I had the absolute pleasure of taking pictures of Tour Odyssey two times.  The first show, February 2013, was at The NorVa in Norfolk, Virginia at the beginning of the tour, and the second show was at The National in Richmond, Virginia toward the end of the tour.  Both shows were killer!  

Originally I was there to shoot and see The Dirty Heads, a fantastic  band that I have seen many times before.  Their show in Norfolk held true to form and blew me away.  I am always up for discovering new music and bands and Tour Odyssey did not disappoint! Thank you for putting together a different show! It is refreshing to hear bands that do not all sound the same on tour together.


Opening up the show was Oh No Fiasco, an Alternative, Indie Band I had missed at Warped Tour and in Norfolk and was eager to see in Richmond.  They hail from Knoxville, Tennessee and were formerly known as The Few. Their lead singer, Lindsay Stamey, has a grand stage front presence that leads the power behind the bands allure. She has a resounding voice that echoes the likes of Paramore's Haley Williams.  The band is very energetic and their sound will make you stop and listen, which is something difficult to achieve at The National in Richmond as the opening band.  Their song Clarity seems to set them apart from all the other Indie bands and once you hear it you will know who they are. This will be the sound that should define them from all the sound alike Indie bands.

Midi Matilda from SanFrancisco is an Electro, Pop, Indie, Rock band that is absolutely captivatingly addictive!  These two guys are masters of their art.  The energy they produce on stage immediately infects you. They totally blew me away in Norfolk so I was really ready to see them perform again in Richmond.  Being on the road must have had magical powers over these guys because they were even better when I saw them the second time. I wish I had taken video instead of pictures.  Skyler Kilborne, guitar/vocals, has a commanding yet tender voice who's  falsetto on Day Dreams can melt you away.  He also plays a mean digital guitar. Logan Grime' on drums is the power that drives this duo.  He has mad drum and dance skills as well and a radiant smile. These two musicians put together a full quality sound that is a mix of conventional tracks like piano, bass and trumpet with virtual electro tracks. When you hear them you wonder how two people can create such great fullness and quality. They got the audience singing and dancing along with them by the end of their set.  You have to understand that this is Richmond, Virginia and being able to achieve this from the crowd as an opening act is unheard of!! You should really check out their EP, Red Light District.  This band is going to explode on to everyones radar after this tour. They are going places.  I am thrilled to have seen them twice this year and hope they return to Virginia soon.  

The guys in Shiny Toy Guns reunited for their third album, III, with Carah Faye Charnow rejoining the band.  This band seems to have grown and put their energy into their music and their differences behind them. This is indeed a good thing for the band and the fans.  The new album tells it all.  They are an Indie Rock band that has infused a bit more electro-synth into this album.  Their song Fading Listening is a prime example of this.  The harmonies that Chad Petree (guitar/lead singer) provides really complement Carah Faye Charnow's (Lead singer) dynamic vocal presence.  I like this.  This is a more mature band now with wider appeal.  They were the main reason the younger attendees were at The National, but I know they won over the the thirty something Dirty Head fans too.

Tour Odyssey's headline band, The Dirty Heads, were promoting their album, Cabin by the Sea.  I was ready to hear it again after the show at the NorVa.  I bought the album and pretty much have played it nonstop.  These fellows from Southern California have a reggae, hip hop sound that is ever so soothing.  I can tell you that I have seen them many times (5X in the past year) and they are always fantastic.  Their fans are very dedicated  and know all of the words to most every song.  By the end of the night they will have the whole crowd singing and swaying making you feel like you are in a small intimate club even at a large venue. Jared Watson's vocals mixed with Dustin Bushnell on guitar, Jon Olazabal on percussion, Matt Ochoa on drums and David Foral on bass are the answer to world peace.  No, really...have a listen and see if your blood pressure doesn't drop, your foot starts tapping and you start singing the chorus. These guys are great. Do yourself a favor and get Cabin by the Sea.

Midi Matilda