u/SlipNo3048

I saw The Jungle Giants at Union Stage in Washington, D.C. on Saturday, October 3rd and it was a really interesting show that both gave me some insight into their sound, and made me ask some questions about it. The music was really enjoyable, dancey as expected, and in front of a surprisingly half full Union Stage, it felt like a basement party with a DJ that happened to actually be a band. 

More show thoughts at tourchmusic.com

The Music 

They played in just a four piece: Vocals (sometimes guitar, too), lead guitar, bass (sometimes keyboard/synth and backing vocals), and drums. I say “just” because it’s a little surprising that a band with such rapid sound has just four instruments going at once (and most of the time just three, at least in this set list), but I didn’t realize how much sound comes from their guitar. Cesira Aitken brings so much sound to their songs, it feels like she stretches the limits of what a guitar can sound like. 

For example, in “Time and Time Again,” the guitar sound was so screechy, I would have never guessed it was coming from a guitar. And in “Heavy Hearted,” she actually played the part on guitar that sounds like a human saying “Heavyyyyyy” in the chorus. I always assumed that was just a heavy studio effect they either put on a vocal or some synth. It came out so pinched, so thin yet so heavy and distorted. Saturated might be the better word for it. I had never heard a guitar sound remotely like that in live performance, at least I don’t think. She really, almost literally, makes the guitar talk in that song, as it sounds like it’s saying “Heavy.” I really found that amazing. 

Similarly, I did not think the instrumental in the chorus of “Feel the Way I Do” was a guitar. Really cool. 

The dance-heavy sound is really fun live, and they lean into it well. For example, they played a super groovy intro for “In Her Eyes,” with the bassist bouncing around really feeling the song within him, it was cool. That was one of my favorite parts of the show. They also pull this off pretty genuinely. It’s such an electronic, DJ sound, but they’re making it right in front of you. And as I said, so much of it seems to come from guitar, which is fucking awesome. I will say, they seemed to have some supportive pre-recorded sound, especially some vocally (I’m pretty sure I heard Sam’s voice without him singing, making me think that some parts of songs had a backing vocal track), but still, Sam was singing, just sometimes with something behind him. He has pinching voice that goes well with their instrumentals, of course. He hit some impressive high notes. 

Now one more note on the guitar: I swear I saw Aitken holding something in her right hand as she was playing (that wasn’t a pick). It looked like a small black speaker, but obviously wasn’t a speaker. I saw a blue light on it, and my thought is that it’s some kind of instrument that she uses, along with her pedals, to make the guitar sound the way it does. I just watched an interview Sam and Aitken did for Triple J when they played their cover of “Born Slippy” (which they played at this show), and Cesira mentioned that they put a “mini pickup” in the guitar to make it “not sound like a guitar at all.” So I’d imagine, that mini pickup is what I was seeing. Super interesting! If anyone has any further insight on this, please share your thoughts. 

Overall, the music was life-pumping, with really bright, glittery sound to it that was (mostly) coming from the band, being genuinely made right in front of you, which is hard to pull off with music like The Jungle Giants make. They seem right at home in a small club in a dark room with people dancing in plenty of space, but I can also see why they’re great in a totally different venue, like at festivals. Like I said, their sound really pumps life into ya, and that seems to carry effectively into small, and big spaces. 

The Band

If you can’t tell, I’m a big fan of Cesira Aitken, just the way that she plays guitar and the way she was on stage. She (at least in this performance) was very stoic, did not show a lot of emotion, and overall just looked killer playing guitar. Just a cool-looking guitarist that makes some awesome sounds. 

The bassist, Andrew Dooris, was a little jumping bean, bouncing around the stage a lot and really feeling the songs. 

Together, they’re pretty intense in their performance, but especially Aitken and Dooris. Like any band, they’re pretty locked in on the music, but not every band necessary looks like they are that focused. These guys did. Some bands and band members have a really loose persona on stage, but it felt like The Jungle Giants did everything hard, and they felt their music a lot. It was as if they were in a trance within their own sound. That may be exaggerating a little bit, but I’m trying to paint a picture here. They looked like they were feeling their music as if they weren’t the ones playing it. Like they were really into a sound that was separate from them, yet they were so attached to it. They had a cool intensity about them. 

