Tickets- Official Box Office

 The OFFICAL BLUESTONE TICKET BOX OFFICE

Get Tickets to The Bluestone and never miss your favorite artist again. Tickets From country and electronic to Indie Rock.  THE Bluestone brings quality entertainment to the stage every time. We’re working hard to bring you the best  concerts and special events in Columbus, Ohio. Keep an eye on our tickets and events calendar and check back often for concert updates. Just click on an event to purchase tickets

https://www.ticketmaster.com/the-bluestone-tickets-columbus/venue/41852

 

May
25
Sat
Craig Morgan
May 25 @ 4:14 pm

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Hit country artist Craig Morgan returns to The Bluestone for his Journey: Livin’ Hits tour on March 20th, 2014. Special guests Chad Warrix and Clark Manson will open the show.

TICKET AVAILABILITY

VIP Admission

*Note* VIP Tables are now SOLD OUT

General Admission

  • $20 advance
  • Standing room only

This event is open to all ages

Thursday, March 20th | Doors 7PM

BUY TICKETS

WCOL Winter Wonder Jam featuring: JON PARDI
May 25 @ 4:14 pm

This event is SOLD OUT!

 

Jon Pardi will be headlining the WCOL Winter Wonder Jam event on Saturday, December 20th at The Bluestone.

Doors will open at 6pm

Opening Artists include: 

Joey Hyde

Maddie and Tae

John King

Tickets go on-sale Friday, November 21st at 10am

 

 

www.liveatthebluestone.com

 

ACM Lifting Lives Benefit featuring: Easton Corbin
May 25 @ 4:15 pm

ACM Lifitng Lives Benefit Concert featuring singer of hit song, “All Over The Road”, Easton Corbin, will take place on Saturday, January 10th at The Bluestone.

 

Opening Artists:  Dew Baldridge  & Carter Winter

Doors for the Show open at 7pm

All Ages

Tickets $32 in advancePlain image

 BUY TICKETS

This year marks the 4th anniversary of the ACM Lifting Lives Club Benefit Concert, an annual event that supports ACM Lifting Lives mission to improve lives through the power of music. Since 2011, ACM Lifting Lives has partnered with Lifting Lives Board Member Ed Warm, owner of Joe’s Bar in Chicago, to coordinate benefit concerts with artists such as LeAnn Rimes, Gary Allan, and Lee Brice. Our partnership with Ed and Joe’s Bar successfully raised over $30,000 and spurred our 2014 “Club Benefit Show Run” in which clubs throughout the country replicated the Joe’s Bar model of the ACM Lifting Lives Benefit Concert. In just three months, these venues collectively raised more than $36,000 for ACM Lifting Lives.

VIP Opportunities Available: 

VIP TABLE PURCHASE DOES NOT INCLUDE ADMISSION TICKETS TO THE SHOW.  

Admission tickets must be purchased separately.

  • Loft Lower Tier: $250 (seats four people-no exceptions)
  • Prime view of stage!
  • Includes six bottles of Miller or Coors Light
  • VIP waitress
  • Exclusive Private Bar access
  • Buckets (six bottles) available for purchase all night for $24

  • Loft Upper Tier: $200 (seats four people-no exceptions)
  • Includes six bottles of Miller or Coors Light
  • VIP waitress
  • Private Bar Access
  • Buckets (six bottles) available for purchase all night for $24
  • May be Obstruction in View

*All VIP tables located in the loft area

 

Feb
12
Thu
The Cadillac Three
Feb 12 @ 7:00 pm
The Cadillac Three

Cadillac Three will be performing live at The Bluestone on Thursday, February 12th.

Opening Artists: Clark Manson and Eldon Huff

Doors open at 7pm… (All Ages Event)

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Tickets $15 in Advance and $17 day of show!

 Performing live at The Bluestone on 02|12|15 The Cadillac Three are a country music trio out of Nashville, TN consisting of members Jaren Johnston, Kelby Ray, and Neil Mason. Wanting to mix contemporary country music with classic southern rock, The Cadillac Three have managed to become stars in their own right with the huge single, “The South,” featuring guest vocals from Florida Georgia Line, Dierks Bentley, and Mike Eli. Johnston has also co-written songs for artists such as Tim McGraw, Keith Urban, and Jake Owen.


