Doors 6:30 PM / Show 7:30 PM
Tickets: Free, But donations much appreciated
Mark Baughman’s WORKING THEORY
All Ages
Mark Baughman is a songwriter, singer, playwright, composer, guitarist, visual artist and architect (yes, really, an architect) who lives in the Washington, DC area. Mark spent his formative years as a young musician in Pittsburgh and almost 50 years after leaving, he still thinks of it as home.
Mark formed Mark Baughman’s Working Theory as a platform to write, record and perform his songs which combine thoughtful storytelling lyrics with an extremely diverse range of musical influences. The lyrics, arrangements and musicianship are both sophisticated and accessible.
STORYTELLERS AND ROCK OPERAS
Baughman’s story-telling-through music talents took off with the formation of WORKING THEORY to produce and perform his first rock opera, 99: A Rock Opera. It tells a modern love story with the backdrop of political activism, where it seems that every issue in contemporary life is a call to take sides. Baughman’s second rock opera to make it to the stage, Release – A Rock Opera, tells the story of Amy (an African American medical corps veteran suffering from PTSD), Thom (a son of privilege who made a mistake and ruined his life), and Patrick (a teenager trapped in his autistic world). All three live their own forms of an alienated lives and find each other in a Wyoming mental clinic where they discover that they may be able to help each other get back into the bigger world.
His third rock opera – Energie – shows he wasn’t sleeping through every physics class in college. It is the story of three theoretical physicists (yes, it is) and how one discovers a safe, free source of energy, and how that discovery brings blessings and curses. In the end, they discover energy, like life, is far more than formulas and observations. A fourth show is called Victoria Falls is the story of an aging Americana Roots R&B band from the Midwest that gets a chance to perform at an international blues festival in Europe but is diverted to north Africa and adventure ensues. Mark’s other stand-alone albums include She Dreams of the Ghost, Charmed Life, No Prophet Here, Divided by Zero, The Distance, and he is nearing completion of his 10th album Memory Box right now.
WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING
“You won’t find a combination of thoughtful songwriting and explosive music in this genre that’s more impressive than the work coming from Mark Baughman’s Working Theory right now.” -The Ark of Music
Like I’ve been tellin’ ya from the get-go, one of MBWT’s greatest assets is the storytelling nature of these songs and the poetic lyricism to be found – not only is it all incredibly well detailed & compellingly crafted, but Mark proves time & time again to be fearless when it comes to all that he’s willing to include in his imagery & words. -Sleeping Bag Studios
With their edgy rock tones and uncompromising attitude, Working Theory set out to combine unique riffs with massive rhythm sections and upfront lyricism. Their most recent release is a project titled “Unrelenting.” The title of this track stays true to the band’s eclectic dynamics and broad creative scope. The beginning of the track is very cinematic, combining earnest acoustic tones with cinematic strings. Soon after that, the guitar riffs kick in along with the drums and the vocals. There is a shade of 80s metal here, making this release truly one-of- a-kind. What’s really impressive about this one is definitely the fact that working theory combined some cool retro aesthetics with the massive punch of modern rock, blurring the lines between the best of both worlds! -Artists Rack
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Also on Spotify & Apple Music