WCOL’s youngest artist to perform at this year’s Country Jam is RaeLynn. Born and raised in Texas, RaeLynn got her break competing in the second season of NBC’s The Voice. Although not the winner of the competition, RaeLynn’s performance garnered the attention of both Adam Levine and Blake Shelton. After choosing to work with Blake Shelton, RaeLynn continued her success with the show, until her highly debated elimination in the quarterfinals. Since her appearance on the show, RaeLynn has released an EP and several singles like the popular song “God Made Girls” while touring with Shelton’s wife Miranda Lambert. She is currently working on the release of her debut album. RaeLynn is a great example of diversity, in both gender and age, of the artists performing at this year’s Country Jam!

The two- day festival will be hosted at the historic Legend Valley Concert Venue and Campground located on Buckeye Lake, just thirty minutes east of downtown Columbus. 2015 will mark the 3rd year that WCOL Country Jam has taken place at the venue. The festival is packed with a multitude of country music acts from classic country, southern rock country, and modern country artists.

General Admission tickets are currently available. There are several camping options available to patrons. Tickets and camping passes are on-sale now and available at www.LegendValleyFestivals.com. Camping passes are sold separately.

The WCOL Country Jam is a country festival that has occurred annually for the last 10 years. In 2013, WCOL and Bluestone Promotions formed a partnership to bring the show to the Legend Valley Music Center, a historic venue located near Buckeye Lake in Thornville, Ohio. Previous years included performers Hank Williams Jr., Dierks Bentley, Gary Allan and Tim McGraw. The venue boasts acres of campgrounds and a large field with great views of the stage. Legend Valley Music Center has functioned as a music venue since the early 1970’s, but has undergone some name changes since that time. LVMC has hosted a multitude of artists including: The Charlie Daniels Band, The Allman Brothers, Grateful Dead, Alabama, Journey, and Jimmy Buffett.

Cam Live at The Bluestone

CAM will be performing live at The Bluestone on Thursday December 1st

Doors for the show will open at 7pm

Opening Artist: TBA

Tickets available for $15 in advance and will increase to $20 day of show

General Admission Tickets are standing room only!

PURCHASE TICKETS

CAM.

THE SIMPLE, THREE-LETTER NAME IS BOLD. AND THAT RINGS TRUE TO THE ART, AND THE HEART, OF ONE OF COUNTRY’S SHINING NEW ACTS.

THAT BOLDNESS IS EVIDENT IN NEARLY EVERY STEP SHE TAKES. CAM MAKES IT A HABIT TO WEAR EYE-CATCHING YELLOW EVERY TIME SHE GOES OUT IN PUBLIC. THE STRINGS AND ACOUSTIC GUITAR IN HER BREAKOUT #1 PLATINUM-CERTIFIED SMASH, THE GRAMMY AND ACM AWARDS NOMINATED “BURNING HOUSE,” ARE STIRRINGLY FRAGILE, A BRAVE COUNTERPOINT TO THE PARTY ATMOSPHERE OF MODERN COUNTRY. AND SHE SINGS WITH A DYNAMIC CLARITY THAT’S BOTH DISTINCTIVE AND FRIENDLY.

CAM BACKS UP THAT BOLDNESS WITH A FIRM DELIVERY, EMBEDDING HER MATERIAL WITH A RINGING CONVICTION THROUGHOUT THE 11 SONGS ON HER ARISTA NASHVILLE/RCA RECORDS FULL-LENGTH DEBUT, UNTAMED. RELEASED DECEMBER 11, 2015, HER NEW ALBUM BURST ONTO BILLBOARD’S TOP COUNTRY ALBUMS CHART AT #2 AND EARNED 2015’S BEST FIRST-WEEK ALBUM SALES BY A DEBUT COUNTRY ARTIST.   WHETHER SHE’S SINGING ABOUT FRESH LOVE, BROKEN HEARTS OR DIFFICULT PERSONAL CROSSROADS, SHE’S CLEARLY LIVING THE EXPERIENCE FOR THE THREE OR FOUR MINUTES SHE’S IN IT. ACTUALLY, SHE’S RE-LIVING THE EXPERIENCE, BECAUSE THE EMOTIONS IN EVERY ONE OF HER SONGS COME UNAPOLOGETICALLY FROM HER SINGULAR INTERACTION WITH THE WORLD.

