I don’t know if I’ve made it a point to say this previously but I’ve noticed if I can actually purchase the ticket at the Box Office (BO) window in advance getting inside on the day of the show is much more efficient so I got my Marian Hill ticket in advance and brought it with me tonight (although I’m not sure that it would’ve made much of a difference tonight due to the rain and the short line but it is a sold out show). Upon arrival the line consisted of 4 people and I opted for Metro this time so parking wasn’t a challenge. I made it a point in advance since I was coming for tonight’s show to go ahead and purchase tickets for a future show here (Thundercat) and to my surprise the BO associate had no idea he was coming buy seemed just as excited as me).

I took my place in line and praise be to God they let us in on time as doors set to open at 7:00pm. Always always (well for the most part) go to the bathroom as soon as you get inside because by the end of the night that shit is disgusting. I make my way to the floor and the 1st row of people are already lined up by the stage. I’m never really that pressed to rush to the stage when I’m near the beginning of the line for I know a third of those people either also go to the bathroom, rush towards the stage or go to the bar. I align myself in the center second row for I don’t mind standing in hopes of getting good pictures. Now this venue does have an upstairs with some seating but c’mon it’s the 2nd row, can’t pass that up. The waiting music was interesting, kind of that ratchet early 2000’s music but I hadn’t heard them in forever so I didn’t mind; it was completely different from the genre of the artist but again, it didn’t seem like it phased anyone.

After some time the opening act came out and by then we were definitely ready for them. They were a duo group from California (LA specifically) and their sound was more of a pop/jazzy/rock feel. I must admit I was impressed with this group of which I’ve never heard of before but that’s nothing strange. I know first hand for a fact that there’s amazing music out there that the masses just won’t hear. Any who, they performed a good number of songs which were again all nice. They left 30 mins before the headliner Marian Hill would begin. By this time I’m looking around and it is getting packed. Suddenly a girl rushes up to my left and tells those behind me that she just needs a few minutes to snap some pictures of the saxophonist because she knows him and she’ll be out of their way.

Not that I’m nosey but I heard her entire conversation with the girls about how his name was Steve and he was her uncle. Apparently the ladies go crazy over him and she finds it amusing (with him being her uncle and all). She said this was her first time at the venue and she hadn’t seem him in a while and since he was in town, why not get a ticket to the show. Well let me tell you, when Marian Hill finally came out and ol’ girl snapped her pictures of uncle Steve she never moved (not that I was bothered she didn’t lie to me and she wasn’t in my way). So Marian Hill comes out to none other than their hit song “Down” so that got the crowd really hype.

I’m sure they went through most of the deluxe album and I heard a lot of songs that I really liked and will have to go back and listen to because I just don’t remember them sounding like that. I have to admit though uncle Steve could really play that saxophone and rotate to the guitar too so I could see how he was well liked. Sam and Jeremy (the members of Marian Hill) did a great job alongside Steve singing song after song. To describe their sound would be like pop and EDM with some jazz undertones. Before seeing them tonight though I honestly wouldn’t have been able to pick them out of a crowd. Honestly for the longest I didn’t realize Marian Hill was a group I just thought it was the girl Sam.

Either way they did a phenomenal job and I think that next time I will sit upstairs close to the stage because being stagnant in one place for a while is tiresome. The only thing I had hoped they did a little differently would’ve been to talk to us more about their journey. They mostly sang which was cool but you want to get to know a sense of the artist’s personal side you know? You can tell I’m getting older, because I began yawning uncontrollably at one point and though to myself, “Ok time to wrap this up, I’m getting a bit sleepy.” But with the breezy air being swept beside me on the walk to the metro kept me awake. When I got home though it was a quick Instagram recap post and then lights out (or on I actually fell asleep with the lights on-I did eventually wake up and turn them off though).

Next up so far is Wale at the Howard Theatre for 95.5 WPGC Birthday Bash amongst others.