Some interesting things the band did/said were:

Seven songs in, after “Love Signs,” Hales shouted out the band’s tech, Brodie. He had the crowd chant “Fuck yeah Brodie, fuck yeah Brodie…” which was funny. Hales also mentioned here that they’re having a great time on tour, etc. I give him credit for staying really enthusiastic and interacting with the crowd even though it was such a small turn out. 

Crowd cam: Hales mentioned that they take a lot of photos on tour, and a lot of them are of themselves or of the crowd from the stage, but they want to have people in the crowd take photos themselves on this tour, so he gave a polaroid to one of the people in the front near the stage and told them to pass it around and everyone take a selfie, then they continued playing. The camera did indeed get passed around, and it made it back to the stage 2-3 songs later. 

Towards the end of the set, Hales said some really nice things about the new album, the band, this tour, etc. that I described as a “monologue of gratitude.” He mentioned how much it meant for everyone to come out for this tour, and said the album name is "Experiencing Feelings of Joy” and it’s special (because of that message in it: feeling joy. At least that’s what I took away from this). And he talked about how this album took time to write, but “sometimes good things take time,” and that he went through a lot to write it: “a lot of shit happened: a breakup, writer’s block…” And the most powerful thing he said, in my opinion, was at the end: “... and we’ve never been more in love as a band.” That’s a pretty big statement, and it didn’t feel like bullshit. And I really don’t think most bands/frontmen/women would say that if it wasn’t true. But who knows?

Hales also encouraged the crowd to come closer to the stage at one point, invitingly saying “Bring it on in D.C… Don’t be afraid to get a little close.” Again, I thought he/they did a great job of not letting a small crowd affect their energy. They were really professional about it, especially Hales being the one interacting with the crowd the most directly. 

Hales also gave a compliment to the people in the front row, saying, “The lyric singing is on point. D.C.’s a singin’ town!” He said how he loves to see people singing all the words. 

The Setlist

I got to the show late, walking in at 8:04. I had missed the first four songs, I believe. But, I actually took home a setlist! At the end of the show, there was a chair near all the audio equipment in the back of the room that had a couple setlists on top of it, and I just took one. I’m gonna paste it here exactly how it was written below, including the parts that were cues for what Hales should talk about in between songs (my explanations for that are in parentheses)

1. How Can I Replace You
2. Tell me How I Feel
3. Sending me Your Lovin
4. Bad Dream

• “Welcome” (Hales welcomed the crowd)

1. Where Can I Put All My Love 
2. Lovesick
3. Love Signs

• “Support/Morning Silk” (Hales gave Morning Silk a shoutout, and their tech Brodie, then introduced the band)

  

1. She’s a Riot

• Crowd Cam

1. Time and Time Again
2. In Her Eyes
3. Feel the Way I do

• “Crowd Cam” (Hales passed around a camera to the crowd)

1. It it Love
2. In Her Eyes
3. Feel the Way I do

• “Album Chat” (Hales talked about the album)

1. Is It Love
2. On Your Way Down
3. Born Slippy (cover)
4. In a Nice Way

• “Psych Up” (I think her Hales just hyped the crowd up a little bit, I don’t fully remember what was said)

1. Used to be in Love

• “Bye Bye” (Hales thanked the crowd in closing)

1. Heavy Hearted
2. A Moment Like That

 

*They did not encore. Specifically, they did not go off stage and come back. “Bye Bye” was basically Hales saying indirectly that they are now “encoring,” and these final songs we play after this are going to be the last. But, of course, bands say that all the time, then walk off stage and come back on for a couple more. In the moment though, it did feel like they were done when they were done. I didn’t think they were going to walk off and come back on, and then the lights came out pretty quickly to confirm that. 

Overall, I thought the set blended together quite smoothly. They played a handful of songs right into others, which kept a strong electricity throughout, and personally, there weren’t too many other songs I would have rather them have played. And even so, it doesn’t matter what I think. Bands should play for no one! 

