Mike Spain

On the Road: The Soundtrack of Summer Tour on May 25, 2014

The Soundtrack of Summer Tour rolled through Orange Beach, Alabama on Saturday, May 25, 2014. The tour is being co-headlined by Styx and Foreigner and includes a special guest Don Felder as the...

An Interview with Open Air Stereo’s Scott Pounds, Appearing Tonight at 8 PM at Jammin’ Java in Vienna, VA

Open Air Stereo is a band full of storylines from taking eleven years to release a debut album, to finding their guitarist through Craigslist, and from their lead singer Chase Johnson starring on...

An Interview With Luísa Maita on Her Performance at Artisphere Tomorrow 3/28 at 8 PM

The humble and talented musician/singer Luísa Maita has been dubbed the “New Voice of Brazil” by NPR. Her music pulls from the country’s rich heritage of jazz and rhythms. Luisa blends modern...

Styx and REO Speedwagon at Pier Six Pavilion by Mike Spain

The Pier Six Pavilion in Baltimore was sold out Friday night for REO Speedwagon and Styx. The outdoor amphitheater in the heart of Baltimore’s inner harbor offered some remarkable views of the harbor...

An Interview with Styx’s Lawrence Gowan by Mike Spain

Styx is in town Friday night to perform with REO Speedwagon at Baltimore’s Pier Six Pavilion in Baltimore. I talked to Lawrence Gowan the lead singer and keyboard player from the band. We talked about...

Pat Benatar & Neil Giraldo, Cheap Trick, and Brynn Marie at Wolf Trap by Mike Spain

Cheap Trick and Pat Benatar rocked Wolf Trap with their vintage rock, while a rising country star proved she belonged on the bill as well. You might not know Brynn Marie now but if her 25-minute...

‘Medieval Storyland’ at Red Knight Productions at The Arts Barn by Mike Spain

Journey back in time at the Arts Barn with Red Knight Productions Medieval Storyland as they take you to a fantasy world filled with elves, dwarfs, wizards, knights, dragons, and most importantly a...

Don McLean and Judy Collins at Wolf Trap by Mike Spain

On paper Don McLean was the headliner and Judy Collins was the opening act last night at Wolf Trap’s Filene Center. In reality the two legends split the time equally and Judy Collins just performed...

An Interview with CATF’s Scenic Designer David M. Barber by Mike Spain

David M. Barber is the Scenic Designer of H2O, Scott and Hem In the Garden of Allah, and Modern Terrorism Or They Who Want To Kill Us And How We Learn To love Them, at this year’s Contemporary...

‘Robert Plant Presents Sensational Space Shifters and Special Guest Bombino’ at Wolf Trap by Mike Spain

Robert Plant stopped by Wolf Trap’s Filene Center on Monday night July 22, 2013. There was no album to promote, no Alison Krauss or Patty Griffin to share the vocals, and no superstars of Americana...

Capital Fringe Review: ‘Smellin’ Up the Den!’ by Mike Spain

Smellin’ Up The Den! is a sketch comedy show with outrageous skits similar to ones seen on Saturday Night Live! – except there are no network censors. In the skits. there is talk about sexual organs,...

Capital Fringe Review: ‘The Actual Dance’ by Mike Spain

The Actual Dance is not a one man play. It is a heartfelt dramatic sharing of what Samuel A, Simon experience after his wife of 33 years was diagnosed with breast cancer. Simon emotionally shares with...

Capital Fringe Review: ‘Marsha’ by Mike Spain

Marsha is both brilliantly written and performed and also quite disturbing. Alan Harris’ short play is about a kidnapped child who takes the same walk around her Welsh village, everyday, and she takes...

‘Jerry Garcia Symphonic Celebration Featuring Warren Haynes’ at Wolf Trap by Mike Spain

Warren Haynes made his first visit to Wolf Trap a memorable one as the featured artist in the National Symphony Orchestra’s Jerry Garcia Symphonic Celebration. His blazing guitar and soulful voice cut...

‘An Evening with Bill Payne’ at The Birchmere by Mike Spain

Bill Payne started out his show Sunday night stating he was going to play the show like he was in his “living room.” It fit the crowd perfectly that consisted of long-time fans, friends, and even an...

Bill Payne on Performing at The Birchmere on Sunday, June 23rd

Bill Payne is a founder and piano/keyboard player for the legendary band Little Feat. In his breaks from the band – he has played sessions for musicians like Jimmy Buffett, James Taylor, and The...

Tommy Emmanuel With Anthony Snape at The Birchmere by Mike Spain

Tommy Emmanuel performed a sold out show at The Birchmere Concert Hall on Sunday night. He had another large crowd on hand for Monday’s show, which I attended. The show featured up-and-coming...

