DEAD MEADOW

Thursday, August 5, 26
DEAD MEADOW

Doors: 6 p.m. / Show starts at 7 p.m.

Dead Meadow’s unique blend of Sabbath-style riffs, dreamy layers of guitar-fuzz bliss, and singer Jason Simon’s melodic croon has won over fans of psychedelic pop/rock and stoner rock alike. Although the band members met while attending all-ages shows in and around Washington, D.C.’s punk/indie scene, the trio draws more of its sound from classic rock legends such as Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, and Black Sabbath. The trio formed in the fall of 1998 with singer/guitarist Simon, bassist Steve Kille, and drummer Mark Laughlin. The three members set out to fuse their love of early ’70s hard rock and ’60s psychedelia into their distinct sound.
They released their eight-song debut album in 1999. Within a relatively short period, the D.C. trio received offers to tour with everyone from local D.C. acts like The Make-Up and Fugazi to psychedelic rockers Brian Jonestown Massacre. The highly acclaimed debut was quickly followed by 2001’s “Howls from the Hills,” recorded at the farmhouse of friend Stephen McCarty’s (who would later join Dead Meadow) grandparents in rural Indiana and also released on Tolotta Records.
The band signed with Matador Records in early 2003 and released “Shivering King and Others.” Along with the heavy, blues-influenced songs found on their previous two albums, the band incorporated a more layered and dense sound while continuing their psychedelic style.
With the addition of longtime friend Cory Shane as second guitarist, the band released the highly acclaimed “Feathers” LP in 2005 on Matador Records. This album combined Dead Meadow’s heavy sound with a somewhat more dreamlike atmosphere and featured extensive two-guitar interplay between Cory and Jason. In 2007, the band reverted to a three-piece lineup and relocated from Washington, D.C., to Los Angeles, CA. “Old Growth,” their fifth studio album, was released in 2008 on Matador Records. In 2010, Dead Meadow released a feature-length live film and soundtrack, “Three Kings,” which highlighted their live performances and included psychedelic dream sequences that followed a loose storyline.
Stephen McCarty left the band, and original drummer Mark Laughlin returned. The group spent a long, patient period self-producing and recording 2013’s epic double-album-length release “Warble Womb,” also released on Xemu Records. With the release of the LP “The Nothing They Need” in 2018, Steve and Jason celebrated twenty years of Dead Meadow with eight songs featuring everyone who has been musically involved with the band over the years. The 2020 lockdown gave the band some much-needed rest from touring, though two live albums were released.
Throughout 2023, Dead Meadow performed sporadically and began work on a new full-length LP for Heavy Psych Sounds Records. The band completed recording the album in January 2024, shortly after learning the terrible news that bassist Steve Kille had been diagnosed with cancer. Although he began chemotherapy within a month or so, the cancer had progressed too far and was too aggressive to be stopped. Steve Kille passed away on April 14, 2024, leaving behind an incredible legacy of utterly unique bass playing, a singular artistic vision, and boundless creativity. Band members, friends, and fans alike were devastated, but the outpouring of love for Steve as a musician, friend, and amazing human being was a beautiful thing to witness.
The upcoming Heavy Psych Sounds LP was written and recorded entirely while Steve was still at full strength, and the band is incredibly grateful to have an entire new album to share with the world.