VIP TABLE PURCHASE DOES NOT INCLUDE ADMISSION TICKETS TO THE SHOW.  

Admission tickets must be purchased separately.

  • Loft Lower Tier: $250 (seats four people-no exceptions)
  • Prime view of stage!
  • Includes six bottles of Miller or Coors Light
  • VIP waitress
  • Exclusive Private Bar access
  • Buckets (six bottles) available for purchase all night for $24
  • Loft Upper Tier: $200 (seats four people-no exceptions)
  • Includes six bottles of Miller or Coors Light
  • VIP waitress
  • Private Bar Access
  • Buckets (six bottles) available for purchase all night for $24
  • May be Obstruction in View

*All VIP tables located in the loft area

Mar
14
Sat
Blood Sweat & Bass Tour featuring DOWNLINK and DIESELBOY – The Bluestone
Mar 14 @ 8:00 pm

IGNYTE EVENTS presents: DOWNLINK and DIESELBOY at The Bluestone on Saturday, March 14th.

$15 Presale $20 Door (This show is for ages 18+)

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DOWNLINK

Other Artists Performing:
Attak
Lethal FX
Pot Pocket
Vexxe

Apr
10
Fri
Brian Davis @ The Bluestone
Apr 10 @ 7:00 pm

BRIAN DAVIS returns to The Bluestone on Friday, April 10th, 2015.

Opening Artists: David Adam Byrnes and Ray Scott

Doors for the show open at 7PM ( All Ages Event )

Approved Image

 

 

VIP Opportunities Available: 

VIP TABLE PURCHASE DOES NOT INCLUDE ADMISSION TICKETS TO THE SHOW.  

Admission tickets must be purchased separately.

  • Loft Lower Tier: $250 (seats four people-no exceptions)
  • Prime view of stage!
  • Includes six bottles of Miller or Coors Light
  • VIP waitress
  • Exclusive Private Bar access
  • Buckets (six bottles) available for purchase all night for $24
  • Loft Upper Tier: $200 (seats four people-no exceptions)
  • Includes six bottles of Miller or Coors Light
  • VIP waitress
  • Private Bar Access
  • Buckets (six bottles) available for purchase all night for $24
  • May be Obstruction in View

*All VIP tables located in the loft area

Jan
12
Thu
Craig Morgan at The Bluestone @ The Bluestone
Jan 12 @ 7:00 pm

Craig Morgan will be performing live at The Bluestone on Thursday, January 12, 2017

Opening Artist: Drew Baldridge
Doors for the show will open at 7pm
Tickets: $25 in advance (day of show price will increase to $30)

Tickets go on-sale Friday, October 14th at 10am

PURCHASE HERE

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VIP OPPORTUNITY AVAILABLE

VIP TABLE PURCHASE DOES NOT INCLUDE ADMISSION TICKETS TO THE SHOW.  

Admission tickets must be purchased separately.

  • Loft Lower Tier: $250 (seats four people-no exceptions)
  • Prime view of the stage!
  • Includes first bucket of Miller or Coors Light
  • VIP Server
  • Exclusive Private Bar access
  • Loft Upper Tier: $200 (seats four people-no exceptions)
  • Includes first bucket of Miller or Coors Light
  • VIP Server
  • Private Bar Access
  • May have an obstructed view

*All VIP tables located in the loft area

*all sales are final

“I’ve got a renewed energy with this record,” he says emphatically. “In fact, I’m at the pinnacle of my career — producing, singing and touring. And this song epitomizes that. It’s about living to the fullest, and when people hear it, I know they’ll relate it to their own lives.”His newest single, “I’ll Be Home Soon,” is an epic love song and one of many radio-ready hits on Morgan’s highly anticipated project. He’s written nearly half of the album’s dozen tracks, and makes all of them his own. “I’m That Country” exudes Southern charm; “Remind Me Why I’m Crazy” showcases Morgan the crooner; “I Can’t Wait to Stay” exults the joys of a small-town life; and “A Whole Lot More to Me” is a musical autobiography. The collection’s “When I’m Gone,” has already met critical acclaim with Music Row calling it a “powerhouse performance of a pile-driving song.” Each highlights his artistic renaissance.Morgan laughs at that word, however: “artistic.

“I have friends who are very artistic people, sometimes oddly so, and I never wanted to be that guy, to be so artistic that I’m odd,” he says smiling. “But it’s good to know that I’ve evolved musically and, with this new record, I’ve created something with longevity.