“THERE’S A LOT OF WORK INVOLVED IN BEING AN ARTIST, AND I’M SO HAPPY TO DO IT,” SHE SAYS. “BUT IF I’M GOING TO INVEST MY TIME IN THE WORK PART OF IT, THE MUSIC JUST HAS TO BE ME.”

THE “ME” THAT CAM PRESENTS TO THE WORLD IS MULTI-DIMENSIONAL. SHE’S POWERFULLY VULNERABLE IN “BURNING HOUSE,” FIERCE AND DEFIANT IN “RUNAWAY TRAIN,” EFFERVESCENT AND CAREFREE IN “MY MISTAKE.” AND THE EMOTIONS IN THE MATERIAL AREN’T THE ONLY THING THAT SEPARATES THOSE TITLES – EVERY SONG INCORPORATES A DIFFERENT SONIC PALETTE. WHILE ONE MIGHT RELY ON POLISHED POP INFLUENCES AND MELODY, ANOTHER YIELDS A PIANO BAR FEEL, ONE CLEVERLY INFUSES A BIT OF GREGORIAN CHANT, AND YET ANOTHER USES STEEL GUITAR TO CREATE A CLASSIC-COUNTRY MOOD.

THAT WIDE-RANGING ARTISTRY IS KEY IN CAM’S APPROACH. INSTEAD OF LIMITING HER CHOICES TO MAKE AN EASILY DEFINED PRODUCT, SHE’S PUT FAITH IN THE UNIQUENESS OF HER VOICE, ALLOWING THAT TO BE THE DEFINING CHARACTER OF A PLIABLE, ADVENTUROUS MUSICAL PERSONA.

CO-WRITING EACH OF THE SONGS ON UNTAMED, CAM SAYS, “THE COHESIVE PART IS ME AND MY VOICE. THE MUSIC ALL STEMS FROM THE SAME PLACE, AND IT ALLOWS YOU TO GO IN DIFFERENT DIRECTIONS WITH THE CONTENT AND THE LYRICS AND THE KIND OF VIBE THAT’S GOING ON IN EACH SONG.”

ADVENTURE AND UNIQUENESS WERE PRACTICALLY BUILT IN TO CAM FROM THE OUTSET. CAMARON MARVEL OCHS WAS BORN IN THE WATERFRONT SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA TOWN OF HUNTINGTON BEACH, SHE SPENT BIG CHUNKS OF HER YOUTH AT HER GRANDPARENTS’ HORSE RANCH IN OCEANSIDE, WHERE THE TRACTOR WAS RED AND THE BARN WAS BLUE. HER GRANDFATHER WAS BOTH A COWBOY AND AN ENTREPRENEUR – HE STARTED HIS OWN BUSINESS, BUILDING WOODEN OFFICE DESKS – AND HER PARENTS WERE SIMILARLY NON-CONFORMIST. HER FATHER GREW UP IN A MILITARY FAMILY AND HAD THE GUTS TO MOVE OUT ON HIS OWN AT AGE 17, A TIME WHEN MOST KIDS ARE LOOKING TO DAD FOR A FEW EXTRA BUCKS TO PUT GAS IN THE CAR AND SEE A MOVIE. HER MOTHER HAD AN EXECUTIVE POSITION IN CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT AT A TIME WHEN THOSE JOBS WERE RESERVED ALMOST EXCLUSIVELY FOR MEN. IN TURN, THEIR INDEPENDENT, SELF-RELIANT STREAK WAS INSTILLED IN CAM, PARTICULARLY AFTER THE FAMILY RELOCATED TO NORTHERN CALIFORNIA.

“WE’D CLIMB REDWOOD TREES IN THE BACKYARD, AND I WOULD CLIMB SUPER HIGH AND GET STUCK,” SHE RECALLS WITH A LAUGH. “I’D ASK MY DAD TO HELP ME DOWN, AND HE’D SAY, ‘WELL, I CAN’T. YOU’VE GOT TO GET YOUR OWN SELF DOWN. BUT I’LL STAND HERE AND CHEER YOU ON.’”

THERE WAS PLENTY TO CHEER. FOR EIGHT YEARS, BEGINNING IN FOURTH GRADE, CAM WAS PART OF THE CONTRA COSTA CHILDREN’S CHOIR, WHICH SANG IN 14 DIFFERENT LANGUAGES. THE CHOIR TOURED INTERNATIONALLY, PERFORMING IN SUCH EXOTIC LOCATIONS AS CANTERBURY CATHEDRAL IN ENGLAND, NOTRE-DAME DE PARIS AND THE VATICAN.

