Strathmore’s New Music Venue, AMP, Announces First Shows

By Ally Schweitzer

Strathmore's new music venue (shown here in a rendering) wants to "bring new energy beyond the Beltway."
Strathmore's new music venue (shown here in a rendering) wants to "bring new energy beyond the Beltway." Strathmore

AMP, the music venue opening in North Bethesda under the wing of performing arts center Strathmore, has announced its first concerts.

Live music begins at the 250-seat venue on March 8, 2015, with a performance by blues/folk artist Toshi Reagon, jazz drummer Allison Miller and D.C.-based “queer pop and soul” artist Be Steadwell. The 26 shows announced Thursday run through June 2015, and include a variety of jazz players, singer/songwriters, folkies and roots artists — not too different from the music Strathmore usually books in its Mansion venue.

Strathmore also just launched a new website for AMP — AmpByStrathmore.com — that includes the entire slate of shows. (More are coming, according to a press release.) Tickets to the concerts announced so far cost $40 or less, and they go on sale Friday, Dec. 12, at noon.

AMP is located in Pike & Rose, a mixed-use development located near the intersection of Rockville Pike and Montrose Parkway. The venue’s mission, as Strathmore puts it, is to “bring new energy beyond the Beltway.” As I’ve pointed out before, that aligns nicely with County Executive Ike Leggett’s goal to boost nightlife in affluent Montgomery County.

The venue is available now for rentals, but formally opens to the public in March when concerts begin.