Indeed, Morgan’s A Whole Lot More To Me, co-produced with Byron Gallimore (Tim McGraw, Sugarland, Faith Hill) and released via Black River Entertainment, is a timeless recording.As was their goal, Morgan and Gallimore, with whom he worked for the first time, succeeded in making music that will sound fresh a decade or more from now. These are songs that define a man.

Morgan uses the honesty of the concert stage as an analogy for how he assembled what will be his seventh studio album. “It would look funny if you went to one of my concerts and I stood out there in skinny jeans. I’m not 21 years old, and I shouldn’t pretend to be,” he says. “But I also know this music will fit right in on country radio today. I’m singing music that is real and believable and at the same time relatable to all types of fans. That’s hard to do, but you can do it if you stay true to who you are.”

And Craig Morgan knows exactly who he is, a man with many sides. Along with being an entertainer, he’s an adventure junkie and hosts the popular Outdoor Channel series Craig Morgan: All Access Outdoors, entering its seventh season this summer. He’s also a 17-year Army and Army Reserves veteran, a passionatechampion of the military, a philanthropist and a celebratedmotivational speaker.

He’s a busy man with a knack for attention to detail. Carefully choosing each lyric on this album is no exception. There is not a single wasted verse — let alone word — on the follow-up to 2012’s This Ole Boy. “Every word is valid and relevant on this album,” he says. “It’s a quality continuation of what I’ve done in the past.”

The most obvious bridge to Morgan’s back catalog is the spiritually minded “Country Side of Heaven.” The song is inspirational country at its finest, with a soaring chorus that at once elevates both listener and artist.

“It has a very charismatic, inspirational vibe about it — but not preachy,” Morgan says. “The energy feels spiritual by the time you get to the end and there is an emotional attachment within you that makes you want to hear it again and again.”

Morgan says the song, as well as album tracks like the emotionally charged “I’ll Be Home Soon” and the empowered-woman tale “All Cried Out,” act as a through-line, a path for fans to connect the dots of his career: “You develop a fan base and they get acquainted with a certain thing from you, and they want that. This album is full of those.”

Another standout on the project is “Hearts I Leave Behind,” which features Morgan’s gritty and poignant vocals with the soulful Christian rock band Third Day’s lead singer, Mac Powell.

The hard-touring artist has already been testing out the songs on the road, to stellar results. “When I’m Gone” becomes a call to action; “Country Side of Heaven” is an audience sing-along; and “Nowhere Without You,” written by Michael McDonald, stands as an epic power ballad.

“It’s such an emotional song, one that I can see being played at weddings for a long time,” he says. “I feel something in my chest when I hear it. It moves me — and that’s what music is supposed to do.”

Especially in the hands of an artist as gifted as Morgan, who can effortlessly toggle between the breezy fun of radio staple “Redneck Yacht Club” and the poignancy of “That’s What I Love About Sunday.” He mixes both approaches in the album’s standout track, “A Whole Lot More to Me.” A smoldering, jazz-influenced love song with an everyman attitude, it shines a light on a different side of the artist, and country fans in general — one that likes a fine Cabernet as much as a cold beer, and indulges in sushi by candlelight as regularly as barbecue by the bonfire.

“As a country singer, we sometimes get stereotyped as nothing but trucks and tailgates, but that doesn’t mean that’s all there is to us,” he says, summing up the album. “I want people to hear this record and go, ‘Wow, there is a whole lot more to these country folks.'”

And in Morgan, those folks have no better messenger.

Dec
7
Thu
Whiskey Myers LIVE @ The Bluestone
Dec 7 @ 7:00 pm

Whiskey Myers

live at The Bluestone

Thursday, December 7th, 2017

Doors for the show will open at 7pm

Opening Artist: Goodbye June

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

 Tickets On-Sale Friday, June 9th at 10am

PURCHASE HERE

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RESERVED LOFT TABLE SEATING

RESERVED TABLE PURCHASE DOES NOT INCLUDE ADMISSION TICKETS TO THE SHOW.  

Admission tickets must be purchased separately.