THROUGH THAT PROCESS, CAM LEARNED MUSIC THEORY, HARMONY, STRUCTURE AND TONE. AND SHE LEARNED THE JOY OF BEING PART OF A TEAM.

“I LOVED SINGING IN GROUPS,” SHE SAYS. “I DON’T NECESSARILY LIKE TO BE THE CENTER OF ATTENTION.”

WHEN SHE HEADED OFF TO COLLEGE, CAM STUDIED PSYCHOLOGY RESEARCH AT THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, DAVIS. THE SCHOOL IS CENTERED IN FARMLAND OUTSIDE OF SACRAMENTO, PART OF THE SAME RING OF SMALL-TOWN SUBURBS THAT INCLUDES FOLSOM, A TOWN THAT WOULD BECOME VITAL TO THE LEGEND OF JOHNNY CASH.

THE SETTING WAS CRUCIAL. CAM HAD ALREADY BEGUN TO CONNECT TO DIVERSE BRANDS OF MUSIC – SHE WAS DRAWN TO STRONG, INDIE-ROCK FEMALES AND TO SINGER/SONGWRITERS IN HER CASUAL LISTENING AT THE SAME TIME SHE WAS SINGING CLASSICAL MUSIC WITH THE CHORAL GROUP. BUT COUNTRY MUSIC WAS A BIG PART OF THE SOCIAL SCENE AT DAVIS, AND IT BECAME AN IMPORTANT ELEMENT IN HER SELF-EXPRESSION.

“VARSITY BLUES CAME OUT, AND EVERYBODY WORE COWBOY BOOTS TO SCHOOL,” CAM RECALLS. “AND EVERYBODY LISTENED TO TIM MCGRAW AND THE DIXIE CHICKS AND SHANIA TWAIN.”

THAT INCLUDED CAM, WHO IDENTIFIED WITH THE VALUES OF HOME AND COMMUNITY THAT ARE CENTRAL TO THE GENRE. THAT EMOTIONAL CONNECTION WOULD PAY OFF WHEN SHE PURSUED MUSIC PROFESSIONALLY. WHILE LIVING IN LOS ANGELES, CAM MET A KINDRED SPIRIT IN UP-AND-COMING SONGWRITER/PRODUCER TYLER JOHNSON (TAYLOR SWIFT, P!NK). A SONGWRITING PARTNERSHIP WAS BEGUN, WITH PROMISING EARLY RESULTS – THEY CO-WROTE A SONG ON MILEY CYRUS’ ALBUM BANGERZ, AND CAM ALSO LANDED A SONG ON A PROJECT BY INDIE COUNTRY ACT MAGGIE ROSE.

CAM AND JOHNSON METICULOUSLY WROTE AND REWROTE THE MATERIAL FOR WEEKS AND MONTHS AT A TIME UNDER THE WATCHFUL EYE OF GRAMMY®-WINNING PRODUCER AND SONGWRITER JEFF BHASKER (FUN., MARK RONSON), WHO HELPED BRING HER TO THE INDUSTRY’S ATTENTION IN NEW YORK, EVEN WHILE SHE MADE ORGANIC INROADS IN MUSIC CITY.

IN A BIT OF A FLUKE, CAM’S MUSIC WAS DISCOVERED ONLINE BY NASHVILLE RADIO PROGRAMMER MICHAEL BRYAN, WHO STARTED PLAYING ONE OF HER SONGS, “DOWN THIS ROAD,” ON WSIX EVEN THOUGH SHE WAS UNSIGNED. WHILE THE ATTENTION WAS A BOON, WHEELS WERE ALREADY IN MOTION BEHIND THE SCENES WITH LABEL MEETINGS IN NASHVILLE WHEN BHASKER GOT CAM A MEETING IN NEW YORK WITH RCA RECORDS CHAIRMAN & CEO PETER EDGE AND PRESIDENT & COO TOM CORSON. BLOWN AWAY BY HER INCREDIBLE VOICE AND IRRESISTIBLE PERSONALITY AND CHARM, EDGE IMMEDIATELY CALLED SONY MUSIC’S CEO, DOUG MORRIS, WHO LIKEWISE FELL FOR HER UNDENIABLE TALENT WHEN SHE AUDITIONED FOR HIM. IN A RARE SITUATION, SHE’S NOW SIGNED TO BOTH THE COUNTRY (ARISTA NASHVILLE) AND POP (RCA RECORDS) LABELS – SHE SEES HERSELF AS A COUNTRY ACT, BUT IF HER MUSIC BREAKS OUT OF THE GENRE OR FINDS AN AUDIENCE OVERSEAS, THE POP DIVISION IS WAITING IN THE WINGS.