My songs of the set were the three that I mentioned earlier: “Time and Time Again,” “In Her Eyes,” and “Heavy Hearted.” It was also great to hear a classic like “She’s a Riot,” that sounded great, and “A Moment Like That” was an uplifting closer. 

Set Time: They played from 7:30 until 9:03, which I am honestly a big fan of. Not sure why it was so early, but I don’t mind an early show. 

The Crowd

I was very surprised to see an at-best half full Union Stage. I know TJG aren’t massive, but they certainly have a following, I just guess not much in D.C. on a Saturday night for $25 apparently. Which sucks, but at the same time is great for me and anyone else who likes the band. There was plenty of space and a lot of people dancing, nothing ravey about it, no one head banging, but people were moving. It was hard not to. There seem to be little to no “casual” fans there, with everybody pretty into the music and vibing with the band. 

Cheers. 

The Venue

Union Stage is great. Quality small venue that brings a quality lineup of artists. I’ve never seen it filled, which is a good thing and a bad thing. The shows that aren’t full make the concert experience feel so easy, especially with Union Stage’s pretty prime location in D.C. too (the Wharf), but a packed Union Stage would be a fun house to be in I imagine. To paint a picture, it’s a bar on the surface, then there’s a staircase that takes you down to the stage. I’ve mentioned before, you can actually hear the music from the parking garage down below if you’re down there during a show. It’s got a cool underground feel to it. 

I actually got a double cheeseburger slider from that bar that I think was only five dollars, and it was really good. I was starving, mind you, but damn it did the job and then some. A venue with food can really come in clutch sometimes. That’s the other thing about Union Stage, the bar on the right side flows customers through really quickly. I’ve almost never had to wait, but again, haven’t been to a packed show yet. So take that with a grain of salt. 

Overall though, one of my favorite venues in D.C. 

Tickets

I got my tickets for $25 through Union Stage’s website, which uses “Opendate” as their ticketing platform. An absolute bargain these days. 

Anything Else

The Jungle Giants are pretty underrated in my opinion, and are absolutely a show worth seeing.  I’ve been a fan of them since 2020, I loved “Learn to Exist,” and always thought they’d be an awesome live show. To no surprise to me, they were. They seem to be in strong form on this tour, and I think seeing them, especially for the price I got ($25), is a no-brainer.

This is not at all a discredit to Simmons’ performance as Schillinger, but throughout the entire series, I always thought he just didn’t look close to what a member of the Aryan Brotherhood would look like (other than white, of course), especially in the early seasons. He’s got a bit of a chunky look in his body, and even in the later seasons when he slims down, he’s not that intimidating physically. I mean, in the early seasons, he even has a little bit of hair, I feel like a real gang member would just shave that to look more intimidating and less like they’re hanging onto what’s left of their hair. Im not some expert on what these Nazi fucks typically look like, but Schillinger just never looks very tough or ruthless (although his actions are extremely ruthless, of course), doesn’t look like a biker or something, and overall to me just doesn’t look the part of “leader of the Aryan Brotherhood.”

All that being said, the acting is great.

Am I crazy?

I saw Rum Jungle at Pearl Street Warehouse in Washington, D.C. on Wednesday, September 9th with Bluebelt, and it was a very good show. 

The Music

Rum Jungle’s overall sound was strong, especially their collective vocals. There were multiple times when all four of them sang and it sounded really good. Benny, the lead singer, was great on his own as well, his voice is really powerful and carries them as expected, but the other band members provided at least backing vocals in every song I think. I thought they sounded best together, particularly in “Weather’s Better,” for example, their collective vocals were apparent. 