  • Loft Lower Tier: $250 (seats four people-no exceptions)
  • Prime view of stage!
  • Includes first bucket of Miller or Coors Light
  • Server
  • Exclusive Private Bar access
    Loft Upper Tier: $200 (seats four people-no exceptions)

    Includes first bucket of Miller or Coors Light

  • Server
  • Private Bar Access
  • May be Obstruction in View

*All Reserved tables located in the loft area

ALL SALES ARE FINAL

It would be an understatement to say that a lot has happened since Whiskey Myers was last in the recording studio. Over two whirlwind years, the gritty Texas band hit #1 on the iTunes Country Chart with their breakout third album ‘Early Morning Shakes,’ earned raves everywhere from Rolling Stone to USA Today, and toured the US and UK relentlessly, slaying massive festival crowds and sharing stages with Lynyrd Skynyrd, Hank Williams Jr., Jamey Johnson, and more along the way. You’d be forgiven, then, for expecting things to work a little differently this time around when the band reunited with acclaimed producer Dave Cobb for their stellar new album, ‘Mud.’ But as it turns out, success doesn’t change a Southern gentleman, and they don’t come any more Southern than Whiskey Myers.

Fueled by larger-than-life performances honed tight from countless nights on the road, ‘Mud’ finds the band scaling new heights of songwriting and musicianship, with searing guitars, soulful vocals, and indelible hooks. While their approach to the music and humble, hard-working attitudes may not have altered, there have been developments in the Whiskey Myers world, most notably with the arrival of new faces. For the recording sessions, the band’s five founding members—Cody Cannon on lead vocals and guitar, Cody Tate and John Jeffers on guitars, Gary Brown on bass, and Jeff Hogg on drums—fleshed out their sound with the addition of fiddler/keyboard player Jon Knudson and percussionist Tony Kent, who are both now full-time members. “They bring a great energy, and I think it’s really helped our sound and makes the band more versatile,” explains Cannon. “There’s less room onstage now, but sometimes a family grows.”

 

May
17
Thu
Monster Energy Presents the Official Rock on the Range Pre Party @ The Bluestone
May 17 @ 7:00 pm

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

tickets The Bluestone - Columbus Ohio

 

ROTR pre party square FINAL (1)

 

Sep
28
Fri
Muscadine Bloodline LIVE September, 28th @ The Bluestone
Sep 28 @ 7:00 pm

Muscadine Bloodline LIVE at The Bluestone on September 28th, 2018!

Opening Artist: Brandon Ray and Jordan Fletcher

*Doors for the show will open at 7PM

*Tickets are $10 in advance and $15 day of show

Tickets On-Sale NOW!

tickets The Bluestone - Columbus Ohio

 

 

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Biography  

Hailing from Mobile, Alabama and based in Nashville, Tennessee, the contemporary country duo Muscadine Bloodline certainly sounds southern but they don’t necessarily seem beholden to either hometown. At times, the pair of Charlie Muncaster and Gary Stanton can recall the plainspoken sound of Texas Red Dirt country; sometimes they kick up a bit of Southern rock, and sometimes they have the polished songcraft synonymous with the Music City. All of this is evident on their eponymous 2017 debut EP.

The EP Muscadine Bloodline followed just a year after Muncaster and Stanton formed the group. The two singer/songwriters grew up in Mobile, but they didn’t meet until they were both actively pursuing musical careers as adults. Stanton crossed Muncaster’s path when the former was looking for an opening act and they soon started jamming, then decided to form a band. They headed to Nashville and quickly released three singles in 2016 — “Southern Boy Cure,” “Porch Swing Angel,” and “Shut Your Mouth” — before cutting the Muscadine Bloodline EP with producer Luke Laird. The EP appeared early in 2017. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, Rovi

Ticket Button

 

 

Oct
25
Thu
TRAUMA 2018 @ The Bluestone
Oct 25 @ 9:00 pm – Oct 28 @ 2:15 am

 

tickets The Bluestone - Columbus Ohio

Bluestone Ticket

 

 

 

 

 

TRAUMA Columbus 2018 3 days of FUN

Halloween Fetish Party 

Spend 3 unforgettable nights with us at The Bluestone!
TRAUMA 2018
October 25th – GAME NIGHT
October 26th – MONSTERS AND GODS
October 27th – TIME WARP
3 Nights. 3 Themes.
Costumes are mandatory.
Themes are optional.
Doors open each night at 9 PM and acts start promptly at 9 PM

