Theory of a Deadman with guests Mick Blankenship and Ayron Jones at the Spokane Tribe Casino

Spokane welcomed Theory of a Deadman with guests Mick Blankenship and Ayron Jones to the Spokane Tribe Casino for a night of intimate tunes like you’d find in your best friend’s basement. From the moment I walked through the door, I could feel the energy buzzing around and everyone was excited to be there.

Unfortunately, I missed Mick Blankenship, the first opener, but I did return in time for the smooth sounds of Ayron Jones. The Seattle native strummed the guitar like it was an extension of himself. With sounds that mingle grunge, rock, and hip-hop with those soulful melodies.

Jones was discovered by producer Sir Mix-a-Lot and released his first major album in May of 2021. Having overcome major hurtles when he first started out, he’s found his footing and has skyrocketed since.

Supporting the troops is something he always supports, and he even brought his brother on stage with him before one of the songs he had dedicated to him and his time serving. Many of his songs reflect what he has gone through with his rocky home life and what it’s been like as a man of color in the rock industry. It’s inspirational and listing to him brought a sense of peace that I haven’t experienced in some time.

Next up was the main event, and everyone was already on their feet and begging for the first chord to be played. This tour focused on keeping the show feeling more like a small party rather than a major concert. All acoustics and crowd interactions.

I’ve been a fan of Theory of a Deadman since I was a teenager, and I had been able to see them for the first time in person last year at Welcome to Rockville, and it was then that I had made the decision to be able to photograph them again. Being able to see them again gave me so much happiness that I was in awe just watching them perform.

Starting out the set with “Gentleman”, Tyler Connolly was setting the tone of the whole night. From those first set of lyrics, he had the crowd hooked. But it was when he started “Santa Monica” that the crowd really got riled up. Their first single was always something special to everyone, and he made sure that he gave that song the love and care that it deserves.

Being able to dance around to my favorite songs “Rx” and “Bad Girlfriend” was the best way to close out the night. Those two songs were what got me hooked as hard on them as I became. I can only hope to catch that feeling again the next time I catch a show of theirs.