The highest compliment I can give Bad Omens is that my 10-year-old son demands we play their music whenever he wants to get pumped up before one of his travel soccer games. That’s how much my family and I enjoy their work.
Ever since we first heard “Careful What You Wish For,” we’ve been hooked. Needless to say, when I found out the Richmond, Virginia, band was playing locally, I knew I had to be there. Having already purchased a ticket for the show, I was beyond thrilled when I received word that I would be able to cover the show. Singer Noah Sebastian, guitarist Joakim Karlsson, bassist Nicholas Ruffilo and drummer Nick Folio were only on stage for 30 minutes, but they made the most of their allotted time.
For those who haven’t had the pleasure of experiencing Bad Omens, here are links to “Like A Villian” and “ARTIFICIAL SUICIDE.” Both are absolutely worth your time.
My first season covering the local professional football franchise was 2005. During that time, it’s safe to say Washington hasn’t had much in the way of stability at the NFL’s most important position. In fact, the list of quarterbacks who have started at least one game during the last 16 seasons is downright depressing:
Mark Brunell. Patrick Ramsey. Jason Campbell. Todd Collins. Donovan McNabb. Rex Grossman. John Beck. Robert Griffin III. Kirk Cousins. Colt McCoy. Alex Smith. Josh Johnson. Mark Sanchez. Case Keenum. Dwayne Haskins. Kyle Allen. Taylor Heinicke. Ryan Fitzpatrick. Garrett Gilbert.
When the Commanders (that’s going to take a while to get used to) take the field this fall, they will do so with Carson Wentz behind center. That’s because, after missing out on Matthew Stafford last year and not being able to entice Russell Wilson to join the burgundy and gold, the Commanders struck a deal with the Indianapolis Colts to acquire the second-overall pick in the 2016 NFL Draft. The details:
Washington becomes Wentz’s third team in three seasons, which means he’s looking for some semblance of stability as well. Historically, he’s known for a strong arm while struggling, at times, with accuracy and decision making. Will this marriage of convenience between Carson and the Commanders stand the test of time? Or will both be on the rebound once again in the not-too-distant future? For better or for worse, we’re about to find out.
When last we checked in on the Washington Capitals, they had boarded the struggle bus and were trying to figure out how a promising start to the 2021-22 campaign went sideways. The situation looked bleak as the Caps went winless at home during the entire month of February, but the return of several of key players from the injured list provided welcome reinforcements as the expansion Seattle Kraken came to town for the first time.
Vitek Vanecek, T.J. Oshie and Anthony Mantha were all in action after missing chunks of the season due to various injuries and ailments, and their presence absolutely made an impact. When Tom Wilson and Dmitry Orlov scored less than a minute apart in the first period, Capital One Arena was rocking. And when Seattle responded with goals late in the first period and in the first minute of the second stanza, the Capitals didn’t panic.
They instead turned to the power play, which has let Washington down for much of the season, to find a way to regain the lead. Power plays goals by Conor Sheary and Alex Ovechkin allowed the home team to once again push ahead and an empty netter by Sheary sealed the 5-2 victory for the red rockers. Vanecek made 29 saves en route to his 12th win of the season.
At the end of January, the Capitals’ power play ranked 30th in the league, converting on just 13.9 percent. In their last 13 games though, Washington has scored 13 goals on the man advantage, converting 30.2 percent of the time. Getting key players like Nicklas Backstrom, Oshie and Mantha back in the lineup has clearly made a different with the special teams unit.
Can these players provide the spark this team has lacked of late or do drastic measures need to take place between now and the trade deadline for this franchise to make another run at Lord Stanley’s most prized possession? Strap in for the ride, folks, because we’re about to find out.
The Monster Energy Outbreak Tour claims to focus on artists at their breakout moment. With alumni such as Kendrick Lamar, Macklemore, The Chainsmokers, Logic, Post Malone and 21 Savage, it’s difficult to dispute that notion.