Instrumentally they were really solid too, Benny and Josh played together really well, Benny being more rhythmic and Josh playing the backing licks. I will say though, at times, I thought the backing guitar sound could have been louder. It didn’t punch through like it does in the studio recordings and I think it’s a big part of their sound. For example, in “Notice” and “Quiet While You’re Listening,” the backing guitar sound was pretty light, and the licks in those songs really help define them. If I was someone who didn’t know their music really well, I’m not so sure I would have noticed it coming through in this live performance. I was listening for it as a fan. Curious if anyone else agrees with this. The bass player, Maje, was really smooth and Frey, the drummer, had a great pace all night. He wasn’t super noticeable, which I think is a good thing for a drummer because they're in the background, and you might be more likely to notice them if they’re screwing up. It’s not that he wasn’t providing anything exciting, he just wasn’t flashy and provided the almost essential backing that a drummer does. I don’t know anything about drumming, so feel free to scoff at me if I’m off on this. 

However, in other songs, the instrumentals were excellent. They did a long outro (had to be 3-4 minutes) to “Glasstop Suite,” and it was stunning. It was heaven for a couple minutes. Really atmospheric, slow buildup to an energetic climax, and they slowed down straight into the next song. Josh was really impressive in this stretch, and he was great all night overall. 

Read the rest of the review here: https://tourchmusic.com/2026/09/13/rum-jungle-at-pearl-street-warehouse-in-washington-d-c/

I love this song and have always wondered how to play it. I've found the chords online but have never been quite able to work it out. Can anyone help me out? I think it's one of his most interesting songs, and the guitar part is so... emotional. I don't know, I like it a lot.

I think Oz is a good show, and a great story, and very interesting storytelling. I really enjoyed watching it and will watch it again at some point I'm sure. I was brought to it by The Wire, and specifically after hearing David Simon talk about it positively. However, I do think it’s flawed and has some glaring mistakes in the storyline. Tobias Beecher is probably my biggest call out along this matter. His story. I think its ending is bad, not just because it’s unsatisfying and disappointing, but because it seems incredibly unrealistic. More unrealistic than almost anything else on the show that you have to ignore a little to enjoy. That’s the other flaw of the show, a lot of it seems like a great reflection of prison life, but other parts I question as totally ridiculous. But first, Beecher: 

While the show doesn’t have a true main character, Beecher is the closest thing to it. And that being said, it feels like the end of his story, the idea of him getting out, is a huge part of the show and a huge reason to keep watching. His character arc is the most interesting in my opinion, you just want to know what happens to him, because you know he will eventually have a chance to get out. And first, they completely toy with you with on his first parole hearing, showing it completely through to the point that they actually show him on the outside with his daughter and the lawyer that fell in love with him (one of those things I had to ignore because it’s totally ridiculous), and then cruelly revealing that it was all a dream. I’m almost never a fan of “it was just a dream” scenarios, because they seem lazy in storytelling. But, I guess that in this case, a prisoner must dream vividly about that scenario all the time. I would guess that it gets to that point that they dream so vividly about it that it feels so real, and then they wake up in Oz. Only to find out that the answer’s no. They aren’t going free. So maybe, I thought, this was an interesting way of portraying that. Fine. I don’t love it, but fine. I’ll let it slide. 

But then he finally does get out. This time, in reality. And it felt like there was hardly a climax to it as opposed to the first time. The first time I actually believed it. I thought that they couldn’t let Beecher be paroled because he was such a key character in the show, but after the dream sequence, I did actually believe that the show was gonna go on without his character. The climax sold me. And I felt it. It was hard to look away from. But this time, on his second parole, it felt pretty underwhelming. It doesn’t build up to the point that you’re really happy for him, because it’s not nearly as satisfying, but also because of what happens in the build up to it just doesn’t make sense. His Dad gets killed days before he’s released, and it’s as if his dog died. “Ah, bummer.” Not “My Father just got brutality stabbed to death while trying to help get my psycho-maniac murdering lover off of death row.” I understand that Beecher is a guy who’s probably suffered enough trauma with deaths of loved ones that he might not have many emotions left to feel, but his Dad being killed hardly affected him? I don’t buy that at all. 