For More info on all the preforemers for #TRAUMA2018 visit:
http://www.traumacolumbus.com/entertainment-2018/

Sep
20
Fri
Jameson Rodgers LIVE September 20th @ The Bluestone
Sep 20 @ 7:00 pm

Jameson Rodgers LIVE at The Bluestone on Friday, September 20th, 2019

Doors for the show will open at 7pm

Opening Artist: Ray Fulcher

Tickets are $10 each

PURCHASE HERE

Jameson Rodgers

Jameson Rodgers Live at The Bluestone

Raised in Batesville, Mississippi, singer-songwriter Jameson Rodgers brings together electrified rock & roll and Country songwriting on his new self-titled EP, released in January of 2018, with songs featured on Spotify’s New Boots and Wild Country playlists as well as Sirius XM’s On The Horizon. In 2018, Rodgers also received the AIMP Nashville Rising Artist-Writer of the Year nomination for the third annual AIMP (Association of Independent Music Publishers) Nashville Awards. The former college baseball player, who landed a publishing deal with Combustion Music in 2014, scored his first songwriting cuts with Florida Georgia Lines “Wish You Were On It” and “Talk You Out Of It” in addition to co-writing Chris Lane’s new single “I Don’t Know About You.” His debut EP, released in 2016, features the streaming hit “Midnight Daydream.” In addition to opening shows for Sam Hunt and Old Dominion, Rodgers has been selling out clubs throughout the south and Midwest this year. He is currently on the Luke Combs Beer Never Broke My Heart Tour that kicked off in January.

 

 

Oct
29
Fri
SOLD OUT Zach Bryan Live October 29, 2021 @ The Bluestone
Oct 29 @ 7:00 pm – 11:45 pm
The Bluestone

Zach Bryan at The Bluestone October 29th, 2021

The Bluestone Presents

Zach Bryan

Ain’t for Tamin/@zachlanebryan/zachbryan.com

SOLD OUT

 

Zach Bryan’s success is found in his raspy voice, a mix of classic folk melody and outlaw country with a raw edge that cuts to the bone.

His breakthrough moment makes all that clear as day. In the video for “Heading South,” shot by phone outside of his Navy barracks in humid 95-degree heat, Zach’s passion echoes off the strings of his trusted Guild. Drenched in sweat and belting words, Zach Bryan is a singer/songwriter from Oologah, Oklahoma, proud of his small-town roots and whose music is fueled by a desire to stay true to himself. The 25-year-old served 7 years in the Navy before being honorably discharged. had written minutes earlier; the moment is authentic, brutal, and real. Millions of fans have now seen that video without any industry assistance, and millions more have connected to the tender, sincere songs found on Zach’s 2019 debut album “DeAnn. A man of simple words, Zach’s ability to create depth in his work is rivaled by few artists. He believes that who you are only extending to the person you are today, an ideology reflected in everything he creates.

WEBSITE: www.zachbryan.com

INSTAGRAM@zachlanebryan

YOUTUBE: @ Zach Bryan https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwK3C8Vgphad4PweezfUBAQ

Mar
18
Fri
Mammoth WVH & Dirty Honey Live March, 18 2022 @ The Bluestone
Mar 18 @ 6:30 pm – 11:45 pm

Mammoth WVH & Dirty Honey Live March 18th, 2022 6:30 PM

The Bluestone
Columbus, Ohio

https://www.ticketmaster.com/event/05005B5B9DE84DB9

WRKZ presents Mammoth WVH & Dirty Honey in Columbus, OH at The Bluestone March 18th, 2022.

Tickets on sale Friday, November 5th at 10 AM!

About Mammoth WVH

Official Website: www.mammothwvh.com

Official Facebook Page:www.facebook.com/MammothWVH

Official Twitter: www.twitter.com/MammothWVH @MammothWVH

Official Instagram: www.instagram.com/mammothwvh @mammothwvh

Official YouTube Channel:www.youtube.com/MammothWVH

First impressions last a lifetime. Wolfgang Van Halen has prepared a lifetime to make his first impression. The songwriter, vocalist, and multi-instrumentalist worked tirelessly towards the introduction of MAMMOTH [Explorer1], his self-titled 2021 debut album. Playing every instrument and singing each and every note, his music presents a personal and powerful perspective, balancing memorable hooks and tight technicality. As many times as audiences have experienced his talent alongside the likes of Tremonti,Clint Lowery, and of course, Van Halen, they meet Wolf as an individual for the very first time now.