MANY OF HER SONGS WENT THROUGH MAJOR REVISIONS EVEN AFTER SHE SIGNED HER DEAL, A REFLECTION OF CAM’S EVOLUTION AS AN ARTIST AND HER DOGGED PURSUIT OF A DISTINCTIVE SOUND. AS THE ARRANGEMENTS OR INSTRUMENTATION CHANGED, THE LYRICS INVARIABLY GOT TWEAKED, TOO. SHE WAS PRESENT FOR EVERY NUANCE, ENSURING THAT THE END RESULTS REFLECTED HER REALITY.

“IT WAS VERY IMPORTANT FOR ME TO KNOW EVERYTHING THAT WAS INVOLVED IN MY MUSIC,” SHE SAYS. “I’M THERE FOR ALL THE PRODUCTION THAT HAPPENS, I SIGN OFF ON ALL THE MIXES, I’M THERE FOR THE RECORDING. THE PEOPLE THAT ARE WORKING WITH ME ARE INCREDIBLE, SO I’M NOT DRIVING EVERY ASPECT OF IT, BUT I’M THERE INSPIRING IT.”

IN EARLY 2015, COUNTRY RADIO WAS INTRODUCED TO CAM WITH THE ENGAGING FIRST SINGLE, “MY MISTAKE,” WHILE HER FOUR-SONG EP, WELCOME TO CAM COUNTRY, DEBUTED ON SPOTIFY. THE MEDIA WAS IMPRESSED WITH CAM’S POSSIBILITIES. BILLBOARD PRAISED HER MUSIC AS “AT ONCE FRESH AND FAMILIAR, THAT RARE MIX OF DARING AND COMFORT THAT’S OFTEN THE HALLMARK OF A HIT,” WHILE GOSSIP KING PEREZ HILTON CHAMPIONED HER FOR BEING “FEARLESS.” THE ACCOLADES CONTINUED WITH THE RISE OF “BURNING HOUSE,” WHICH ROLLING STONE COUNTRY CALLED “HAUNTING” AND “ONE OF THE MOST BUZZED-ABOUT TUNES OF THE YEAR.” AND THE WASHINGTON POST LAUDED BOTH “MY MISTAKE” AND “BURNING HOUSE,” NOTING THAT “THE TWO SONGS FEEL LIKE NIGHT AND DAY, BUT THEY ALSO SUGGEST RANGE AND DEPTH.”

SINCE JULY 6, 2015, THE OFFICIAL RADIO IMPACT DATE OF “BURNING HOUSE, NOT ONLY HAS CAM BECOME THE ONLY COUNTRY FEMALE TO ACHIEVE MORE THAN 1 MILLION DOWNLOADS OF A SINGLE THIS PAST YEAR, BUT, ADDITIONALLY, BOTH HER BREAKTHROUGH HIT AND DEBUT DISC MADE MULTIPLE “BEST OF 2015” CRITICS’ LISTS, INCLUDING ROLLING STONE, ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY, THE WASHINGTON POST, ASSOCIATED PRESS, NASHVILLE SCENE, AMONG OTHERS. CAM ALSO BECAME THE MOST-NOMINATED FEMALE AT THE 2016 ACM AWARDS WITH SIX TOTAL NODS, AND, SHE RECEIVED A 2016 GRAMMY NOMINATIONFOR “BEST COUNTRY SOLO PERFORMANCE” FOR “BURNING HOUSE” AND 2016 AMERICAN COUNTRY COUNTDOWN AWARDS NOMINATIONS FOR “FEMALE VOCALIST OF THE YEAR” AND “BREAKTHROUGH FEMALE VOCALIST OF THE YEAR.” HER CAREER IS SHOWING PROMISE.

PROMISE IS PART OF CAM’S CHARM. EVEN IN “BURNING HOUSE,” A SPARE SONG ABOUT A CRUMBLING RELATIONSHIP, ONE CAN SENSE AN UNDERLYING POSITIVITY: HER PERSISTENCE AND HER DETERMINATION TO MEND A DEVASTATING FRACTURE.

