Friday: Diwali Rock Show at Atlas Brew Works

Diwali is approaching next week and events celebrating the Hindu Festival of Lights are popping up across the city. One unmissable event is the third annual Diwali Rock Show at Atlas Brew Works, featuring local bands led by Indian American artists including Laal Taal (a member of Bottled Up), NAYAN, Prabir Trio, and Sravani. The showcase began three years ago as a project of Richmond-based musician Prabir Mehta, supported by D.C.’s Nayan Bhula (of NAYAN). In the years since its inception, the showcase has grown into a festival featuring far more than music, now highlighting Indian art, food trucks, and clothing. It’s part of a larger celebration of Diwali, the joyous festival marking the triumph of light over darkness and good over evil. The showcase, and holiday more broadly, is an opportunity for people to come together and celebrate the good in their lives. The showcase starts at 7 p.m. on Oct. 25 at Atlas Brew Works Ivy City, 2052 West Virginia Ave. NE. atlasbrewworks.com. $12. —Serena Zets 

Friday: Loboko at Hill Center

New York’s Loboko play Congolese dance music, a style that is best known for its high-pitched, mesmerizing guitar lines, tuneful vocals, and a funky bass and drums bottom. The band was founded in 2019 by Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo-born singer and guitarist Yohni Djungu Sungu (who’s toured with Congolese acts Soukous Stars and Fally Ipupa) and drummer Morgan Greenstreet (also an acclaimed DJ and podcast producer), but the two met five years earlier when they played backup for another New York-based Congolese musician. Today, in Loboko, they’re joined by guitarist Nikhil P. Yerawadekar, whose resume includes stints playing Ethiopian and Nigerian music, and a rotating cast of bass players. Their style of Congolese dance music is also known as rumba and the genre’s tempos can sometimes vary. In 2023, Loboko released their first single, “Kanyunyi,” which features speedy guitar bursts, but draws more from the traditional mid-tempo Congolese Mutuashi rhythm. While that song has a bit of a 1970s retro flavor, the band’s founders say their live style is more impacted by the ’90s output of uptempo Congo bands like Wenga Musica and current groups that have also drawn from that era. B-side track “Ekenge” better captures that approach as it uses the fast Congolese music composition style known as seben where the dual guitars take the lead. The guitarists aren’t doing flashy rock-like solos, they’re combining on shimmering notes designed to keep people gyrating on the dance floor. The bandmates tell City Paper they have more originals and plan to self-produce an album. Expect to move your body to those songs at the show. Loboko play at 7 p.m. on Oct. 25 at Hill Center, 921 Pennsylvania Ave. SE. hillcenterdc.org. $20. —Steve Kiviat

Friday and Saturday: Ben Folds With the National Symphony Orchestra at the Kennedy Center

Ben Folds will join the National Symphony Orchestra in the Concert Hall this week for an unforgettable experience. This isn’t just your typical concert; it’s a special live recording of Folds’ new orchestral album with NSO. If you are a fan, Folds will showcase hits and new music. For newer ears, Folds has made significant contributions to music and returns to the Kennedy Center recognized as an indie icon. His repertoire includes pop rock hits from his time as the frontperson and pianist of the alt rock band Ben Folds Five and several solo albums, but he also boasts noteworthy collaborations as a musician and songwriter. Folds’ 2015 album, Concerto for Piano and Orchestra, reached No. 1 on the Billboard classical and classical crossover charts. His most recent album, What Matters Most, which he’ll perform with NSO this weekend, was released in 2023 and features a more pop rock sound with a spotlight on piano. This concert marks a special homecoming, as Folds serves as the first NSO Artistic Advisor. In this role, Folds curated a concert series pairing NSO with numerous popular artists including Sara Bareilles, Regina Spektor, and Julian Baker. Ben Folds: Recorded Live with NSO starts at 8 p.m. on Oct. 25 and 26 at the Kennedy Center, 2700 F St. NW. kennedy-center.org. $29–$79. —Anupma Sahay

Saturday: Spoons Toons, and Booze at Arlington Drafthouse

It might be inappropriate for adults to trick-or-treat without a kid, but some grown-ups still want to dress up for Halloween. For those DMVers, here’s an opportunity to put on a costume—no children or trick-or-treating required. The Spoons Toons and Booze noontime cereal-based brunch features a Halloween costume contest, free all-you-can-eat sugary cereals (Halloween-themed brands included, obviously), specialty cocktails featuring aforementioned sugary cereals, and cartoons. Lots of cartoons. The audience will choose from 150 different Saturday morning cartoons, spanning the decades from the 1940s to early 2000s, to enjoy on the big screen. Pop culture and cereal experts Michael Austin and Nell Casey lend commentary between nostalgic cartoons about witches, monsters, ghosts, and other seasonally appropriate drawn images. There’s nothing too spooky about this event—unless you’re a diabetic—but if you’re not careful, you may die from Count Chocula. Spoons Toons and Booze starts at noon on Oct. 26 at Arlington Drafthouse, 2903 Columbia Pike, Arlington. arlingtondrafthouse.com  $15. —Brandon Wetherbee