Then, the way he ends up serving time back in Oz. I don’t mind unsatisfying storylines, I praise them a lot of the time because I love when stories are painfully realistic within the realm of the character (how they act, what the show has revealed to us about what they might and might not do to get what they want, etc.), but Beecher doing what he did for Keller was absurd, and goes against the values that his character showed to care about, and that the show showed us that would drive his actions. The guy had one of the most traumatic prison experiences one could have, but through it all, he showed to end up being a rational person that was eventually driven by the motivation to be with his family and do good, and value life. The show made it abundantly clear that he found immense solace in the fact that he still had a chance to salvage something from his life if he could get out and be with his daughter and his family. Yet, merely weeks or months or however long it was after getting out, he risks all of that just to help Keller help his ex-wife? Are you kidding me?! I know how easily manipulated he was by Keller before, but that was when he was in Oz. He’s out now, gets a taste of the free world and free will, and he agrees to help Keller with a drug deal? There is just no way, with the way that the show portrayed Beecher’s revolution, that he would even think about doing that. He wouldn’t even think so much as to jaywalk or run a stop sign, let alone do something with a multi-year punishment he was damn well educated enough on to know. Plus, he’s just not at all a person who would even be in the situation to be the type of criminal who goes in and out of prison because of his situation and lack of resources on the outside. He has a family with money. He has resources. There would be no need at all, under any sort of rationality (which was made clear that he has), for him to commit another crime. To me, his family would have to be beyond disappointed in him. They all seemed to forgive for what he did to Cathy Rockwell and supported him throughout his time in Oz, and died in their support of him, and then he squanders the opportunity they helped him reach because he’s so madly in love with Keller? No, no way. I don’t think Tobias Beecher would have done that. I completely disagree with the end of his story. 

Over the last year, I’ve created a website called tourchmusic.com. The idea of the site is to be a place for music fans to share their thoughts on concerts in the form of genuine reviews (not professionally written), creating a storytelling archive for live music. Furthermore, the experiences shared by fans would help tell the story of a band’s tour (in greater detail than social media accounts), helping to establish a band’s live performance reputation, while also allowing fans to learn more about their favorite bands/artists and discover new ones. People often share their thoughts on a show with a friend as they walk out of a concert, or the day after, or a week after, whenever it hits them—the goal is for Tourch to be the place where those thoughts live. Lastly, another purpose of the site is to share helpful information that can make the live music experience more enjoyable (accurate set times, venue information/opinions, ticket prices, etc.). 

Currently, 35 bands/artists have been reviewed in Tourch (by me). Obviously, my next step is to make it appealing enough for people to want to contribute to the site, but Rome wasn’t built in a day. BUT, that’s why I’ve come here–I invite any and all feedback. Do you find this site interesting? Is it something you would use? What would make you want to use it? Do you find the content entertaining/helpful? Would you write about concerts on the site? Do you understand its purpose and/or do you think it makes sense? What are your thoughts on the design/structure of it? Throw your thoughts at me, be as nice or as harsh as you want. Anything can help. I am happy to answer any questions as well. 

Here is the site: tourchmusic.com

Over the last year, I’ve created a website called tourchmusic.com. The idea of the site is to be a place for music fans to share their thoughts on concerts in the form of genuine reviews (not professionally written), creating a storytelling archive for live music. Furthermore, the experiences shared by fans would help tell the story of a band’s tour (in greater detail than social media accounts), helping to establish a band’s live performance reputation, while also allowing fans to learn more about their favorite bands/artists and discover new ones. People often share their thoughts on a show with a friend as they walk out of a concert, or the day after, or a week after, whenever it hits them—the goal is for Tourch to be the place where those thoughts live. Lastly, another purpose of the site is to share helpful information that can make the live music experience more enjoyable (accurate set times, venue information/opinions, ticket prices, etc.). 

Currently, 35 bands/artists have been reviewed in Tourch (by me). Obviously, my next step is to make it appealing enough for people to want to contribute to the site, but Rome wasn’t built in a day. BUT, that’s why I’ve come here–I invite any and all feedback. Do you find this site interesting? Is it something you would use? What would make you want to use it? Do you find the content entertaining/helpful? Would you write about concerts on the site? Do you understand its purpose and/or do you think it makes sense? What are your thoughts on the design/structure of it? Throw your thoughts at me, be as nice or as harsh as you want. Anything can help. I am happy to answer any questions as well. 