IT’S A RARE GIFT, AND IT’S REFLECTED IN HER BOLD PENCHANT FOR YELLOW. SHE SPRINKLES THAT COLOR INTO SHOES, DRESSES, BRACELETS – SOMETIMES A COMBINATION OF ALL OF THEM – AS SHE VISUALLY CAPTURES HER INNER GLOW. THAT GOLDEN SIGNATURE LOOK WAS DEVELOPED OUT OF A CONVERSATION WITH HER MANAGER, LINDSAY MARIAS. CAM HAD RAISED A FAIR AMOUNT OF MONEY THROUGH A KICKSTARTER CAMPAIGN AND WAS USING SOME OF THAT REVENUE TO FUND A VIDEO. WORKING LATE AT NIGHT DURING THE PRODUCTION, CAM MADE SOME COFFEE TO GET A LIFT, AND AS SHE GRABBED A CUP, SHE PURPOSELY CHOSE A YELLOW ONE OFF THE SHELF.

“I REALLY NEEDED THIS BRIGHT MOMENT TO BE ABLE TO JUST CONNECT WITH PEOPLE THROUGH THE VIDEO,” SHE EXPLAINS. “LINDSAY WAS THERE WITH ME, AND SHE SAID, ‘YOU ARE YELLOW.’ IT’S SO CHEERY AND FRIENDLY AND RELATABLE, AND ALL THOSE ADJECTIVES FIT SO WELL WITH ME AS A PERSON AND WHAT MY MUSIC IS ABOUT, SO IT JUST ALL CLICKED. THEN THE MORE WE INCORPORATED YELLOW, I STAND OUT IN PICTURES. PEOPLE SEND ME YELLOW THINGS, AND EVEN IF I’M TIRED OR IF IT’S A SUPER-COLD, SNOWY DAY, YELLOW LIFTS PEOPLE’S SPIRITS. IT KIND OF DOES HALF THE WORK FOR YOU.”

IT’S A SIGN OF CAM’S BOLDNESS. HER DEAL, HER MUSIC, HER PHILOSOPHY – EVEN HER NAME: EVERYTHING ABOUT HER STANDS OUT. IF YOU HAVEN’T NOTICED CAM, YOU SIMPLY WEREN’T LOOKING.

Monster Energy Presents the Official Rock on the Range Pre Party at The Bluestone featuring Paradise Kitty with Special Guests Brandon & Dan of Atreyu and Cadaver Dogs.

Doors 7PM

18+

Proceeds Benefit F*ck Cancer

William Michael Morgan at The Bluestone on Friday, August 17th, 2018

*Doors open at 7pm

*Opening Artist: Maggie Baugh

*Tickets are $15 in advance and $20 day of show

Tickets On-Sale NOW! 

The New York Times declares “…in the emergent field of gentleman country — an antidote to the bros of the last few years — William Michael Morgan stands tall.” The praise continues with his debut album VINYL, being hailed as a “sturdy, reflective debut album….a throwback to the temperate wisdom of midcareer George Strait.” The record, which opened in the Top 5 on Billboard’s Country Albums Chart, has landed him on countless year-end best album lists, including Rolling Stone, iTunes and Saving Country Music. His breakout mega-hit “I Met A Girl” has earned top song of the year nods from Billboard and NPR. The song topped charts and has garnered over a billion audience impressions, including over 25 million on-demand streams. Morgan recently released the title track as his third single. The tune harkens back to yesteryear with a modern twist.

 CANDLEBOX live at The Bluestone on July 11th, 2019

Doors for the show will open at 7pm

This show is Ages 18+

Tickets will go on-sale Friday, March 8th at 10am

PURCHASE HERE 

Candlebox is an American rock band from Seattle, Washington. Since its formation in 1990, the group has released six studio albums, which have achieved multi-platinum and gold certification, as well as numerous charting singles, a compilation, and a CD+DVD.

Candlebox was the first successful act on Maverick Records, which went on to sign Alanis Morissette, Deftones and The Prodigy. They found immediate success with the release of their self-titled debut album in July 1993. It featured the band’s biggest hit songs, “Far Behind” and “You“, and was certified platinum by the RIAA four times.^[5] Their next two albums, Lucy and Happy Pills, also sold well. After troubles with Maverick, Candlebox broke up in 2000 after an alleged attempt to be freed from their contract. The band reunited in 2006, and two years later, they released their fourth album Into the Sun, followed by an extensive tour. Their latest album, Disappearing in Airports was released April 22, 2016.

