Highly Suspect

Johnny Stevens is, hands down... all up and down, the very best thing to happen to music!
The band’s diversity is exactly what I never knew, I always wanted.

Hand to God, I listen to an extremely wide variety of music - gospel/bluegrass to Pantera, Otis Redding or Taj Mahal to Odesza- obsessed with UGK and Santana, all the way to Sade and even with that obtuse appreciation of every genre under the sun, I’ve lost some excitement with the 5,000 songs in my iTunes library.
Motown to Country Classics then to big haired headbangers followed by gangsta rap and I was not feeling the soul touching, spirit awakening like I once had.
Most of what’s played on the radio makes me want to hit something with my car, vomit and die. I swear to God, Beyoncé could be used for torture tactics and Taylor Swift has 46 identical, unimaginative hits and I cannot stomach the nonsense of Kanye West and all his boiz talkin’ ‘bout hoes and cars and fat stacks of cash big as their bitches ass, any more!

Highly Suspect wedged their way into my life, with much apprehension, I’m highly suspect of any mainstream, hipsteresque conformist bullshit and it seemed that way to me at first listen, but somewhere in the halfhearted chance I gave them... I was revived! It may sound crazy to give this much heart and soul into a review of such a young band but it’s nothing short of genius- mad genius.
Their style is old and psychedelic yet new age and electronic. It’s distorted and acustic while seamless and chaotic. It’s precise and handsomely in place but somehow full of raging anger and disgust with many issues we all face.
Each song is so multifaceted, it seems one could be three but no matter what genres or point in time Johnny Stevens starts a song, remember that most will take you on a journey through several.
I recommend you open up your mind and heart to full capacity and enjoy the majestic ride and all it’s twists and turns!
They write all their own music and I listen to their albums in their entirety without ever feeling bored or wondering if the track has changed- it’s so rare and it’s so refreshing.
Johnny (I REFUSE TO REFER TO HIM AS, TERRIBLE JOHNNY) has an old soul that shines through in his sung convictions. He will appeal to the young and old in a way never seen before!
Rock on Highly Suspect!!!!!

We got there during the opener, who were pretty good but I can't recall their name.

I didn't check the time they actually came on but at 9:38 they were on their fifth song.

I thought they were great. They sounded terrific live, without the sacrifice a lot of bands suffer in trying to bring their music live after you've heard nothing but studio.

The drum solo, largely a spectacle of the past these days, was fantastic. He doesn't use a temple of toms or a huge set, just the basic percussive surroundings. So it really showcased his pure talent. And it wasn't just a solo for solo's sake or to impress the drummer's in the crowd, it was a real (total) crowd pleaser and fell perfectly into step with the number they were performing without getting in the way. ANd for those on the floor, they would get a chance to grapple for the drumsticks he tossed into the crown after the solo.

My girlfriend had never seen them (nor had i) but she hadn't listened to them much at all, only a couple of tunes I'd sent her. She loved them to and another fan was born.

The bad: fI thought the vertical rows of lights on the stage they used were a little too much. It affected what you could see too much. I like they didn't depend on a dramatic light show to impress, but the spotlights in the eyes got old to me. Granted, we were in the balcony, a ways off from the stage, so perhaps it wasn't as bad for those at floor level.

All in all a great show which i would highly (no pun intended) recommend.

Good Rockin'

Mikebizz

The band went on stage around 9:50 PM or so at the Black Cat. They played a solid first set of about 50 minutes of music or so, then the lead singer dropped his guitar and walked off stage and the rest of the band followed. They played some background music during the intermission while people waited for about 20 minutes for them to come back out. Apparently even the sound guy had no idea they were not coming back out and eventually a stage hand came out and started taking down the drum set. The crowd immediately started "booing" realizing that we had been duped. Considering that it was a sold out crowd, and people were really into it and responding well to the music, it is baffling that they chose to pull an Axl Rose moment and just abandon all their fans with no explanation. This was the first time I had ever been to see highly suspect and drove all the way from Richmond to DC for the show. Given this immaturity and unprofessionalism by the band I will certainly not be spending my time and money to go see them in the future.

I've seen 5 concerts this past month, and Highly Suspect has to be my favorite! Their performance was album studio quality and beyond! You need to see these guys live. Their spotify live songs are a poor misrepresentation of how they actually sound live.. The lead singer put down his guitar mid song to save a girl who was being hit in a mosh pit. He pulled her up on stage after calling for security and then went back to his guitar to finish the song. It was very cool to witness! He said there will be none of that fighting at a Highly Suspect concert or I will walk out. haha. He loves his fans and I respect him for that a lot. He doesn't want to see anyone get hurt at his show. AND man did they rock!

We were very dissapointed witb the show last night. We waited and waited for Highly Suspect to come out and about 9:50 PM someone came out and told us that they weren't going to play because they had to leave for a family emergency.Everyone was pretty upset for paying extra to take the shuttle up there and then sit there that long and only get to see a band we had never heard of play for about an hour. I sure hope the venue will refund our tickets and they should refund the shuttle fees also because I would have never paid $100.00 to go all the way up there for nothing. The worst part is I think they knew long before they told us that they weren't playing.

Went to the 10/31 show in Lancaster and the 11/1 show in Philly. The Lancaster show was awesome, but they damn near blew the roof off the place in Philly the next night. It was honestly one of the best concerts I've ever been too. These guys are the real deal and it won't be much longer before they're selling out the largest venues. If anyone has the slightest chance to see them, DO IT! You will not be disappointed. My only hope is that I get to see them a couple more times in the smaller places before it costs $100 a tic and there's 20,000 people there.

The show for Highly Suspect at Brooklyn Bowl in Las Vegas was Amazing!! I flew in from Louisville, Ky. just for these guys, because they put on a very worthy show every single time!! I was thrilled to see Rich Meyer (Bass) & Ryan Meyer (Drums) crowd surfing during the show, it always brings smiles over the crowd. Johnny Stevens (Lead guitar/ Vocals) loves his fans, he is always willing to do whatever it takes to ignite the room. I've seen them 11 times now, and this NEVER gets old!! MCID= My Crew is Dope is the Best way to explain them!!

Seeing Highly Suspect was a blast, even though the crowd was small. I was up close to the stage, and the energy from the band was insane. They sounded great, interacted with the crowd, and even played for about an hour longer than when they said they usually end their shows. Rich (the bass player) even sang two songs; he has a surprisingly excellent voice. I was able to meet Ryan (drummer) after the show, and he was very friendly and cool to talk to. All in all, Highly Suspect is a band very much worth seeing live.

Don't be late for supper ☆ Spit into the crowd not at the floor ☆ Show some boob, chicks dig that shit ☆ Politely remind your groupies that you're taken, but do kiss on the cheek and occasionally the forehead ☆ Drink plenty of water ☆ Blow me a kiss at every show regardless of if I'm there or not ☆ Thank our creator for your family ☆ Eat breakfast ☆ Call your mom and tell her you love her daily ☆ Never forget I love you and will always be praying you get home safe ☆

I love you

Kat~

Amazing Artists - Amazing Show. These guys absolutely KILLED IT at the Pub Station last night. The lighting, sound, energy, connection to the audience...basically everything about their performance was off the charts amazing. AND, despite the superstar-level talent this group clearly possesses, they are somehow still legitimately humble and genuine individuals; which is, for lack of a better word...inspirational.

I can't wait to see them again.

The Highly Suspect Crew is most definitely DOPE!