Ever since hijacking the radio waves with hit single  I’m On A Train back in 2009, there’s no stopping that Drive Like Maria train. Unrelenting, passionate, feisty, irresistible…just a few words to describe this Dutch/Belgian power trio. There are many factors playing into their status as one of the Benelux’s tightest live units: world class riffs that seal the chasms between grunge and seventies rock, Bjorn Awouters’s powerful vocals and most importantly, a tenacious work ethic that has them rocking  intimate bars and king sized stadiums alike. There’s a reason why Drive Like Maria was asked to open up for paragons such as ZZ Top and AC/DC.

After a three year gap, Awouters, guitar wizard Nitzan Hoffman and drummer Bram van de Berg begin their latest chapter. The new Drive Like Maria album was recorded in Italy and will be unleashed next March. Besides notable contributions from Lara Chedraoui (Intergalactic Lovers), Jop van Summeren (De Staat) and Remko Kühne (Milow, Alain Clark), Drive Like Maria made some new friends along the way. Championed Italian street band Badabimbum happened to reside in the premises next to Drive Like Maria’s studio space. Badabimbum’s sax players can be heard on the track Tiny Terror.

For tonight’s Rotown show, Drive Like Maria will exhibit their full arsenal of barn burners. They’ve done it here so often, but nonetheless, it’s hard to take such a potent live band for granted. This is rock ’n roll at its apex!