The band has toured or played selected shows with such bands as Living Colour, The Flaming Lips, Our Lady Peace, Rush, Henry Rollins, Aerosmith, Godsmack, Metallica, Radiohead, The Offspring, Sponge, Seaweed, Hinder, Suicidal Tendencies and Danzig.^[6][7] They were also a featured band on the main-stage at Woodstock ’94 and made repeat live performances on Late Show with David Letterman.

Steel Panther Live December 9th, 2021 7 PM

The Bluestone

Columbus, Ohio

https://www.ticketmaster.com/event/05005B59EDEA422F

Steel Panther is headed to Columbus, OH to The Bluestone December 9, 2021.

Tickets on sale Friday, October 29 at 10 AM!

• Website: http://www.steelpantherrocks.com/
• Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/steelpanther
• Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/Steel_Panther
• Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/SteelPanther
• YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/user/SteelPantherVEVO

About Steel Panther

For the uninitiated, Steel Panther was formed in 2000. Hailing from Los Angeles, the epicenter for rock n’ roll in all its debauchery and glamour, Steel Panther has established themselves as the world’s premier party band, melding hard rock virtuosity with parody and criminally good looks. Steel Panther is a global phenomenon with four full-length albums, touring across the world, platinum-level You Tube status and high-profile television appearances such as Jimmy Kimmel Live, Larry King Now, and FOX NFL Sunday.

Rolling Stone avowed, “There’s a reason Steel Panther have transcended their origins as a cover band playing the Sunset Strip,” while Metal Sucks declared, Steel Panther’s concept is genius…their songwriting is…preposterously snappy –and relatable.

Dorothy

ft. Joyous Wolf & Classless Act

April 24, 2022 6 PM

at The Bluestone

Columbus, Ohio

DOROTHY

Gifts From The Holy Ghost 

Roc Nation

Dorothy Martin’s life changed forever when she was forced to face death on her tour bus some three years ago. After her guitar technician had taken an overdose, and the light began to lift up and out from his body, Dorothy instinctively began praying for his survival. While he may have temporarily died, the technician was astonishingly, miraculously restored back to life as Dorothy and her crew formed a prayer circle near his body. It was this moment that seemed to bring Dorothy to life too. She was gifted a rebirth with a divine intervention that caused a radical and spiritual awakening in the singer, the result of which can be heard on Gifts From The Holy Ghost, Dorothy’s third studio album as front woman for the pseudonymous, blues-rock band Dorothy. 

Gifts From The Holy Ghost is the album she’s always wanted, and has perhaps been destined to make. Born from a sense of divine urgency, it is Dorothy’s most bombastic and gloriously, victorious rock and roll work yet. Each song built on triumph—the unshackling of chains, the slaying of demons with a sword of light—the album is a healing and remedial experience, made to unify listeners and point them towards a life full of purpose. It is Dorothy’s greatest gift yet.  “This album had to get made, I felt like I had a mission,” she said. 

While the band’s first, irreverently named album ROCKISDEAD, was made on a combination of whiskey and heartbreak—inspiring Rolling Stone to name them one of rock’s most exciting new acts, and Jay-Z to sign them to his label Roc Nation—Gifts was built on recovery, health, and holiness, in a way that reverses the clichéd ‘good girl gone bad narrative’. 

With the combined powers of Keith Wallen, Jason Hook, Scott Stevens, Phil X, Trevor Lukather, Joel Hamilton and the legendary ear of Chris Lord Alge, Gifts From The Holy Ghost is made from a musical palette which seems to encompass each of the musician’s influences, as well as many of the essential sounds of rock music’s history—from swampy blues to ‘90s alternative —in a way that makes the case for rock and roll itself. Not only is the genre alive, but it’s more invigorated than ever.

“I think this album is going to speak to a lot of people, it’s meant to be healing, unifying, eye-opening, ear-opening, heart-opening and celebratory,” Dorothy said, adding: “I wanted to make the realest album I could make, and I went in with the question does this make me feel alive? Does it make me feel free? If a song didn’t give me chills or make my heart soar, then it didn’t make the cut.”

Born in Budapest, Hungary, Dorothy has always been an instinctual writer and artist. Throughout her life, she’s been asking the big questions, both in and outside her art: ‘What’s the meaning of life? Why are we here? How are we here?’ When she couldn’t find the answers to those questions, she’d numb out the empty uncertainty with drugs and alcohol. She was eventually admitted to rehab and a new chapter was opened in her spiritual journey. Now, with angels whispering in her ear and the spirit moving her steps, she’s found her answers. “I’m just here to impart inspiring messages to people while having fun and rocking out!”

