It was Friday night in downtown Orlando, Florida on Halloween weekend. The street in front of The Beacham Theater was blocked off and people were partying. They were having a great time in the area. The weather was a perfect 75 degrees, and it was time to get your freak on. Doors opened at 6:00pm and the line formed down the street in anticipation for the show that started at 7:30pm. The Beacham was ready; they even had Halloween decorations to be a part of the festivities!
Dirty Honey was back in town after a year and a half of touring Europe and they were kicking off their headline tour with new music and a new album due out in seven days. There was a buzz in the air because, if you know, you know. The night inside the Beacham was about to get dirty, maybe even a little nasty!
Warming up the crowd, Texas guitarist Austin Meade brought a five-piece band that plays 1970’s style rock, and they got the party started. Meade was dressed in an orange jumpsuit and with his mustache and long hair, he looked the part of a 70’s rocker. Meade is currently out in support of his latest single, “Blackout.” Austin Meade played a 10-song set and was well received by the audience.
Austin Meade band members are:
Austin Meade – Lead Vocal, Guitar
David Willie – Lead guitar, Harmony Vocals
Jordan Pena – Bass, Harmony Vocals
Aaron Hernandez – Drums
Setlist:
1.) Violation
2.) Dopamine Drop
3.) Cave In
4.) Freak Show
5.) 7 Letters
6.) Quicksand
7.) Darker
8.) Deja Vu
9.) Happier
10.) Blackout
Orlando has been patiently waiting for Dirty Honey to return from their sold out shows in the UK and Europe for the past year and a half. Last time the band came to Central Florida was on the heels of the release of their first self-titled album, “Dirty Honey,” on The Young Guns Tour in April of 2022. This headline tour is equally exciting as the band’s highly acclaimed sophomore album, “Can’t Find The Brakes”. It is due for release November 3, 2023 and they had new music to share with the audience.
The band came on stage and started playing their first song as Marc Labelle then joined them. The crowd erupted in applause! LaBelle is the prototypical frontman. The first song was the title track “Can’t Find the Brakes” off of the new album and the fast and powerful tone was set for the rest of the show. They followed that rocking number with “California Dreamin'” off of the first album and “Heartbreaker” off of their initial EP. The initial EP brought the band the notoriety of “The First Unsigned Band To Have A Billboard #1 Hit” in history with “When I’m Gone,” which is the song they ended the set with before being summoned for a three song encore.
From the start, it was evident that the addition of Jaydon Bean on drums had a profound effect on the sound of the band as his backing vocals added layers that were not present in the past. This really stood out when he came out from behind the kit for the new acoustic ballad “Coming Home (Ballad of the Shire).” This was a definite highlight of the show as Justine Smolian and John Notto played acoustic guitars with LaBelle, Notto, and Bean sharing a microphone. In all, the band played five of the new tracks with “Won’t Take Me Alive” in the encore. The setlist was a nice mix of new and previously released material with a couple of covers thrown in. Dirty Honey ended the night with my favorite of their songs, and the other charting single which charted at #3, “Rolling 7s.”
The Beacham Theater is one of the smaller venues in Orlando, Florida and it was nice to see Dirty Honey up close and personal. It was, however, disappointing to see the size of the crowd. This band has been selling out all over the UK in the past year and a half and just finished opening for Guns N Roses on their US tour. The opportunity to see them in a small hall won’t be forever and those that put it off may never to experience them in an intimate setting again.
Dirty Honey band members are:
Marc LaBelle – Vocals
John Notto – Guitars
Justin Smolian – Bass
Jaydon Bean – Drums/Vocals
Setlist:
1.) Can’t Find the Brakes
2.) California Dreamin’
3.) Heartbreaker
4.) Scars
5.) Dirty Mind
6.) Tied Up
7.) Coming Home (Ballad of the Shire)
8.) Could This Be Magic? (Van Halen cover)
9.) Don’t Put Out the Fire
10.) Let’s Go Crazy (Prince cover)
11.) The Wire
12.) Another Last Time
13.) Get A Little High
14.) When I’m Gone
Encore:
15.) Won’t Take Me Alive
16.) Fire Away (Sign Request)
17.) Rolling 7s
Be sure to checkout Dirty Honey’s latest release ‘CAN’T FIND THE BRAKES’ Due out November 3, 2023
Album review HERE and latest interview HERE.
‘CAN’T FIND THE BRAKES’
Track list:
1.) Don’t Put Out The Fire
2.) Won’t Take Me Alive
3.) Dirty Mind
4.) Roam
5.) Get A Little High
6.) Coming Home (Ballad Of The Shire)
7.) Can’t Find The Brakes
8.) Satisfied
9.) Ride On
10.) You Make It All Right
11.) Rebel Son
Follow Dirty Honey Online:
Follow Austin Meade Online:
Photographer and Editor/Founder of AllMusicMagazine.com. My love of live music has taken me to incredible experiences with the top bands of all time in stadium shows to the smallest venues with equally inspiring musicians. Using the medium of photography and my publication, these memories will last forever.