Here is the site: tourchmusic.com

I saw The Strokes on Sunday, July 12th at the Allianz Amphitheater in Richmond, Virginia and it was an awesome show, the best form I’ve seen them in (in person), and one of the best rock concerts I’ve experienced. I found it to be a really enjoyable setlist, and the band seemed to be very loose in demeanor, while being airtight in their performance. The instrumentals were excellent, as the “blow to the face” Strokes wall of sound was casually evident throughout the set. And obviously a lot rides on Julian Casablancas –  he sang impressively well in both the raging, howling, vintage Strokes songs, and the softer, gentler, sensitive ones, while also being an entertaining frontman. Still his awkward self, but in an endearing way. The lights and lasers from the stage production also added cool visuals to the entire performance, more so than I would have expected for a Strokes show.

Read the rest of my thoughts below and let me know how they compare to your experience on this tour: https://tourchmusic.com/the-strokes/

I saw The Strokes on Sunday, July 12th at the Allianz Amphitheater in Richmond, Virginia and it was an awesome show, the best form I’ve seen them in (in person), and one of the best rock concerts I’ve experienced. I found it to be a really enjoyable setlist, and the band seemed to be very loose in demeanor, while being airtight in their performance. The instrumentals were excellent, as the “blow to the face” Strokes wall of sound was casually evident throughout the set. And obviously a lot rides on Julian Casablancas –  he sang impressively well in both the raging, howling, vintage Strokes songs, and the softer, gentler, sensitive ones, while also being an entertaining frontman. Still his awkward self, but in an endearing way. The lights and lasers from the stage production also added cool visuals to the entire performance, more so than I would have expected for a Strokes show.

Read the rest of my thoughts below and let me know how they compare to your experience on this tour: https://tourchmusic.com/the-strokes/

I have a 2015 Toyota Camry. I was away for two weeks, so it was just sitting for that time. But when I got this past week, I started to hear a noise when it accelerated. At first it sounded like a rattling, but I've realize it's more like two pieces of metal scraping against each other. It's a pretty harsh noise that isn't painfully loud, but you can certainly hear it clearly. I drove it up to Pennsylvania from Virginia and back, and it was fine. Nothing changed in the way the car drove, it worked the same as usual. But the scraping noise won't go away. I hear it when the car first begins accelerating, but once I get past about 15-20 MPH, it goes away. Then, it will come back when I decelerate and slow down to 15-20 MPH. But two key things are: the noise goes away when I put my foot on the brake, and I hear the noise when I turn right, but not when I turn left.

I've stuck my head under the car (I don't have a lift), and don't see anything noticeable hanging down that might be an obvious cause. Does anyone have any guesses as to what this might be? My goal here is just to get a gauge for how serious this might be. I have to drive to Richmond tomorrow (about an hour and a half and back), and just want to know if it would be unsafe to do so given the noise from the car. I've tried calling a few shops but I've been traveling so it's hard to get in anywhere under a time crunch. Open to suggestions on shops that might be good to have look at this as well.

Thank you in advance for any advice.

I have a 2015 Toyota Camry. I was away for two weeks, so it was just sitting for that time. But when I got this past week, I started to hear a noise when it accelerated. At first it sounded like a rattling, but I've realize it's more like two pieces of metal scraping against each other. It's a pretty harsh noise that isn't painfully loud, but you can certainly hear it clearly. I drove it up to Pennsylvania from Virginia and back, and it was fine. Nothing changed in the way the car drove, it worked the same as usual. But the scraping noise won't go away. I hear it when the car first begins accelerating, but once I get past about 15-20 MPH, it goes away. Then, it will come back when I decelerate and slow down to 15-20 MPH. But two key things are: the noise goes away when I put my foot on the brake, and I hear the noise when I turn right, but not when I turn left.

I've stuck my head under the car (I don't have a lift), and don't see anything noticeable hanging down that might be an obvious cause. Does anyone have any guesses as to what this might be? My goal here is just to get a gauge for how serious this might be. I have to drive to Richmond tomorrow (about an hour and a half and back), and just want to know if it would be unsafe to do so given the noise from the car. I've tried calling a few shops but I've been traveling so it's hard to get in anywhere under a time crunch. Open to suggestions on shops that might be good to have look at this as well.