Guitarist Tommy Emmanuel Adds Second Show This Monday at 7:30 pm at The Birchmere by Mike Spain

Guitar legend Tommy Emmanuel visits The Birchmere – 3701 Mount Vernon Avenue, in Alexandria, VA at 7:30 PM on Sunday (sold out) and Monday night. Joining him will be fellow guitarist Anthony Snape. If...

‘The Psychedelic Furs and The Go-Go’s’ at Wolf Trap by Mike Spain

The storms hit the area in the morning and afternoon but were finished way before The Psychedelic Furs hit the stage at Wolf Trap’s Filene Center. The crowd on the lawn was spared from the storm and...

‘Pickle My Monkey’ at Maryland Ensemble Theatre by Mike Spain

Maryland Ensemble Theatre’s World Premiere of Pickle My Monkey is daring, wacky, funny, and entertaining. Written by Maryland Ensemble Theatre’s company members Lisa Burl, Kevin Cole, and Matt Lee,...

‘Monica Bill Barnes and Company’ at The Kennedy Center by Mike Spain

Monica Bill Barnes and company know how to make the audience laugh. Sometimes the comedy is at the dancers’ expense. Other times it is through an array of tricks. They pull material from vaudeville,...

The Russian National Ballet’s ‘Chopiniana & Romeo & Juliet’ at Hylton Performing Arts Center by Mike Spain

The Russian National Ballet Theatre dropped by the Hylton Performing Arts Center in Manassas on Friday to perform a ballet double-header of classics. First they performed Chopiniana (also known as Les...

‘My Monster and Me’ at Maryland Ensemble Theatre’s Fun Company by Mike Spain

Once again the Maryland Ensemble Theatre’s Fun Company produces another entertaining yet thought-provoking World Premiere aimed for young theatre lovers with My Monster and Me. Playwright Devin...

‘Finally Heard Feminine Heroes of an Uncivil War’ at Maryland Ensemble Theatre by Mike Spain

Finally Heard Feminine Heroes of an Uncivil War has tales of feisty slaves, women who hid their gender to fight, espionage, exiled sympathizers, and independent woman who wanted to aid soldiers. The...

Al Di Meola and Gonzalo Rubalcaba at The Barns of Wolf Trap by Mike Spain

The Al Di Meola and Gonzalo Rubalcaba concert at the Barns of Wolf Trap could have been billed as an evening of piano and guitar. There was no supporting act, there was no backing band, and even the...

‘The New Adventures of Alice in Wonderland’ at Other Voices Productions at The Weinberg Center by Mike Spain

Other Voices Productions’ presentation of The New Adventures of Alice in Wonderland at the Weinberg Center for the Arts has it all – a large cast, special guests, dancers, spectacular lights, changing...

‘Duke Ellington School of the Arts presents An Evening with Patti LaBelle’ by Mike Spain

Patti LaBelle performed at The Kennedy Center Concert Hall last night., as part of the Performance Series of Legends to benefit the Duke Ellington School of the Arts. The concert is the school’s...

Neil Berg’s ‘101 Years of Broadway’ at The Music Center at Strathmore by Mike Spain

Neil Berg was a great narrator weaving stories about artists, musicals, and the history of the Broadway Musical throughout his 101 Years of Broadway last night at The Music Center at Strathmore. Berg...

Patti LaBelle @The Kennedy Center Tonight @7:30 PM For Duke Ellington School of the Arts Benefit By Mike Spain

The legendary award-winning singer Patti LaBelle is coming to The Kennedy Center for a special benefit concert tonight March 25, 2013. The concert for the Duke Ellington School of the Arts in...

‘Danú’ at Hylton Performing Arts Center by Mike Spain

Watching Danú perform was a great way to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day. Danú is a highly acclaimed, award-winning Celtic band that plays traditional music with a few originals sprinkled in. They also...

‘Truthpaste: A Blotto Biography’ at Maryland Ensemble Theatre by Mike Spain

The crowd was ready for the debut of Tad Janes’ world premiere of Truthpaste: A Blotto Biography – advertised as “a one man comedy based on his life experiences.” Janes had a lot of support from...

‘Next to Normal’ at Reston Community Players by Mike Spain

Reston Community Players continued their season of strong women with the award winning musical Next to Normal. The multiple Tony Award and Pulitzer Prize- winning musical by Brian Yorkey and Tom Kitt...

Arlo Guthrie’s ‘Here Comes the Kid Tour’ at Hylton Performing Arts Center by Mike Spain

Arlo Guthrie brought his Here Comes the Kid Tour to the Hylton Performing Arts Center in Manassas, Virginia Saturday night. The tour celebrated Arlo’s dad – Woody Guthrie’s 100th birthday. If you are...

