The stage at the freshly renovated Bethesda Blues & Jazz Supper Club was rockin’ with country music Friday and Saturday, March 8 and 9 as Potomac’s own, 24- year-old Margaret Rose Durante, professionally known as Maggie Rose, commanded the stage with her six-piece band during her return engagement to her Maryland roots.
“I’ve known Maggie since she was a kid,” said club owner Rick Brown. “She’s one of the top 10 country acts and she sold out.” He said he wants the club to be a performance center with everything including comedy and a variety of sounds from blues and jazz to Motown, reggae, salsa and country.
“It’s so great to see people I grew up with, people I sang Christmas recitals with, and people I sang the National Anthem with at Congressional Country Club,” Rose said as she greeted the packed house. She sang a blend of original songs sprinkled with cover favorites such as “Some Nights” by the group fun.
The rising country singer-songwriter was the 9th Most Played Country Female last year and was named one of Country Weekly’s “Ones to Watch in 2013.” Her first single, “I Ain’t Your Mama”, aired on country radio June 25, 2012 and quickly rose to a Top 25 hit.
Her debut album, “Cut to Impress.” on which she wrote almost half the songs, is being distributed by Sony Music Nashville on March 26th. The title is derived from the lyrics, “’cause I’m not about/to wear that dress/if it’s not/cut to impress,” from her song, “Mostly Bad.” The album is predicted for Top Ten status according to someone who is used to creating successful foundations, Tom Natelli, Rose’s business partner, family friend, and CEO of local Natelli builders. “Now she’s known to country radio and they love her. Maggie and her band are emerging as one of the most interesting country acts,” he said.
Rose was interviewed Friday on local country music radio WMZQ and the station aired her songs.
Her high energy and sultry, sassy style has broad appeal. Rose’s road and production manager Ronny Palmer said, “She’s got the ‘it’ factor. She’s amazing, but she’s got attitude, and is fan friendly, and is absolutely amazing on stage — she owns the stage.”
Natelli said Rose has developed the reputation in Nashville for having perfect pitch. “She has an innate quality in her voice. It’s not easy to describe, but gives you a warm, comfortable feeling and the texture in her voice makes it easy to listen to,” he said.
Rose donned her guitar to perform her new single titled “Better.” “The silver lining of dating losers is you learn a lesson. I wrote this when I was going through a kind of a rough time and it gave me a sense of assurance,” Rose said. “I just wanna feel good, feel alright/Feel anything but what I feel tonight/I just wanna move on/with my life/and put the pieces back together/I just wanna feel better.”
The ballad-like song closes with, “I know there’s gonna come a time when he’s gone and it’s okay.” Rose said the lyrics were drawn from an ended relationship where she felt deceived. “He made me question my judgment. I wanted to show the other side so the song is quite a departure from some of my other songs. It’s a different song, different mood, a healing song.”
On March 29, she will perform for the fifth time at the legendary Grand Ole Opry on the stage’s six-foot wooden circle that has felt the footsteps of revered legends and continues to be a springboard for aspiring artists. Many thoughts and emotions surrounded Rose when she first stepped on the Opry’s stage. “I was pretty bombarded, it is such a milestone in any artist’s career. I don’t usually get nervous, but that first 30 seconds I was. It’s just such an honor, there’s a lot of history there.”
Rose’s grandfather, Raymond Durante, was proud to see his granddaughter on a hometown stage and praised her parents, Steve and Lizz Durante. “It’s a tough, tough road and they’ve been with her all the way,” he said.
Rose’s mother said, “Every parent wants their child to fill their dream. This is Margaret’s dream.” Durante keeps her email database informed about her daughter’s schedule and routinely sends links to various country radio station contests to encourage friends and family to vote for Maggie Rose. “She’s a very smart woman. I should have her on my payroll,” said Rose who sees a world tour in her future.
Her advice for aspiring singers: “No one can be you better than you. Listen to your heart. Some advice will be well intentioned and some won’t. It’s your chance to apply whatever you see fit at the end of the day. I’m fortunate to work with people who encourage me to be who I want to be.”
For more information visit: www.maggierosemusic.com