After Baron Fest was canceled, the Baron band, Djembes, was left without a venue to perform. Luckily, they were given the opportunity for a gig at The Barking Dog, opening for the band Uncommon Core in Bethesda on November 19th. Maddie Cook, the vocalist for the band, talked about her experience saying, “It was nerve-wracking, as you can imagine, but honestly that got overshadowed by how much fun it all was.” 

Their set list consisted of, Here Comes Your Man – The Pixies, Windows – Sugar Candy Mountain, Money – Pink Floyd, Satellite – Guster, and A Certain Romance – Arctic Monkeys. Many B-CC students showed up as well to show their support for the band, including Kate Campbell who when asked about their show said, “It was amazing! Their instruments blend so well and it was super upbeat and fun. I loved it.”

The band consists of Maddie Cook, James Smith, Colin McKelvey, Alex Coulouris, and Étienne Melendez-Santiago. They formed the band at the end of last school year after a few of the players finished playing in the pit band for the spring musical. A couple of weeks later, Colin joined, and in the early fall, Maddie joined, completing the band. They typically play songs in the alternative, indie, and rock genres but said that they, “like to keep things fresh and interesting by changing the styles around a bit for each song”. The band plays a variety of instruments including the bass, guitar, drums, and saxophone. 

In the future, be sure to look  at their Instagram @djem.bes for other Djembes’ shows at the annual Baron Palooza or other appearances they may make around Bethesda!