Showing Up, Discussed by Anxiety Monster Bassist Avery Reeves-Williams
- Alana McCarthy Light
- Dec 30, 2025
- 2 min read
Anxiety Monster’s bass player, vocalist and visual artist, Avery Reeves-Williams, lives and practices in Montgomery County. He enjoys blending the weirdness of Primus’ Les Claypool with the upright bass creativity of Motown's James Jamerson with the surrealism and contemporary art of Basquiat and Andy Warhol to craft musical and gallery works that portray an imaginative goth-grunge amalgamation. The rest of the band, his long-time friends vocalist Jared Zad and drummer Spencer Woehrl, have varying backgrounds which invites what Avery described as an implementation of the band into their lifestyles.
The band name hints at mental health concepts, and Avery participates in organizing benefits and awareness for a myriad of mental health causes, including suicide prevention. Additionally, he aims to bring support to minority communities, uplifting Black and Hispanic lives as well as the victims of genocide such as those in Gaza. “It’s one thing to care,” Avery explained, “but another to be actually there for people.”
Recently, the band fundraised for local mental health charities focused on assisting marginalized groups at the events Poltergeist and Séance. Anxiety Monster frequently plays shows in Baltimore, including for Poltergeist and Séance, two festivals co-organized by the band, events specialist Alicia Astronomo and this article’s author, Alana McCarthy Light. Avery mentioned how he wants to spend more time playing in DC, as well as go further out to play in new cities.
Avery finds inspiration and support at Montgomery County’s skate parks such as in Rockville, Kensington and Olney. There, Avery says, you find lots of “creative individuals in the same circuit…everybody has their own creative teaching and is always giving insight into what can be created, letting you know that you're not the only person pursuing a creative field.”
The band makes their records at Hollow Studios in Silver Spring. Cooking Meat Tutorial, an EP released by Anxiety Monster in October 2025, continues the band’s revolution-focused output, which they symbolize using their invented mythological character, Bonatrac.
Avery hopes to open up a venue in 2026 with his band called Monster House. He invites all to continue pursuing their crafts and to also come to an Anxiety Monster show.
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