DC BOAT SHOW MUSIC SCHEDULE

Rook Richards — the musical moniker of Mike Richards — is a native to Alexandria, VA and his musical roots run deep in the soil. Characterized by a harmonious fusion of genres including singer/songwriter, pop country, and acoustic rock, he took his eclectic mix of musical influences, intertwined them with his ethereal vocals, narrative-driven lyrics, and developed a distinctive sound of his own. Beginning his musical career in 2017 with the band — A Note Two Self — Richards started making large strides towards music; treating it like a language and immersing himself in it fully. Driven by an intense passion and purpose, he did everything in his power to make music his livelihood, releasing multiple singles, an EP, engaging in many local touring opportunities, and eventually deciding to dedicate himself to pursuing a solo path. Richards writes music from the heart and for the people, exploring concepts of heartache and the importance of perseverance in the life long pursuit of love and happiness. His overall message is one of hope, optimism and positivity. Creating music guided by his own honest and raw emotional experiences, he lends a supportive hand to his listeners, reminding them that heartbreak is universal, that you are never alone and that there’s never an appropriate time to lose faith.

Jarrett Laskey is a classically trained professional musician performing a varied repertoire of elegant classical music standards, Spanish/Latin guitar music and many arrangements of contemporary music. Jarrett’s guitar music has created the perfect ambience in hundreds of various events over the past several years in the greater DC/VA/MD/WVA/PA areas for wedding ceremonies/receptions, business functions, cocktail hours, brunches, wine-tastings, etc. Performing in many settings from National landmarks/historic mansions/country clubs/ finer hotels to vineyards and art galleries. He is listed as a Preferred Vendor at many popular wedding venues such as 2941 Restaurant, Meadowlark Gardens, Tudor Place, Tabard Inn, as well as recurring performances at many local music venues brunch/event series, at L’Auberge Chez Francois and other locations. He has also won the Bride and Couples’ Choice award on Wedding Wire for the last 10 years running. Before earning a BFA in Music Performance at Carnegie Mellon University, Jarrett was studying privately with local VA university professor Larry Snitzler, a direct student of Andres Segovia. More recently studying with Berklee College professor Berta Rojas, and participating in Masterclasses with musicians Jesus Silva, Franco Platino, Angel Romero, and Pepe Romero.

Britton James is an acoustic rock artist based in Northern Virginia that has a focus on creating music that brings people together at weddings, events, local bars, and restaurants. Britton is currently focusing on touring locally after completing two records, the first self titled with a mix of acoustic rock, and reggae vibes, and the second, “Olympic Village” with blended rock tones and a driving acoustic force.

Washington DC area and along the East Coast since 2006, citing musical influences like Bob Schneider, Greensky Bluegrass, The Tallest Man on Earth, G. Love, Old Crow Medicine Show, and David Gray. In February of 2014, Trawick won “Song of the Year” at the Washington Area Music Awards for his solo recording of “All the Places That I’ve Been,” which can be downloaded on iTunes as a single along with his five other solo records and EPs. In June of 2015, Trawick released his first single, “Goodbye,” under the band name “Justin Trawick and the Common Good,” written about the search for direction and belonging in a world that always feels one step ahead of you. In January of 2018, “Justin Trawick and The Common Good” released their first EP, “The Riverwash EP,” which features Norah Jones’ guitarist Adam Levy. In 2020 the band released the single “Back of the Line” during the coronavirus quarantine and was featured on Reuters, CNN, Al Jazeera, Washington Post, Washingtonian Magazine, Parade Magazine, American Songwriter Magazine, Voice of America and Virginia Living Magazine for Trawick’s livestream series and secret backyard concert series created during the pandemic. Trawick and the band have performed for the Kingman Island Bluegrass Festival, Appaloosa Roots Music Festival, Floyd Yoga Jam, TedxEast in NYC at the City Winery, and TedxPennsylvaniaAvenue in DC at the Newseum. Additionally, Trawick has opened for over 30 national acts, including Suzanne Vega, Wyclef Jean, Brett Dennen, Blues Traveler, Enter The Haggis, Bob Schneider, and Edwin McCain, and shared bills with Dr. Dogg and The Avett Brothers. As the founder of the nationally touring show “The 9 Songwriter Series” and co-founder of “The Circus Life Podcast” with guests such as Kevin Eubanks, Chris Thomas King, Ernie Halter, Yarn, and Snuffy Walden, Trawick has built a brand that extends far beyond his home base in DC.

Matty D (Matt Davis) is a natural lead guitarist turned singer/songwriter and local touring musician. He currently resides in Northern Virginia and has been touring locally while spending time writing new songs with a plan of a new release sometime in the future. Matty is inspired by many things, including family, life experiences. His work is heavily inspired by 90’s rock and Chris Stapleton.

Brent Kimbrough is an accomplished guitarist, singer, composer and bandleader from Chicago, U.S. He has performed nationally across the U.S. and internationally in Amsterdam, Beijing, Guadalajara, Madrid, Paris, Shanghai, Singapore and more. His band, Brent Kimbrough & Company recently released their fourth studio album, 12th Street Serenade to critical acclaim. Brent’s musical journey began at the age of 11 on Chicago’s southwest side when he was given his first guitar. After swiftly absorbing his fundamentals, Brent began studying classical guitar and later jazz, rock and R&B. Brent’s father, who migrated to Chicago from the cotton fields of Mississippi in 1950 instilled in Brent a great passion, respect for the blues. Brent has studied with Chicago’s greatest music educators, composers and performers including Larry Gray, John Moulder and David Bloom in addition to New York guitarist Gene Bertoncini and master courses with Pat Martino, Mike Stern, Dave Liebman and more.