A fond farewell (for now) from DRGN King at Bourbon and Branch

DRGN King | Photo by Rachel Del Sordo for WXPN | racheldelsordophotography.com

“It means a lot that you all came out,” Dom Angelella told the crowd at Bourbon and Branch. “Cause this might be the only show we play this year. Okay, I’ll be honest: it’s the only show we’ll play this year. Maybe ever.”

If there was any indecision on the part of the DRGN King frontman on Saturday night, it was clearly a hesitance to call a definitive end to a project that’s evoked so much joy among his friends and fans, longtime followers and newcomers alike. About half the people I chatted with in the audience didn’t seem to even be aware that the band had been talking “hiatus” in their promotion of the show, and though the individual members were all ramping up for a busy year with other pursuits, Angelella still talked about carving out some time to write new material.

But if this was indeed DRGN King’s farewell, it couldn’t have picked a better note to go out on. A packed house and enthusiastic crowd. An energized set, hitting on favorites from 2014’s Baltimore Crush and 2013’s Paragraph Nights. Standout performances of “Don’t Trust The Sad Boys” and “Holy Ghost,” a bouncing singalong to “Wild Nights,” an aching “Solo Harp” that bassist and singer Lucy Stone has come to seriously own.

The rhythms were hammered out in stereo as original DK drummer Joe Baldacci joined the more recent drummer Ricardo Lagomasino for some dueling percussion action for half the set. And, of course, there was a David Bowie cover, and it was a high point. Dom and the band did the cathartic “Heroes,” delivered brilliantly between his vocal howls and Stephen Montenegro’s dives into the song’s soaring guitar lead.

Watch a snippet below of the cover, and check out a gallery of photos from the show – including openers Mostly Only, a JEFF The Brotherhead-ish riff rock band from Baltimore, and Philly scuzz punks Mumblr.

.@drgnkingDOM can be heroes. Sick show tonight. pic.twitter.com/xdLNMbDulp

— John Vettese (@johnvettese) January 17, 2016