You can hear Dorothy’s powerful resilience across the album, particularly on “Big Guns”, which finds the singer at her boldest; sauntering over slide guitars as she steps into combat. Anthems like “Rest In Peace” bring a sweeping cinematic scope to the album, whereas “Black Sheep”, a rallying cry for unity, explodes with layered gang vocals: “we are blood, we are family,” Dorothy breaks curses, going toe-to-toe with the blistering guitar riffs. 

The album’s lyrics are a perfect balance of specificity and generality, so that the listener can attach their own darknesses and triumphs to the songs, while still getting a sense of Dorothy’s own. “We are all one human family.” she declares. 

Does that mean Dorothy has overcome all of her own adversities? “It’s a journey and it’s about progress not perfection,” she responds. “I’ve had a lot of deep revelations about my life, stuff I hadn’t been able to cope with until now. Now I’m learning new tools.” With Gifts From The Holy Ghost, Dorothy identifies her purpose as an artist. She conquers darkness with light, numbness with feeling, disharmony with unity—all while delivering one of this year’s most fun rock & roll records.

Joyous Wolf Bio

A gritty howl opens Joyous Wolf’s upcoming debut LP, Enigma, and it’s the perfect introduction since the band plays rock & roll at its most primal and passionate. Guitarist Blake Allard’s bluesy riffs harken back to the classic hard rock of AC/DC, Cream and Deep Purple while still packing a thoroughly modern wallop, while frontman Nick Reese’s voice seems to come from deep in his gut as he sings about everything from warring kingdoms to a tribute to a fallen friend. Together, with bassist Greg Braccio and drummer Robert Sodaro, Joyous Wolf’s members work together to create some of the most exciting, promising and unwieldy back-to-basics rock to come out of Southern California in recent years.

Whether nimbly navigating the swaggering, powerful groove of their go-to concert opener, “Mountain Man,” or digging into their instruments for a jammy, funky guitar solo “Major Headthrob,” the group has an unpredictable quality – a sort of unique freedom within rock & roll – that makes Enigma compelling. Part of the credit for this goes to producer Val Garay (Santana, Neil Diamond, Reel Big Fish) who came aboard at the last minute to help them achieve the record’s raw sound, which captures how Joyous Wolf sound live. But mostly, the electric feeling that defines Enigma is just something in the band’s DNA.

“When I’m playing rock & roll, it’s the only time where I feel indestructible,” Reese says. “When I heard Elvis sing ‘Heartbreak Hotel’ for the first time, I knew exactly what my heart wanted and what I wanted.”

“I think people are starting to realize the overproduction and fakeness of pop music, which is why rock is coming back,” Allard says. “We love being a rock band.” Joyous Wolf formed in November 2014, but their roots stretch back to sixth grade when Reese first crossed paths with Sodaro by fate – they had to assemble next to each other because their names were alphabetically side-by-side. Reese recalls a middle-school battle of the bands where neither he nor Sodaro was playing, but Reese declared that one day he was going to be “the best singer ever” and that Sodaro would play drums. It would take a few years, but after stints where both musicians duked it out playing in punk and alternative bands (“all of that crap,” Reese adds) they fulfilled Reese’s prophecy. The singer drafted Allard, whom he’d met randomly in the acoustic room at a Guitar Center when the two jammed on CCR’s “Born on the Bayou,” and Sodaro brought in his high-school friend Braccio to play bass. 

Before long, the quartet was jamming in Sodaro’s folks’ garage, annoying the neighbors and entertaining the local authorities. “Once on Halloween, we were rehearsing at 11 p.m. writing songs, and we faced Nick’s monitors out the window toward a canyon full of houses,” Allard recalls. “Then we saw this car at the front gate, and it’s the sheriff. He comes into the practice room and goes, ‘Hey guys, I hate to shut you down because it sounds really good, but we got a complaint from across the canyon that it was too loud.’ We still practice but not like that anymore.”

