Cornmeal @ The Childrens Learning Center Rockville MD

Cornmeal is always a fun band to see. I started checking them out two years ago when they opened for Moe. at the 9:30 club in DC. I think it's one of the best ways to discover new music. I always try to get to a show early enough to catch the openers. You never know what you're going to find. Possibly your new favorite band, which is most definitely the case for me with Cornmeal. Cornmeal is a Bluegrass band out of Chicago Il. Not just your typical everyday bluegrass. I've also heard it called jamgrass or newgrass. From one second to the next you'll forget you are listening to a bluegrass band and realize your listening to a band that touches on many genre in one night.

Last week they put on a benefit show for The Childrens Learning Center in Rockville Md. A great night for a great cause by a great band. There were probably about two hundred people there, so it was an up close and intimate setting. It was a weird vibe at first walking into a school gymnasium to see a concert from a national touring band. As soon as the music, lights and hula hoops started up, it was hard to tell the difference. I have had trouble finding any set list information or audio links for this show. I do know that they ripped out a jammy Cumberland Blues to end the first set. To start off the second set they reinterpreted the classic Clapton song "Lay Down Sally" and at some point during the second set they jammed out the Bob Marley song "Could You Be Loved".  I can't say enough about this band. I love the way the traditional bluegrass type songs lead into amazing jams. My favorite sound in the band is the electric banjo played by Wavy Dave Burlingame. I just love the sound of this instrument and when accompanied by Ally's fiddle and Chris' acoustic/electric guitar it's a sound that isn't hard to fall in love with. This band rocks go check them out live and grab their cd's. I think they're going to be around on the jam scene for years to come.

Please enjoy some fun photos I took at the show. Per some advice from one of my readers, I tried to get more shots of people in the crowd having fun.

Go out and support live music. That is exactly what I have planned so stay tuned right here at The Cosmic Vibes Blog. Coming soon pictures and reviews from some shows that I plan on attending in the near future as well as last night's Infamous Stringdusters and Railroad Earth show at the 9:30 Club.

Cosmic Holiday Vibes

Hello friends,

I just wanted to take a moment to wish everyone a happy and safe holiday season. I also wanted to inform you that I will be taking a short break from writing due to moving in two weeks. I have disassembled my desk, so writing opportunities are going to be few and far between. You can follow me on twitter @cosmicvibesblog for updates from some shows that I plan on attending including Railroad Earth and Infamous Stringdusters at 9:30 club, Lake Trout at Otto Bar in Baltimore, and Lotus/MSTRKRFT for new years eve in Philadelphia.

I recently saw the awesome jamgrass band Cornmeal (always a good time) at a small venue in Rockville MD. Stay tuned for pictures and hopefully a link to the audio from this awesome show. After the new year I will continue the weekly DC/Baltimore area show feature that I previewed a couple times last month, also a new years eve show round up for the country and 2010 festival info as they are announced.

Be safe and go see live music.