Thank you in advance for any advice.

I saw Futurebirds at The 9:30 Club on Monday, June 8th in Washington, D.C., and it was an excellent show. These guys were really well-strung and very easygoing in their performance, seemingly effortless. And overall, they’re professional. They create a thick, sometimes harsh, but at the same time unintimidating wall of sound. It feels as if I have an underwhelming tone while saying how great they were, but I guess it’s because I just wasn’t that surprised, even having known very little of their music going into the show. I had read about them a little bit, and what I gathered was that they are a great live performance that plays louder than their studio recordings. They certainly lived up to that.

Read more: https://tourchmusic.com/2026/06/10/show-thoughts-futurebirds-at-the-930-club-on-monday-june-8th-in-washington-d-c-with-joelton-mayfield/

I saw Futurebirds at The 9:30 Club on Monday, June 8th in Washington, D.C., and it was an excellent show. These guys were really well-strung and very easygoing in their performance, seemingly effortless. And overall, they’re professional. They create a thick, sometimes harsh, but at the same time unintimidating wall of sound. It feels as if I have an underwhelming tone while saying how great they were, but I guess it’s because I just wasn’t that surprised, even having known very little of their music going into the show. I had read about them a little bit, and what I gathered was that they are a great live performance that plays louder than their studio recordings. They certainly lived up to that.

Read more: https://tourchmusic.com/2026/06/10/show-thoughts-futurebirds-at-the-930-club-on-monday-june-8th-in-washington-d-c-with-joelton-mayfield/

I saw Futurebirds at The 9:30 Club on Monday, June 8th in Washington, D.C., and it was an excellent show. These guys were really well-strung and very easygoing in their performance, seemingly effortless. And overall, they’re professional. They create a thick, sometimes harsh, but at the same time unintimidating wall of sound. It feels as if I have an underwhelming tone while saying how great they were, but I guess it’s because I just wasn’t that surprised, even having known very little of their music going into the show. I had read about them a little bit, and what I gathered was that they are a great live performance that plays louder than their studio recordings. They certainly lived up to that.

Read more: https://tourchmusic.com/2026/06/10/show-thoughts-futurebirds-at-the-930-club-on-monday-june-8th-in-washington-d-c-with-joelton-mayfield/

I saw Futurebirds at The 9:30 Club on Monday, June 8th in Washington, D.C., and it was an excellent show. These guys were really well-strung and very easygoing in their performance, seemingly effortless. And overall, they’re professional. They create a thick, sometimes harsh, but at the same time unintimidating wall of sound. It feels as if I have an underwhelming tone while saying how great they were, but I guess it’s because I just wasn’t that surprised, even having known very little of their music going into the show. I had read about them a little bit, and what I gathered was that they are a great live performance that plays louder than their studio recordings. They certainly lived up to that.

Read more: https://tourchmusic.com/2026/06/10/show-thoughts-futurebirds-at-the-930-club-on-monday-june-8th-in-washington-d-c-with-joelton-mayfield/

How can I make this website better? I invite any and all feedback: https://tourchmusic.com/

And here is some context on it:

Over the last year, I’ve created a website called tourchmusic.com. The idea of the site is to be a place for music fans to share their thoughts on concerts in the form of genuine reviews (not professionally written), creating a storytelling archive for live music. Furthermore, the experiences shared by fans would help tell the story of a band’s tour (in greater detail than social media accounts), helping to establish a band’s live performance reputation, while also allowing fans to learn more about their favorite bands/artists and discover new ones. People often share their thoughts on a show with a friend as they walk out of a concert, or the day after, or a week after, whenever it hits them—the goal is for Tourch to be the place where those thoughts live. Lastly, another purpose of the site is to share helpful information that can make the live music experience more enjoyable (accurate set times, venue information/opinions, ticket prices, etc.). 