Tuesday: Halloween Cookie Class at Lost Boy Cider

Cookies and beer are on the menu at Lost Boy Cider this season. Halloween isn’t just about trick-or-treating and bar crawls; it’s the perfect setting for a fun, spooky activity with a sweet twist. At this delicious experience you can sip on award-winning cider—or nonalcoholic options—while partaking in a spooktacular Halloween Cookie Class hosted by Sugarcoated Bakery. These cookie experts will lead a creepy decorating tutorial on baking sweets shaped like pumpkins, ghosts, and more. Participants will trade in Halloween tricks for decorating tips, including piping bag techniques, and using “wet-on-wet” style for detailed designs, icing options, decorating tools, how to add dimension to cookies, and all-important guidance on fixing decorating mishaps. After the 90-minute class, participants will leave with a bag of festive cookies, an instruction manual for future baked goods, and recipes for royal icing and sugar cookies. The Halloween Cookie Class starts at 6:30 p.m. on Oct. 29 at Lost Boy Cider, 317 Hooffs Run Dr., Alexandria. lostboycider.com. $65. —Anupma Sahay

Tuesday: Billy Ocean at Warner Theatre

It’s been 40 years since the release of Billy Ocean’s album Suddenly, the double-platinum project that sent the Trinidadian English singer-songwriter’s career up the charts with the assistance of hit singles including the title track, “Caribbean Queen (No More Love On the Run),” and “Loverboy.” In celebration of the album’s anniversary, Ocean is on tour with a show scheduled for Oct. 29 at Warner Theatre. What’s surprising is that Suddenly was Ocean’s fifth album—that luxury of artist development is almost unheard-of these days. “The whole record industry has changed drastically,” Ocean tells City Paper. “Record companies then, they gave you the opportunity to grow. Now it’s very much a case of a short-lived thing. They don’t give you the encouragement. They don’t give you the finance anymore to allow you to grow.” One of the key ingredients to the success of Suddenly was the addition of Robert John “Mutt” Lange, who served as executive producer and co-wrote “Loverboy” with Ocean and producer Keith Diamond. Prior to collaborating with Ocean, Lange was primarily known for his work with AC/DC, Def Leppard, and Foreigner. “Mutt Lange had his own studio in his house,” Ocean recalls. “Mutt is an amazing producer in the sense that he hears the record in his head before he actually produces it.” (Lange continued his collaboration with Ocean, co-producing and co-writing songs on Ocean’s next two albums, Love Zone and Tear Down These Walls). After nearly 50 years in the industry, Ocean knows what audiences want to hear. “I do all the hits,” says Ocean. “That’s what they came to see. That’s what they would rather hear than you being self-indulgent and giving new songs.” Billy Ocean plays at 8 p.m. on Oct. 29 at Warner Theatre, 513 13th St. NW. warnertheatredc.com. $41–$125. —Christina Smart

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Opens Thursday: Winter Work by Anice Hoachlander at ArtHub609

Rhythm, light, and shadow: These are the three main motifs featured in fine art photographer Anice Hoachlander’s work. Hoachlander centers a wide variety of natural life and human creation in her art—from the geometry of modern architecture to the way Spanish Moss dances in the warm breeze of the Carolinas. Hoachlander has an eye for the naturally occurring patterns in both organic life and inorganic matter. The mystery beneath the surface of Mother Nature’s beauty allures and enamors Hoachlander, who takes inspiration from the quirks and idiosyncrasies of the natural world around her. For more than 30 years, her work as an architectural photographer in the D.C. area has focused on “macro capture and structural abstraction … in design concepts of the natural and built environment.” Passion drives her work, and it is evident in her art. With Winter Work, a new exhibit at ArtHub609, we get a chance to tee the world through Hoachlander’s eyes. The exhibition opens with an artist talk, light fare, and cocktails. For those looking for incentive to buy, 5 percent of the proceeds will be donated to the Washington Architectural Foundation. Winter Work opening night starts at 6 p.m. on Oct. 10 at ArtHub609, 609 H St. NE. arthub609.com. Free. —Meg Richards