As Zero 9:36 hits the road for the first time as a headliner, courtesy of the tour, fans have every reason to believe the Philadelphia native is next in line for a breakout. Not that he hasn’t accomplished plenty already. Since 2019, Zero 9:36 has amassed more than 66 million streams for his two EPs and rocketed to number one on Mediabase’s active rock airplay chart in 2021.
Additionally, he was named one of SiriusXM’s Future Five for 2021, and his single “Adrenaline” was Octane’s most-played hard rock song in ’21. Basically, while everyone was stuck at home dealing with the pandemic, they were listening to Zero 9:36 on heavy rotation.
On his second night as a headliner, Zero 9:36 was already in a groove, although he did joke that they failed to pack a printer with the rest of the band’s equipment, so they didn’t even have a printed setlist to go off of. That minor snafu aside, the D.C. show was excellent. It even included a surprise cameo from No Love For The Middle Child, who joined Zero 9:36 to perform “Come Thru.”
If Zero 9:36 does come through your town during his current cross-country tour, go see him and share in his breakout moment.
While Fame on Fire isn’t opposed to performer another band’s songs from time to time, they want you to know — they’re not a cover band. You’ve likely heard their rendition of tracks by Ed Sheeran, Adele, The Weeknd and others, but their 2020 debut album, LEVELS, proved these Florida rockers are fully capable of creating original hits as well.
On this night, the band’s first ever show in Washington, D.C., vocalist Bryan Kuznitz, guitarist Blake Saul, bassist Paul Spirou and drummer Alex Roman treated those in attendance to a high-octane set filled with an abundance of sing-along tracks including “Plastic Heart,” “Headspace” and, yes, a cover of Linkin Park’s “NUMB.” But don’t you dare call them a cover band.
The job of an opening act is incredibly difficult and, at times, thankless. They must bring an abundance of energy and set the tone for the rest of the evening while trying to win over a crowd that, more often than not, came to see someone else perform.
Before he even took to the stage, GARZI made his intentions clear. He was ready for the challenge and quite literally left it all on the floor. By the end of his set, the emo rapper was completely spent as he laid sprawled out on the floor of the stage. After a beat, he composed himself, thanked the crowd for making his second night on tour a memorable one and then jumped off stage to give his mom a hug.
If you’re not familiar with GARZI, do yourself a favor and check him out. In particular, his collaboration with blink-182’s Travis Barker called “SICK OF ME” and his most recent single, “MESS,” which features Kellin Quinn of Sleeping With Sirens prove that he’s caught the attention of some heavy hitters in the music industry. If his career continues to progress on its current trajectory, it’s only a matter of time before the word is out on this ultra talented performer.
When the Washington Capitals hosted the Toronto Maple Leafs at Capital One Arena on the final day of February, the bout featured two franchises trending in very different directions. Auston Matthews and the league’s top powerplay visited our nation’s capital for the first time this season riding high — lighting up Detroit for 10 goals in their last game.
Conversely, the Caps have struggled in nearly all phases of the game in 2022. Since the calendar flipped, Washington has posted a less-than-impressive 8-11-2 record which includes a five-game losing streak at home — the team’s longest home losing streak since 2007. Considering the Capitals ended 2021 tied with Tampa Bay for the most points in the league, they’ve picked a bad time to take their foot off of the gas.
The maddeningly inconsistent Ilya Samsonov started in net for the Capitals … and gave up a goal on the second shot he faced. The 25-year-old netminder then allowed two goals in the final 71 seconds of the first period prompting coach Peter Laviolette to end his night early.
While Washington was able to keep things relatively competitive for most of the evening, Toronto ultimately cruised to a convincing 5-3 win. Tom Wilson scored twice, once on the powerplay and once shorthanded, and Conor Sheary added his 12th goal of the season for the free-falling Caps — who drop to 3-8-1 at Capital One Arena in 2022, with none of those victories in regulation.
If this season is going to be remembered as anything other than a disappointment, Washington needs to get back on track sooner rather than later.
