2024 Wrap Up
Happy 2025! Last year, I didn’t get to this till March, but I’m proud to say I’m writing this on Dec. 31, 2024.
Like I keep saying, it’s nice to look back, take stock of what happened, and reflect a bit. Archiving all of this along the way is me smelling the roses while it’s happening and helping me be able to write this blog a little faster. Let’s get to it!
Two and a half years since retiring from the military, things still haven’t changed much and might’ve actually gotten busier. Gigs with Herr Metal, Dr.FU, Nowhere Men, and Eyes of the Nile continue as the classical stuff does.
EOTN have been traveling a lot more. In January, we drove down to Florida for two shows - Conduit in Orlando and the Heavy Metal Beach Party in Miami Beach. This was a Saturday night send off party for the 70,000 Tons of Metal Cruise (the biggest heavy metal cruise in the world!) the following day. We shared the stage with about 5 other bands (all using my kit-ugh) and the let’s just say, making it all happen was a bit of a cluster. But the gig itself was a total blast. Completely random, my friend Javon happened to be in town playing with the Cleveland Orchestra and was staying across the street! We even got a visit from Bobby Koelble, the guitarist from Death, and our sound engineer/drummer friend from NOVA, James Alesio. If that wasn’t enough, the husband and wife photography team of Glenn and Wendy Woodell who usually shoot us in Virginia Beach just happened to be down there as well!
We were also featured on a couple more podcasts - Matt’s Mosh Pit and Metal Euporia!
We continue to perform at Tally Ho, Elevation 27, State Theatre, Orange County Fair, Phantom Power, and added some new venues - Amos Southend (NC), Ember Music Hall (Richmond-where 3 of my hometown friends surprised me with a visit!), ODC (MD), Conduit (Orlando), Recher (Baltimore), and Broken Goblet (PA). Next year, we’re heading to Pittsburgh (at least twice), Rochester, McHenry, IL; Dunellan, NJ; and more to be announced soon. The Orange County Fair is always a good time since for the past two years we’ve been joined by Chris Caffery (Savatage, Trans Siberian Orchestra, Doro) on stage for a couple songs.
We made the obligatory stop to Stephen Keeler’s amazing Rock Fantasy Records and filmed an amazing video that we used to reveal the complete album we would play at the August Tally Ho show. Check it out!
https://www.facebook.com/share/v/15oMUh76fu/
Check out our schedule and all other info at https://www.eyesofthenile.com/
In the classical world, the biggest news is that I’ve been appointed Principal Percussionist/Assistant Timpanist of the Alexandria Symphony Orchestra. I’ve been playing with the ASO on and off for the past 15+ years with some concerts as Principal, so it’s an honor to take on this role for real. I’m looking forward to what the future holds for this orchestra! Highlights of this past season include Appalachian Spring, Carnival Overture, Prokofiev’s Romeo and Juliet Suite, Shostakovich 5, Carmina Burana, Higdon’s Concerto 4-3, and Gavilan’s Piano Concerto (hardest vibraphone part I ever played!).
Other performances include the goth rock Sanctus show in Melbourne, FL (the second of three times I’d be in FL in ‘24), Andrew Simpson Ensemble (performing music composed by Andrew for silent films), American Festival Pops Orchestra, American Pops (Michelle Yeoh in attendance!), a clinic at Marshal Middle School, my debut with the 21st Century Consort, and a handful of church gigs. I’m continuing teaching at Catholic University and helping coach the amazing kids at Maryland Youth Symphony Orchestras. This summer I also helped out the Williamsburg High School Band Camp. It was hot!
Here are some pics capturing the year in music.
This is the second year in a row I kept track of all the books I read, but I don’t think I shared on my blog yet. I love reading more and more and hope to dive into even more books in 2025. Here is what I read this year.
Concerts I went to - Metallica (Gillette Stadium!), Trans Siberian Orchestra, Atarashii Gakko (fun teenage catchy Japanese pop), Styx/Foreigner/John Waite, Slipknot, and Ottoboke Beaver (ferocious Japanese punk/metal).
It’s always nice to contribute to new music and that happened again when I was asked to record some more songs for the new, full length Animal Ion album due out January 18. I’m on the songs “Tuff,” “I Won’t Change,” and “One Track Mind.” You can also listen to some tunes here.
I did some traveling - Florida 3 times all for musical reasons (one of them I can’t reveal till 2025), Tennessee to visit my Dad on his 90th birthday-
Then MA for my niece’s baby shower (Greyson!) I went up again for Xmas and got to spend more time with the little cutie.
In June, I took a trip to the beautiful city of Toronto. Of course, I hit every Rush site I could handle.
Oh, there are other things in Toronto! I also hit Casa Loma, CN Tower, Hockey Hall of Fame, Niagara Falls, Toronto Islands, St. Lawrence Market, Nathan Philip’s Square, Harbourfront, Music Garden, Kensington Market, and the Royal Ontario Museum. Oh, and an amazing dinner at Antler.
Well, I think that about sums things up. Here is to another eventful year. On the horizon is a trip to Cancun, China, and Iceland. Maybe I’ll fit some gigs in between that too. Happy New Year!!
