On Saturday, July 29th, another fierce storm blew into the region - make that two storms. In the late afternoon, mother nature slammed down on the DMV with wind and whipping rain, and by nightfall, the band Neighbor unleashed their own powerful eruption. Instead of rain, the audience at The Recher Theatre in Towson, Maryland, was treated to a torrential downpour of music that started at 7:30 PM and lasted until almost midnight.

Neighbor arrived with a little extra fire in their hearts and l energy to burn off. Sadly, on Friday night their performance at the Ting Pavilion in Charlottesville, Virginia, was cut short due to another storm affecting the region. This musical juggernaut from Boston, Massachusetts, has become one of the most exciting and unpredictable live bands in the music scene today and this performance was be no different - albeit with a powder keg of passion from the prior night that they wanted to share with The Recher audience.

Opening the evening's entertainment of torrential sounds was Frederick, Maryland's very own and funktastic band Litz. Litz proved to be the perfect pairing for Neighbor. Within minutes of starting their performance, Litz was in full flight - no warm-up time necessary, just full-on enthusiastic vivacity filling the theater. Litz is musically spectacularly diverse and easily transitioned between electronic, jazz-infused funk and had the audience on their feet dancing to their contagious songs.  

True to Litz form, the energy went up several notches when Austin Litz took to his nearby sax or flute during their performance. For nearly an hour Litz sounded fuller than their four-piece configuration, so much so that one could spot the members of Neighbor looking on from the side of the theater, taking in Litz’s music.  If you want to dance the night away where electronic meets funk, then Litz might be your magical band.

Before Neighbor's performance, Brick Lohr, founder and driving force behind The Ramble Festival, took to the stage. Tonight's performance was part of a small concert series entitled "The Road To The Ramble," which features and celebrates select acts that will appear at the festival on October 6-8, 2023. Brick's infectious zest could not be contained as he introduced Neighbor to the stage. Neighbor performed at the inaugural Ramble Festival, and after their two stunning performances last year, they were among the first asked to return once more this year.

The night's biggest question was what song Neighbor would perform during their two-set performance. Despite this band having just released their debut album, they have a diverse catalog of hundreds of songs, making them one of the most exciting and unpredictable live acts. Tonight Neighbor opened with "Carmelita," a soulful slow burner that eventually filled the room with Lyle Brewser's formidable guitar skills and the depth of talent on stage. 

After a brief intermission, the band returned to the stage with "Cuba Street." This song proved to be an excellent catalyst for the magnificent music yet to come. Richard James could once again show off his virtuosic keyboard skills with his masterfully soulful voice as the band joined together as one cohesive force. Neighbor is a set of equally talented musicians whose musical prowess intertwine and combine to create a rich and powerful performance - Lyle Brewser's guitar, Dan Kelly's monster and rich bass sound (along with some of the best stage presence we have seen live), and the thunderous backing of Dean "The Dux'' Johnston on drums. 

The evening had another fun twist to it when DMV resident, guitar teacher, and internet celebrity Michael Palmisano (perhaps better known online as GuitarGate) joined Neighbor for two songs, including "Shitstorm" and Eddie Money's "Two Tickets To Paradise." Palmisano beamed from ear to ear as he performed on his latest guitar purchase, a Paul Reed Smith NF 53, and put it through its paces as two guitarists dueled it out while Dan Kelly swooped in for resounding bass licks. 

Before leaving the stage, Palmisano, still beaming, fist-bumped Brewer and told the audience that this was his favorite guitarist - truly high praise from Mr. GuitarGate himself.  We caught up with Palmisano shortly after leaving the stage to ask him about his experience, and with a bright smile and glint in his eye, he responded by saying, "How could it be bad? We were playing some old-school Eddie Money."  (Take look at Micahel Palmisano's deep dive into "Two Tickets to Paradise" for tonight’s performance here.)

The band ended the second set with the seldom performed but sincerely felt "The Bottom Of My Heart" as the band sincerely enjoyed their time at The Recher with such an enthusiastic audience. With two explosive sets of Neighbor decided to end the evening with the uplifting earworm of the song "Pine Tree," from their latest album. And with that, the torrent of an unforgettable night of music came to an end.  

Litz and Neighbor certainly left an impression on the audience as we overheard some say giddily, "We didn't know if we were going to go to Ramble Fest before tonight, but after listening to Neighbor, we are soooo going!" We couldn't agree more, and if "The Road To The Ramble" looks like this, we cannot wait to be at Camp Ramblewood in Darlington, Maryland, in October.  More so, we cannot wait to see both Neighbor and Litz when they perform in our region again - these are two must see artists.

Until then Neighbors and Ramblers, we look forward to gathering with you again at a venue or festival in the future.

Note: If you are within driving distance of Asheville, North Carolina, we highly recommend continuing on The Road To The Ramble on August 19th at the Asheville Music Hall with new Ramble Fest performers Red Clay Revival and Isaac Hadden Organ Trio will perform.