Don't say Guns N' Roses never did anything for D.C. area dwellers.

After the band's incredible arena tours they are back on the road once more for a handful of intimate shows in New York, Detroit, Chicago, Cleveland and -- yes! -- Silver Spring.

"This is a show you do not want to miss," said DJ Ashba, who joined the band as lead guitarist in 2009. "The group [front man and founder Axl Rose] has put together, and I'm not including myself here, an incredible group of musicians at the top of their games. It's an honor to play with them."

"I have no history or beef with Slash," said Ashba. "I don't know the guy personally. I have a lot of respect for him and all the guys in the band, for their musicianship.

And besides, said Ashba, it's the future of the band that most interests him the most.

"I grew up on bands like Guns N' Roses," he said. "I have been approached to join many, many big bands throughout my career. This is the first band that I felt in my heart that I could bring something to the table. I have been watching what's been going on over the years. The music has always touched me in a way. It's very inspiring to me, so as a songwriter and producer it means more than just coming in and playing guitar.

Rose, he said, has something of a treasure trove of songs he's written in the past few years. Combined with the dozen or so song Ashba has written for Guns, it seems there will be plenty of fodder with which to work.

"It's a big challenge for me. It's fun and exciting to me to get in and work on new songs,"said Ashba, demurring when asked if there's a target date for a new album. "Like I said, my goal was never to join the band to just play guitar but to sit down and write some songs with Axl and my goal is to put together the next best Guns N' Roses record. I think that is everybody's goal in the band."

The goal has been put on a hold just a bit because of the band's heavy touring schedule. That should change in the next several weeks, said Ashba.

"It's a matter of sitting down with Axl," he said. "He's got a pretty clear vision of where he wants to go, but we've been touring so much [we haven't been able to work on songs]. For me, as a producer and songwriter, it's trying to bring his vision to life. I'll make it mine as well but really it's up to him to set the direction and then we'll bring that to life. And that's the fun part."