Thursday June 9

THE MODERATE

LAUGHING MAN

SHARK WEEK

$8 Backstage / Doors at 8:30

In 2007, DC-based The Moderate was formed by North Carolina natives and childhood friends singer/guitarist Jim Dempsey and drummer Drew Marks. Oozing with talent and brimful of potential, The Moderate favors strong narrative storytelling, sharp rhythms and intricate guitar play. Marks and bassist Tracy Epperson lay down bold and melodic pulses, allowing Dempsey and multi-instrumentalist Ian Burke to create dizzyingly pleasant mixtures of harmony and electricity. In late 2009 the quartet released The Rest Is Up To You, a debut album that perfectly captures songs that were always meant for the stage. With influences ranging from guitar pioneers Built To Spill to the rollicking and countrified sounds of southern rock, The Moderate never fails to pique an audience's interest.