Hello everyone. I’ve come here today looking for feedback from fellow fans of live music. Over the last year, I’ve created a website called tourchmusic.com. The idea of the site is to be a place for fans to share their thoughts on concerts in the form of genuine reviews (not professionally written), creating a storytelling archive for live music. Furthermore, the experiences shared by fans would help tell the story of a band’s tour (in greater detail than social media accounts), helping to establish a band’s live performance reputation, while also allowing fans to learn more about their favorite bands/artists and discover new ones. People often share their thoughts on a show with a friend as they walk out of a concert, or the day after, or a week after, whenever it hits them—the goal is for Tourch to be the place where those thoughts live. Lastly, another purpose of the site is to share helpful information that can make the live music experience more enjoyable (accurate set times, venue information/opinions, ticket prices, etc.). 

Currently, 35 bands/artists have been reviewed in Tourch (by me). Obviously, my next step is to make it appealing enough for people to want to contribute to the site, but Rome wasn’t built in a day. BUT, that’s why I’ve come here–I invite any and all feedback. Do you find this site interesting? Is it something you would use? What would make you want to use it? Do you find the content entertaining/helpful? Would you write about concerts on the site? Do you understand its purpose and/or do you think it makes sense? What are your thoughts on the design/structure of it? Throw your thoughts at me, be as nice or as harsh as you want. Anything can help. I am happy to answer any questions as well. 

Here is the site: tourchmusic.com

Hello everyone. I’ve come here today looking for feedback from fellow fans of live music. Over the last year, I’ve created a website called tourchmusic.com. The idea of the site is to be a place for fans to share their thoughts on concerts in the form of genuine reviews (not professionally written), creating a storytelling archive for live music. Furthermore, the experiences shared by fans would help tell the story of a band’s tour (in greater detail than social media accounts), helping to establish a band’s live performance reputation, while also allowing fans to learn more about their favorite bands/artists and discover new ones. People often share their thoughts on a show with a friend as they walk out of a concert, or the day after, or a week after, whenever it hits them—the goal is for Tourch to be the place where those thoughts live. Lastly, another purpose of the site is to share helpful information that can make the live music experience more enjoyable (accurate set times, venue information/opinions, ticket prices, etc.). 

Currently, 35 bands/artists have been reviewed in Tourch (by me). Obviously, my next step is to make it appealing enough for people to want to contribute to the site, but Rome wasn’t built in a day. BUT, that’s why I’ve come here–I invite any and all feedback. Do you find this site interesting? Is it something you would use? What would make you want to use it? Do you find the content entertaining/helpful? Would you write about concerts on the site? Do you understand its purpose and/or do you think it makes sense? What are your thoughts on the design/structure of it? Throw your thoughts at me, be as nice or as harsh as you want. Anything can help. I am happy to answer any questions as well. 

Here is the site: tourchmusic.com

Hello everyone. I’ve come here today looking for feedback from fellow fans of live music. Over the last year, I’ve created a website called tourchmusic.com. The idea of the site is to be a place for fans to share their thoughts on concerts in the form of genuine reviews (not professionally written), creating a storytelling archive for live music. Furthermore, the experiences shared by fans would help tell the story of a band’s tour (in greater detail than social media accounts), helping to establish a band’s live performance reputation, while also allowing fans to learn more about their favorite bands/artists and discover new ones. People often share their thoughts on a show with a friend as they walk out of a concert, or the day after, or a week after, whenever it hits them—the goal is for Tourch to be the place where those thoughts live. Lastly, another purpose of the site is to share helpful information that can make the live music experience more enjoyable (accurate set times, venue information/opinions, ticket prices, etc.). 

Currently, 35 bands/artists have been reviewed in Tourch (by me). Obviously, my next step is to make it appealing enough for people to want to contribute to the site, but Rome wasn’t built in a day. BUT, that’s why I’ve come here–I invite any and all feedback. Do you find this site interesting? Is it something you would use? What would make you want to use it? Do you find the content entertaining/helpful? Would you write about concerts on the site? Do you understand its purpose and/or do you think it makes sense? What are your thoughts on the design/structure of it? Throw your thoughts at me, be as nice or as harsh as you want. Anything can help. I am happy to answer any questions as well. 

Here is the site: tourchmusic.com