One of the first songs they played together was “Sleep Weep Stomp,” Enigma’s slow-burning, sludgy blues burner. It’s the style of music that Reese feels closest to. “I’m a blues singer, 100 percent,” he says. “That’s my everything.” The singer grew up on blues, jazz, and Fifties rock & roll. “When my dad showed me, Elvis, that was the end of it,” he says. “I needed to hear every artist that inspired Elvis and then the people who inspired them. Suddenly I had a record collection. It all felt natural: B.B. King made me want to scream my pain away. You hear all these people and you want to express all the things you love. I don’t care if people think it’s old or not current. It doesn’t matter to me.” By his own estimation, he didn’t hear anything “current” until he was 13 and borrowed his sister’s Discman only to hear the Strokes’ “Is This It”. Similarly, Allard was raised on classic rock. “My dad taught me my first song ever, ‘Sunshine of Your Love,’ by Cream,” he says. “I always went back to that kind of old blues-rock music. Even if I was into metal or hard rock, I always went back to the classics like B.B. King, Jimi Hendrix, Black Sabbath, and Led Zeppelin.”

These influences shine through on Enigma. “Killing the Messenger” begins with some crushing classic heavy-metal riffs before giving way to a boogieing verse riff where Sodaro and Braccio can bash out their rhythms freely while Reese yowls a tale about two warring kingdoms, and how an evil monarch tricks one of his most popular subjects into delivering a nasty message to the other kingdom only so he would be executed. Reese says the moral Is “life isn’t fair and it isn’t always a happy ending.” The beat-heavy “Mountain Man,” whose lyrics lambaste one of Reese’s former less-than-refined coworkers at a coffee shop, whom the singer says claimed he could “carve a knife out of the tree,” began with a guitar riff that was so forceful that the band couldn’t deny its power. “He had this little riff and we were laughing because it was so stupid-simple,” Reese says. “And it is. It’s our quote-unquote ‘dumbest song,’ but when we used it to open at the Viper Room, the audience response became one of our staple songs.”

The band is also able to channel more somber tones. The acoustic “Remember By” showcases thoughtful performances by both Allard and Reese, who wrote the song in tribute to a friend of his who had taken his own life. It came from a moment of pure inspiration. “I recorded us when we were fooling around, and it was perfect,” Reese says. “I pushed for us to record that song so hard. I said, ‘Please do it exactly like you did it. Please.’ That was me saying goodbye.”After they put out their Daisy EP in late 2015, it took the band about two years total to fine-tune and perfect Enigma. And while songwriting was a big chunk of that (the ominous riff for “Turning Blue” took them six months to perfect), they went through several passes of mixing and mastering it to get it to sound like it does. When Garay finally came aboard, they were able to establish the right mixture of nuance and directness. “It’s so much more animal,” Reese says, using the perfect adjective, to describe the way Enigma turned out. That “animal” sound has earned Joyous Wolf some notable gigs, including performances at L.A.’s famed Whisky a Go-Go, the Viper Room and the Regent Theater, where they recently opened for Eagles of Death Metal. Now they’re ready to move on to even bigger stages. “When we play a show, we go out and we kick ass,” Reese says, sounding confident. “We’re headhunters”. Headhunting on the road will now be even easier, with their upcoming record Enigma, an album that demonstrates what Reese calls Joyous Wolf’s “mojo.” – Kory Grow Rolling Stone Magazine 2017

Classless Act Bio

When they released their debut single “Give It To Me” in the summer of 2021, Classless Act were immediately praised for their ability to sound both fresh and timeless. Loudwire instantly added the song to their “Weekly Wire” Spotify playlist, identifying it as one of the top new releases of the summer. And other iconic outlets, like SPIN Magazine, were early to show support. It was a fitting public introduction to a band who embody what it means to be modern rock stars.

The band – consisting of members Derek Day (Vocals), Dane Pieper (Guitar), Griffin Tucker (Guitar), Franco Gravante (Bass), and Chuck McKissock (Drums) – initially formed in 2018 after connecting and bonding virtually by their love and passion of music. Now in Los Angeles, they’ve united on a mission to be the next great generation-defining act, drawing inspiration from classic rock acts of the 70’s and alt-rock groups from the 90’s. Their music echoes the hallmarks of previous generations – anthemic rhythms, shreddy guitars, soaring vocals – but punches its way into the future with clever arrangements, sharp musicianship, and proficient songwriting.

Already making noise in the industry, the band has been in the studio with world-class producers like Bob Rock, Michael Beinhorn and Joe Chiccarrelli, who have helped craft hits for the likes of The Red Hot Chili Peppers, Metallica, Soundgarden, and The White Stripes. The band recently landed a deal with Better Noise Music, Mediabase and Billboard’s #1 rock label for 2020. Their debut album is expected in 2022, when the band will be hitting the road with Mötley Crüe, Def Leppard, and more, on their Summer Stadium Tour.