‘The Glass Menagerie’ at Maryland Ensemble Theatre (MET) by Mike Spain

Maryland Ensemble Theatre continues its tradition of producing thought-provoking theatre with their heartfelt and powerful production of Tennessee Williams’ The Glass Menagerie. Director Peter Wray...

‘The Monterey Jazz Festival on Tour 55th Anniversary Celebration’ at The Kennedy Center by Mike Spain

The Monterey Jazz Festival on Tour 55th Anniversary Celebration concert at The Kennedy Center Friday night brought together six talented jazz musicians and an overabundance of pure joy and fun. If the...

‘The Savannah Disputation’ at Reston Community Players by Mike Spain

To continue their season of strong female characters, Reston Community Players (RCP) presents The Savannah Disputation. What happens when two Roman Catholic sisters open the door and let a...

‘Qingming Riverside’ at The Kennedy Center by Mike Spain

Qingming Riverside is based on one of China’s most famous paintings, Along the River during the Qingming Festival by painter Zhang Zeduan. The painting is considered a Chinese masterpiece and a...

‘It’s a Wonderful Life – A Live Radio Play’ at Maryland Ensemble Theatre (MET) by Mike Spain

When you enter the Maryland Ensemble Theatre in Frederick, Maryland this holiday season to see It’s A Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play one is instantly transported to a radio studio back in the 1940s...

‘A Christmas Carol: A Ghost Story of Christmas’ at Olney Theatre Center by Mike Spain

Olney Theatre Center’s production of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol: A Ghost Story of Christmas will appeal to those who want to see a different, original telling of the Scrooge story. This...

‘The Commedia Puss in Boots’ at Maryland Ensemble Theatre (‘MET’) by Mike Spain

The Fun Company at the Maryland Ensemble Theatre has brought back the Commedia Troupe from last year’s wonderful production of The Commedia Pinnochio. This year it’s the cat with the sword – the...

Duncan Sheik and ‘Sunset Sessions Tour 2012’ at The Birchmere by Mike Spain

Duncan Sheik performed at The Birchmere last night with Courrier – an alternative rock band out of Austin,Texas – as a fitting opening act. The concert hall – with intimate seating with tables coming...

Rhonda Vincent at Brunswick High School by Mike Spain

When you arrived at Brunswick High School on Sunday you knew you were at the right place with Rhonda Vincent’s Martha White tour bus parked in the parking lot. They had food inside including barbeque...

An Interview with Blues Singer Rhonda Vincent by Mike Spain

Rhonda Vincent currently has the top album on Billboard’s Bluegrass Charts. She is known as the Queen of Bluegrass and after winning more awards than any other bluegrass artists it is easy to know...

‘Crimes of the Heart’ at Sandy Spring Theatre Group by Mike Spain

The Sandy Spring Theatre Group brings their production of Beth Henley’s Crimes of the Heart to the Arts Barn in Gaithersburg. Director David Fialkoff has assembled a stellar cast for this dark comedy....

‘Woody Sez: The Life and Music of Woody Guthrie’ at Theater J by Mike Spain

Woody Sez: The Life and Music of Woody Guthrie, a hit from last season in The West End and the Edinburgh Fringe in 2007, has been transplanted to Theater J with the same West End cast and design, and...

‘The Outlaws” and Special Guest ‘Kenny Young Band’ at Weinberg Center for the Arts by Mike Spain

If you love guitar driven music be it Southern Rock, blues, or something in between then the Weinberg Center for the Arts was the place to be on Friday night. The up and coming Kenny Young Band opened...

Keb’ Mo’ at The Music Center at Strathmore

Keb’ Mo’ looked like a vintage blues man as he walked out on The Music Center at Strathmore’s Concert Hall stage with his resonator guitar. He opened his show with the beautiful “Every Morning”...

‘Melissa Etheridge’ at The Music Center at Strathmore

Melissa Etheridge rocked the The Music Center at Strathmore last night for over two and a half hours. Her fans packed the venue leaving very few empty seats. Etheridge showed her musical talent...

‘Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson’ at Maryland Ensemble Theatre (MET) by Mike Spain

Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson is a rock musical with a score and clever lyrics by Michael Friedman, and a book by Alex Timbers. You have to give the cast of Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson a standing...

‘Xanadu’ at Landless Theatre Company by Mike Spain

Landless Theatre Company’s production of the musical Xanadu at the Frederick Cultural Arts Center provides an evening of fun, and exciting, and crazy entertainment. You can upgrade your ticket for $5...