The Blue Stones (CA)

7 pm doors • 8:30 The Blue Stones

When Tarek Jafar (lead vocals, guitar) and Justin Tessier (drums, backing vocals) formed The Blue Stones, they were facing uncertainty about who they were and where they were going. But they did know they wanted to make music together, and so they did, writing songs over time and eventually releasing their debut album Black Holes in 2018. As confident as they are now, that record was about the pair finding themselves, both musically and existentially, and deciding to pursue the rock’n’roll dream by jumping into a black hole of the unknown instead of choosing a more ordinary life-path.

The band drew the attention of producer, Paul Meany – the creative force behind alternative rock band Mutemath, and who recently worked with Twenty One Pilots, producing their fifth album, Trench. Getting Paul involved provided the pair with a huge sense of validation. “We jokingly suggested him,” chuckles Tessier. “We were shooting for the stars, but a week after our management approached him, we found out he was into us and our music.”

The band will release multiple singles leading into their highly anticipated sophomore album in 2021. The first of those is Shakin’ Off the Rust – a song that very much serves as a mission statement for their renewed sense of confidence and newfound identity.