Come See Mike Richards Duo perform live at Spanky’s!

Discovering Levi Stephens’ music is like enjoying a surprisingly great meal at the local cafe you’ve passed a thousand times before finally deciding to stop in. You thought you knew what you were getting into, but this is something more, something different. It’s refreshing –a pleasant surprise that an artist in today’s single driven Industry, chooses to follow in the tradition of those classic singer-songwriters that came before by creating whole themed albums. His debut album, “This Way” goes far beyond the confines of R&B and seamlessly melds a variety of genres, from soul to rock to folk while always remaining honest, clever and conversational.

Levi’s affinity for singing can be attributed to growing up in the Washington, D.C. area in a home he remembers being filled with music. “My father was a big music head. We grew up listening to all kinds of really good music. Music was bigger than TV.” Like many artists, his musical roots began in church where Levi sang and played the piano. Outside of the church, young Levi was exposed to artists like Stevie Wonder, Bill Withers, Marvin Gaye and Donny Hathaway. In addition to those soul legends,

Chris Timbers is poised to rise to the top once again. His story resonates with many as he found success, experienced failure and is now focused and poised for the climb back up. Chris’ story is one of passion, performance and well… prison. As a result, Chris has the life experience that allows him to draw from deep within. His words are indeed healing, inspiring and comforting as he so beautifully crafts them in to the songs we’ve come to know and love. Chris has been writing music and performing for most of his life. When he began to pursue it professionally, Chris’ blues/roots sound led him to front and write music for the Virginia-based band, Less Traveled. They found success together producing an album, developing a following, and touring regionally.

It wasn’t long before Chris’ talent was getting some pretty serious attention. With an endorsement from Godin Guitars and a spot opening for acts such as Agents of Good Roots, Merle Saunders and Tim Reynolds (Dave Matthews and TR3), Chris decided to strike out as a solo artist and moved to New York, where he continued to work on his unique style and hone his technique. Chris became a favorite in the Brooklyn music scene, and sat in as a session guitarist on several indie records. Shortly thereafter, Chris’ success came to a halt as he battled substance abuse, decided to become involved with a motorcycle “gang” and suffered the loss of his only sibling, James at a young age. Chris ended up in prison with lots of time to think, reflect and write. Knowing it was time for change, Chris had to reinvent himself focusing on the positive but using past struggles to guide him toward a more positive life.

Global citizen and folk singer Eli Lev is making the world a smaller place, one song at a time. Eli pens hymns for everyday enlightenment—songs that resonate because they’re heartfelt, earthy, and offer wisdom culled from self-discovery.

His recent four-album project is inspired by the wisdom and majesty of the Navajo Nation’s four cardinal directions. Each album is a carefully curated experience with a distinct musical aesthetic and conceptual threads aligned within this overarching and sacred indigenous perspective. His first release, All Roads East released in 2017, with Way Out West just becoming available on December 14th, 2018. Together, this four-part series imaginatively and intrepidly connects spheres and generations with a body of work that is irresistibly uplifting, emotionally resonant, and groundbreaking.

In just two years as a full-time musician, Eli has built a robust profile through wowing audiences each time he picks up a guitar. He has opened for national names like Shooter Jennings at The Fillmore in Silver Spring, Maryland and Ellis Paul at Jammin Java in Vienna, Virginia. Eli has appeared at Burning Man in Black Rock City, Nevada, Music on the Mall Festival in Washington DC, and at Kennedy Center Millennium Stage for the METRO Performs Series.

With regional, national, and international tour dates coming up for 2019, Eli currently maintains a full schedule performing on what he has playfully dubbed the “Beltway Tour.” The tour boasts an impressive series of appearances at hundreds of venues throughout DC, Maryland, and Virginia at festivals, clubs, house shows, and special events, including a special invitation to perform at the US Capitol Building by DC Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes-Norton.

