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Dance Gavin Dance, Periphery, Don Broco, Hail the Sun, and Covet filled the bill for the sold out Fillmore Silver Spring stop of the Artificial Selection Tour.

Covet and Hail the Sun warmed up the crowd that started lining up as soon as school and work let out. Don Broco had fans jumping from the pit to the balcony with jams like “Everybody,” “Come Out to LA,” and “Pretty.”

Periphery, from nearby DC, mellowed and yet excited the local crowd with grooves such as “Garden in the Bones” and “Masamune.”

Dance Gavin Dance sent fans into a frenzy starting with “Son of a Robot” as Tilian Pearson’s smooth tones weaved into Jon Mess’s brash screams. They later played “Summertime Gladness,” “Flossie Dickey Bounce,” and the new single “Head Hunter.” No song better showcased the talents of all on stage better than “We Own the Night”–Pearson’s voice was so powerful and Will Swan’s intricate finger work dazzled on the guitar. “Evaporate” was the band’s encore tune.

I spoke with drummer Matthew Mingus and lead guitarist Will Swan prior to the show. The duo talked about releasing several singles throughout 2019 because they are “always creating; always writing new music.” The band’s ninth studio album is slated for a 2020 release. Swan noted that DGD’s album cycles are much quicker than the average band, but that seems to suit them just fine. In the tiny spaces in between, members are able to work on side projects (Pearson released a third solo album last year and SECRET BAND just released it’s second LP). Swan and Mingus joked that side project work comes together at a snail’s pace, but it’s worth the wait. A tablature book is still in the works as well as another Swan Fest date, but they are still working on the details after a successful California show.

The Artificial Selection Tour rocks its way around the US, wrapping in mid-May in Los Angeles.

04/17 – Detroit, MI @ Royal Oak 
04/18 – Chicago, IL @ House of Blues 

04/20 – Columbus, OH Newport Music Hall *
04/22 – Toronto, ON @ Danforth Music Hall ^
04/23 – Pittsburgh, PA @ Stage AE ^
04/25 – Columbia, SC @ The Senate ^
04/26 – Atlanta, GA @ The Masquerade ^
04/27 – Tampa, FL @ The Ritz ^
04/28 – Orlando, FL @ House Of Blues ^
04/30 – New Orleans, LA @ Republic ^
05/02 – Nashville, TN @ Marathon Music Works ^
05/03 – St. Louis, MO @ Pop’s ^
05/04 – Kansas City, MO @ Truman ^
05/05 – Denver, CO @ Ogden Theatre ^
05/06 – Salt Lake City, UT @ The Depot ^
05/08 – Seattle, WA @ The Showbox ^
05/09 – Portland, OR @ Crystal Ballroom ^
05/10 – Santa Cruz, CA @ Catalyst ^
# – Swan Fest
* with Periphery, no Thousand Below
^ with Thousand Below, no Periphery