I’m continuing to get settled here in Maryland, and I’ve started figuring out what fun stuff there is to do around here. Recently, Brian introduced me to John Doe’s solo album, “A Year in the Wilderness.” You should go download “The Golden State” from Amazon; it’s free, and it’s definitely my favorite song from the album.

Anyway, Last.fm noticed that I had started listening to John Doe and promptly sent me a notification of a concert in the area (isn’t technology great?). So, this last Thursday, Brian and I went to The 8X10, a fantastic club in downtown Baltimore. Not only was the John Doe concert (with Cindy Wasserman doing backup vocals) fantastic, but they had two great opening bands as well.

The first was a guy who played some awesome bluesy acoustic guitar music. Unfortunately, I don’t remember his name. The second opening band was Caleb Stine and The Brakemen. I’d never heard of them before, but I enjoyed their set just as much as John Doe. They played a mix of country and rock that he describes as “Americana.” They also had Dave Hadley, an amazing pedal steel guitar player, performing with them. I’ve never seen a steel guitar played live before, and this guy was a master.