About.
Growing up, music was always a prominent part of Chris Cassaday's life. Whether it be singing in the back seat of his mom's car, or watching his dad play the drums, Chris was hooked on music at an early age. And after receiving his first guitar at age 14, Chris slowly honed his songwriting skills over the next few years, playing in various bands and as a solo act throughout high school and college.
After graduating from James Madison University in 2014, Chris moved to Arlington, VA and independently released his first professionally recorded album "The Savannah Sessions" on all digital outlets (iTunes, spotify, etc.) on May 25th, 2015. The album received widespread support and great reviews on all digital outlets. The album was mixed and produced by Ted Bowne, one of Chris's greatest influences and the lead singer of the award winning rock-reggae band Passafire. “The Savannah Sessions” is available on iTunes, Spotify, Napster, Google Play, and youtube.
Chris's original song "My Oh My" off of the album was sought out by Sirius XM radio and is now being played regularly on Sirius XM's the Coffee House (Channel 14). Chris also performed a 5-song live session for Sirius XM in September 2015 that was featured on the Coffee House as well. "My Oh My" was also given an honorable mention at the 27th Rocky Mountain Folk Festival in Lyons, Colorado on August 18, 2017.
After two years of extensive live performances promoting "The Savannah Sessions", Chris independently released his next solo studio effort "Stranger Places" on April 10th, 2017 on all digital music outlets. The sophomore album was also produced and mixed by Ted Bowne from Passafire, and response to the release was extremely positive, exposing Chris to a larger, more diverse audience.
Chris plays close to 100 shows a year, and has performed at hundreds of different venues around the country. He is a regular performer at some of the most prominent venues in his hometown of Washington, DC. Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, Chris has kept his fans and music lovers alike intrigued with live stream performances, as well as occasionally playing safe, socially distanced outdoor shows.
Chris has been featured as a guest on many music-centered radio programs, most recently being featured on "Voices From The DMV", and "DC Music Rocks", two radio shows airing on 96.7 FM in Arlington and the Washington DC area. Chris was also interviewed and performed on CBS radio's "Weekend Round-Up" podcast. The performance/interview aired on 7 different CBS radio stations around the country.
During his solo live performances, Chris includes the use of a looper pedal and other interesting effects, giving his solo performances a one-man-band type of appeal and the ability to keep large crowds entertained and dancing.
In the summer of 2018, Chris co-founded a funk-blues-rock fusion three-piece band called The Cassaday Concoction. The band serves as an outlet for some of Chris's more hard-rock and blues influenced music that doesn't necessarily fall under the mellow acoustic umbrella of his solo work.
The band, consisting of Chris's close friends Brian Gerrard on lead guitar, Dom Ryan on bass, and Adam Bush on drums, has proven very quickly that they are must see performers. Since their start, the Concoction has rocked the stage at some of the the largest and most prestigious venues the DC, Virginia, and Maryland areas have to offer, while bringing a swarm of enthusiastic fans, both new and old, with them as they traverse up and down the east coast.
Each member's eclectic mix of musical backgrounds gives the band's sound a unique and powerful edge, luring the audience in with catchy harmonies, hard-punching rock and roll, soothing soul music, and reggae one-drops. Their shows truly are a "Concoction" of musical euphoria, with the band taking you on a journey of whatever genre or vibe is pumping through their veins. The band released the 3-song-EP Hear, Listen on March, 15th, 2019, followed by Hollywood EP on October 23, 2020. On October 1st, 2021 the band released a new single I Give Up which has hit 44,000 streams on Spotify. The band followed it up with the single Judgement on January 13th 2022. On September 9th, 2022 the band released their first full length album "I Need To Be". The band has begun work on a new EP to be released in late 2023.
Chris's unique blend of blues, rock, folk and funk, his crafty songwriting style, his unpredictable set lists, and his thunderous, distinctive voice have gathered him a significant following around his hometown and other parts of the country. Chris and his band are coming to a stage near you soon.
The first ever album from he Cassaday Concoction "I Need To Be" is streaming everywhere now!