American trek.

Dirty Honey are:
• Marc LaBelle – Vocals
• Jaydon Bean – Drums, backing vocals
• Justin Smolian – Bass
• John Notto – Guitar, backing vocals

Setlist

1. Can’t Find the Brakes
2. California Dreamin’
3. Heartbreaker
4. Scars
5. Dirty Mind
6. Tied Up
7. Coming Home (Ballad of the Shire)
8. Hony Tonk Women (Rolling Stones Cover)
9. Don’t Put Out the Fire 10. Let’s Go Crazy
11. The Wire
12. Another Last Time
13. When I’m Gone

Encore

14. Won’t Take Me Alive
15. Rolling 7s
16. Happy Birthday (sung for Marc LaBelle’s 37th birthday)

Here are some photos of Austin Meade opening Dirty Honey at Rams Head Live! on Nov. 3, 2023. All pictures copyright and courtesy of Michael Sprouse.

Here are some photos of Dirty Honey headlining Rams Head Live! on Nov. 3. All pictures copyright and courtesy of Michael Sprouse.