“You only have one chance to make a first impression, and I wanted to do so to the best of my abilities,” he affirms. “Throughout the whole process, I was finding who I am musically and by the end, I got a pretty good handle on a sound I can claim for myself.”

His father often played guitar against his mother’s pregnant belly, and Wolf absorbed those vibrations from the womb. At the age of 10, his Pop gave him a drum kit for his birthday. To this day, Wolf considers himself “a drummer before anything else.” As he developed as a musician, he learned how to play guitar in order to perform “316” —which his father penned for him —at a 6th-grade talent show.

It may come as a surprise, but outside of his father teaching him one drumbeat from an AC/DC song, Wolfgang taught himself every instrument. “My dad wasn’t the best teacher,” he laughs. “I would ask him to play something, and then he would just proceed to be Eddie Van Halen. He would look at me and say, ‘Do that.’ to which I would laugh and sarcastically reply, ‘Sure thing, no problem.’”

In the summer of 2006 when he was 15 years old, Wolf grabbed a bass and began noodling. While at the legendary 5150 Studios, his impromptu woodshedding inspired Eddie and Uncle Alex. Endless family jam sessions followed. By summer’s end, Wolfgang phoned David Lee Roth’s manager and by winter Roth showed up for rehearsal. They rocked “On Fire,” and “That’s how the 2007 tour began,” says Wolf.

Not only did Wolf canvas the world with Van Halen while in high school, but he also held down the low end on 2012’s A Different Kind of Truth—which debuted at #2 on the Billboard Top 200. When not on tour with Van Halen, he cut bass for Tremonti’s critically acclaimed Cauterize [2015] and Dust [2016] in addition to joining the band on the road. In 2019, Wolf handled drums and also played bass on half of the 10 songs for Clint Lowery’s solo debut, God Bless The Renegades.

In the midst of all this, at the beginning of 2015, Wolf broke ground on what would become MAMMOTH with producer Michael “Elvis” Baskette [Alter Bridge, Slash] behind the board. Wolf began to embrace his voice, inspired by everyone from his father, to bands like AC/DC,Foo Fighters, Nine Inch Nails, TOOL, and Jimmy Eat World. “I’ve been singing my whole life, but it wasn’t until MAMMOTH that I really found my voice. Elvis was great, and he helped me gain the confidence to become a lead vocalist.”

“The name Mammoth is really special to me.” says Wolf. “Not only was it the name of Van Halen before it became Van Halen, but my father was also the lead singer. Ever since my dad told me this, I always thought that when I grew up, I’d call my own band Mammoth, because I loved the name so much. I’m so thankful that my father was able to listen to, and enjoy the music I made. I’m really proud of the work I’ve done and nothing made me happier than seeing how proud he was that I was continuing the family legacy.”

About Dirty Honey

Official Website: https://www.dirtyhoney.com/

Official Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/DirtyHoneyMusic/

Official Twitter:  https://twitter.com/dirtyhoneyband @DirtyHoneyBand

Official Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dirtyhoneyband/@dirtyhoneyband

Official YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCsxtEOcwpVO9Rnw93Fuv2pQ