Eli’s latest four-part album series represents an unprecedented artistic feat. The albums offer four distinct viewpoints of folk music, showing that folk is a heartfelt intention and not a genre sound. At the most basic level, his first release in this series, All Roads East, is a traditional folk album with a full, organic sound. The title has multiple interpretations. It’s a tip of the hat to spiritual Eastern philosophical practices. It’s also a tribute to Navajo culture, where being directionally oriented east aligns you with sunrise and the newness of life. The album has been featured on CBS Radio, Buzz Feed, and Paste Magazine for its blend of country, folk, Americana, soul, and pop, while being free from any specific tradition. A highlight is the sweetly pensive “Making Space”, which Eli calls “My manifesto, it’s my vision of the world creating space to be a community and casting aside artificial classifications that separate us.”

The follow up album, Way Out West, is an adventurous, futuristic folk album with bold electronic touches and experimental soundscapes. On the album, Eli artistically references the untamed nature of the west as it has been represented in popular culture. “It’s that dangerous, fertile area that is unexplored. On this album, it’s emblematic of me pushing the boundaries of folk music,” Eli shares.

Eli performs both as a solo artist and with his full band, The Fortunes Found. The newly formed group features all-star DC drummer Michael Miraglia, wunderkind bassist Bojan Novevski from Macedonia, and soulful guitar sounds from lead guitarist Anthony Dante.

To date, the band has performed at premier DC venues such as The 9:30 Club, Pearl Street Warehouse, Songbyrd Music House, DC9, and the Rock and Roll Hotel to name a few. With marquee performances at The 202 Music Festival in DC, Takoma Park Folk Festival in Maryland, and Reston Town Festival in Virginia, the band is quickly becoming a regional sensation as they mix country, rock, folk, and soul on stage.

“The most meaningful thing for me is being able to express through my music what I’ve always felt about humanity. I want to bring people in, make them feel special, and break down the walls that keep us apart.”

Come check out the David Thong Duo live at Spanky’s!

Band Bio: Carbon-11 is a band out of Frederick, Md. We came together in 2011, with the common goal of making good music. Good thing we all got along well, all pretty proficient with our respective instruments, like to drink beer ( really, really like beer ) and want to entertain people.

See more on Artist Facebook Page

Come see Dj Self and Dj Flip through it down on the ones and twos!

Come check out Hilary Veltri Duo at Spanky’s Shenanigans!

Come see Dj Self and Dj Flip through it down on the ones and twos!

Chris Timbers is poised to rise to the top once again. His story resonates with many as he found success, experienced failure and is now focused and poised for the climb back up. Chris’ story is one of passion, performance and well… prison. As a result, Chris has the life experience that allows him to draw from deep within. His words are indeed healing, inspiring and comforting as he so beautifully crafts them in to the songs we’ve come to know and love. Chris has been writing music and performing for most of his life. When he began to pursue it professionally, Chris’ blues/roots sound led him to front and write music for the Virginia-based band, Less Traveled. They found success together producing an album, developing a following, and touring regionally.

It wasn’t long before Chris’ talent was getting some pretty serious attention. With an endorsement from Godin Guitars and a spot opening for acts such as Agents of Good Roots, Merle Saunders and Tim Reynolds (Dave Matthews and TR3), Chris decided to strike out as a solo artist and moved to New York, where he continued to work on his unique style and hone his technique. Chris became a favorite in the Brooklyn music scene, and sat in as a session guitarist on several indie records. Shortly thereafter, Chris’ success came to a halt as he battled substance abuse, decided to become involved with a motorcycle “gang” and suffered the loss of his only sibling, James at a young age. Chris ended up in prison with lots of time to think, reflect and write. Knowing it was time for change, Chris had to reinvent himself focusing on the positive but using past struggles to guide him toward a more positive life.

Come join us for Dj Makeyzo kicking back on the one and twos!

Artist Website: http://brittonjamesmusic.com

Live Performance: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dfVpqYJkowo

Come see Dj Self and Dj Flip through it down on the ones and twos!

Come see Trailin Smoke perform live at Spanky’s!

See more at the band’s Faceboook Page.

Come see Dj Self and Dj Flip through it down on the ones and twos!