DC's biggest blog for concert reviews
Rosanne Cash placed as one of Mark Engleson’s top shows of the year. Read on to see who else made the cut. (Photo by David LaMason)
Editor’s Note: This year, we asked our bloggers to name their Top 10 shows of 2019 or choose their Top 10 photos of the year. We will run them over the course of mid-December as our Best of the Year posts.
Editor (again): After much consideration, the prolific Mark Engleson chose his top 10 shows for 2019.
Reckless Kelly (Photo by Carl Dunn)
Willy Braun, rhythm guitarist and lead vocalist of Reckless Kelly, strummed his guitar to open the band’s show at the AMP by Strathmore recently. As he got going on “Thelma,” the story of a faded country star, his brother Cody joined on him on fiddle.
Shemekia Copeland (Photo by Mike White)
Shemekia Copeland took command of the stage at the AMP by Strathmore recently as her band played the opening notes of the blues-rock anthem “Ain’t Got Time for Hate.” Co-written by ace songwriters John Hahn and Will Kimbrough (who also produced), the song leads off her latest album, the roots-infused America’s Child.
Amy Helm performs at the Paramount Theatre in Rutland, Vermont, on Nov. 21, 2014. (Photo by Michael O’Brien)
When you see Amy Helm perform, you believe that she’s taller than she actually is. Amy performed with livewire energy, and she carried herself with the regal stature of trueborn rock royalty in her show at AMP by Srathmore recently. She felt the spirit, and it moved her body.
Amy Helm (Photo by Jana Leon)
Singer-songwriter Amy Helm, daughter of Levon Helm of The Band, released This Too Shall Light, a new 10-song album, via Yep Roc Records in September. She performs at AMP by Strathmore on Thursday, June 27.
Darrell Scott (Photo by Jim McGuire)
Darrell Scott is a master songwriter: Travis Tritt and the Dixie Chicks have taken his songs to the Country Top 5, he’s been voted Nashville Songwriter of the Year, and he’s received a Grammy nomination for Best Country Song.
But Darrell also has the blues deep down inside his body, his bones, his heart, and his soul. Not the kind of blues you have when you’re sad. This kind of the blues that is the fire in the belly of all American music. It is seductive danger and gentle love, the harsh growl of the wolf of the door and the tender croon of the father’s lullaby at the baby’s cradle. And it all came out at a recent show at AMP by Strathmore.