Some musicians take a while to build an audience and connect with fans. For the Los Angeles-based quartet Dirty Honey, success came right out of the gate. Released in March 2019, the band’s debut single, “When I’m Gone,” became the first song by an unsigned artist to reach No. 1 on Billboard’s Mainstream Rock chart. Their second single, “Rolling 7s,” went into the Top 5 and was still headed up when COVID changed everything. That same year, Dirty Honey opened for The Who, Guns ’N Roses, Slash, and Alter Bridge and was the “do-not-miss-band” at major rock festivals such as Welcome to Rockville, Rocklahoma, Louder Than Life, Heavy MTL, and Epicenter. On its first U.S. headline tour in January and February 2020, the band sold out every date.
When it came time to record its self-titled full-length debut album, the band—vocalist Marc LaBelle, guitarist John Notto, bassist Justin Smolian, and drummer Corey Coverstone—wasn’t about to mess with what was already working. Teaming up with producer Nick DiDia (Rage Against the Machine, Pearl Jam), who also produced the band’s 2019 self-titled EP, Dirty Honey again captured the lightning-in-a-bottle dynamics and energy of their live sound.
“As a guitarist, I’m always inspired by the everlasting pursuit of the perfect riff,” says Notto. “I also wanted to extend the artistic statement that we had already made. We weren’t looking to sound different, or prove our growth, necessarily. It was more about, ‘Oh, you thought that was good? Hold my beer.'”
“Because of the pandemic,” added drummer Coverstone, “we had a lot more time to write and prepare, which was great. It meant that we were able to workshop the songs a lot more, and I thinkit really made a difference.”
Dirty Honey’s album indeed builds on the band’s output to date, with airtight song writing that plays up their strengths: sexy, bluesy, nasty rock’n’roll, melodic hard rock, and soulful 70s blues-rock. On “The Wire,”LaBelle reaffirms his status as one of contemporary rock’s best vocalists, while “Another Last Time” is a raunchy, timeless ballad about a toxic relationship that you just can’t stop saying goodbye to. “Tied Up” and the album’s lead single “California Dreamin,’’ both feature smoking guitar solos bookended by massive riffs and hooks.
“‘California Dreaming’ was the last song we wrote,” said bassist Justin Smolian. “We finished it about two weeks before we recorded it, so the song was still so new, and we were trying out different things,so every take was a little different. But there was that one where we just captured it, and it was magic.”
Although each band member started playing music as kids—at the age of eight, Notto’s parents even bought him a red-and-white Stratocaster—each one brings eclectic influences to Dirty Honey’s sound. For example, drummer Coverstone has studied with jazz and L.A. session drummers but loves heavy metal; Notto grew up listening to ’70s funk and R&B as well as rock ‘n’ roll,and bassist Smolian has a bachelor of music in classical guitar and loves Tom Petty and The Beach Boys.
LaBelle meanwhile,takes cues from hissongwriting idols (to name a few, Robert Plant, Steven Tyler, Mick Jagger, Chris Robinson, and the late Chris Cornell) when coming up with lyrics. As a result, the songs on the Dirty Honey albumhint at life’s ebbs and flows—shattering heartbreak, romantic connection, intense soul-searching—while giving listeners space to draw their own conclusions.
“Sometimes,if you just let lyrics pass behind your ears, they sound like cool shit is being said,” LaBelle says. “And then once you dive in, you realize, ‘Oh, that’s really thoughtful.’ But it still doesn’t have a meaning that’s easy to pinpoint. There’s an overarching idea that is really cool, but it’s not necessarily on-the-nose.”
Although the Dirty Honey album may sound effortless, its genesis had a bumpy start. The day before the band members were due to fly to Australia to track the album, Los Angeles entered lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and traveling was off the table. However, Dirty Honey was still eager to work with DiDia, so they devised a Plan B: recording the full-length in a Los Angeles studio with one of DiDia’s long-time engineers, and the producer beamed into the proceedings via the magic of modern technology.
“He was able to listen to what we were laying down in real-time, through this app,” says LaBelle. It was like he was in the room with us. It was surprisingly seamless the way it all went down.”
Having to switch gears delayed the start of recording slightly, although this extra time ended up being a boon. Dirty Honey rented a rehearsal space and demoed the album’s songs in advance, meaning the tracks were in good shape when DiDia came onboard. Notto mixed and recorded these workshopped tracks himself, which helped him rediscover one of Dirty Honey’s biggest strengths: being well-rehearsed while not overpolishing their work.
“I’ve learned just a little bit more about what people might mean when they say, magic—you know, ‘This one has the magic,'” he says. “We would do two and three different demos of a song, so there would be a few versions. On a few occasions, the version that people kept going back to was the sloppiest, if you look at it from a performance standpoint.”
LaBelle agrees. “It’s just about getting the performance right and not thinking about it too much. I never like to be perfect in the studio. None of the stuff that I really liked as a kid was. I don’t really see myself getting away from that too much in the future just because I think you lose the soul if you do it too many times, if it’s too perfect.”
Notto also admits that the creative process isn’t necessarily always all fun and games. But for him and the rest of Dirty Honey, pushing through those tough times and coming out stronger on the other side is worth it. “When you finally come through on those moments, that’s where the real magiccomes in,” he says. “What makes all of our songs fun to play and listen to is we don’t allow ourselves to stop short of getting the best possible results out of each one of them.”