Friday Through Sunday: Atlanta Fine Print Art Fair

The Atlanta Fine Print Art Fair, whose second annual event amassed major attention and success this past August, is coming to D.C. The first U.S. print fair to showcase exclusively Black artists, the event pays homage to industry masters—legends in their own rights—while also giving a platform of exposure to new artists. Hosted by Black Art In America and taking place at Eaton Hotel, the three-day event is being put on in collaboration with the 2024 March on Washington Film Festival, which kicked off last Sunday and runs through Sunday. The first stop on the fair’s national tour will feature works by D.C.-area artists such as Percy Martin, Lou Stovall, Ed McCluney, James L. Wells, Sam Gilliam, and David Driskell. Additionally, contemporary print artists newer to the scene, including Jamaal Barber, Traci Mims, and Steve Prince, will be featured. While the prints vary greatly in style, emotion, and inspiration, many pieces carry similar themes, such as cultural commentaries on the African American experience, celebrating community, and most importantly, telling stories. Attendees will have the opportunity to engage with artists directly through a scheduled art talk on Saturday at 2 p.m. The D.C. Edition of the Atlanta Fine Print Art Fair runs Oct. 11 through 13 at the Eaton Hotel, 1201 K St. NW. blackartinamerica.com. Free. —Meg Richards

Saturday: DCPL Chess Tournament at MLK Library

The first documented chess tournament was held in London in 1851, but the game’s history stretches back centuries prior. Most historians agree that an early version was developed in India, around the fifth or sixth century. After being filtered through the vibrant cultures of the Medieval Islamic world and Renaissance Europe, the game arrived at the London tournament in a form that would be familiar to Garry Kasparov or the AlphaZero AI. Washington, D.C., has its own thriving chess scene, and last summer, D.C. Public Library associate Dubian Ade decided to bring that scene together for a friendly competition at MLK branch. “I learned that there were chess clubs at the other branch libraries,” Ade tells City Paper. “They were all kind of doing their own thing. And my idea was, why don’t we all come together?” In 2023, 57 competitors took part in the tournament, resulting in big wins for representatives of the Cleveland Park Library, the Benning Road Library, and especially for the Parklands-Turner Library in Congress Heights. This year’s tournament, which is being held at MLK Library on National Chess Day, will feature divisions for beginner, intermediate, and advanced players. Winners from each division will be honored as D.C. Public Library Chess Champions! There will also be tables manned by different chess organizations from throughout the community so attendees and competitors can find all the info they need to get involved in the local chess scene. Whether you’re an eager-eyed beginner or a salty ronin looking to humble last year’s champs, this is your chance to get involved with a community of gamer strategists who uphold a centuries-spanning tradition. The DCPL Chess Tournament starts at 1 p.m. on Oct. 12 at Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library, 901 G St. NW. dclibrary.libnet.info. Free. —Will Lennon

Monday: Larry Wilmore at the Birchmere

Next to hosting the Oscars, headlining the White House Correspondents’ Dinner is the most thankless job a stand-up comedian could take on. Larry Wilmore, who headlined the WHCD in 2016 during Barack Obama’s last year as president, forged head on during his 22 minute-long set taking out various news outlets including CNN (“I haven’t watched CNN in a long time. I used to watch it when it was a news network”), MSNBC (“Now stands for Missing a Significant Number of Black Correspondents”) and reporters (“Alleged journalist Don Lemon everybody!” In response, Lemon promptly flipped Wilmore the bird.) “You can’t really please anybody,” Wilmore tells City Paper of the WHCD gig. “If you please the people in the room, you’re probably not going to please the people at home. I did the opposite. I kind of pleased the people at home, but I did not please the people in the room.” But the Correspondents’ dinner is a mere blip in Wilmore’s career. His mile-long IMDB page is a staggering list of writing, acting, and producing credits along with a who’s who of collaborations including co-creating The PJs with Eddie Murphy, Insecure with Issa Rae, and Grown-ish with Kenya Barris. When Quinta Brunson, who appeared on Wilmore’s The Nightly Show, which ran on Comedy Central from 2015-16, won the 2022 Emmy for Best Writing for a Comedy Series for Abbott Elementary, she gave Wilmore a shout out for “teaching me to write television as well as he did.” “It was so emotional,” admits Wilmore, as he mimes someone cartoon crying. “You don’t expect something like that to be emotional.” Now, Wilmore is returning to his stand-up roots, launching his An Evening with Larry Wilmore: Comedy, Magic and ‘Merica tour, which stops at the Birchmere on Oct. 14. But don’t expect any takedowns at this show. “It’s more of a fun magic show with some commentary in it,” says Wilmore, whose magic isn’t the illusion based pull a rabbit out of a hat kind, but more “mind twisting type of stuff.” “I was into magic when I was a kid,” says Wilmore. “So even when I write jokes, I’ve always written them where the punchline is almost like a magic trick—something you didn’t see coming that is like a surprise, but it makes sense too.” An Evening with Larry Wilmore: Comedy, Magic and ‘Merica starts at 7:30 p.m. on Oct. 14 at The Birchmere, 3701 Mount Vernon Ave., Alexandria. birchmere.com. $35. —Christina Smart

And a few reminders from our Fall Arts Guide:

Tuesday: We the People of the United States … Establish Justice at Folger

The opening reading of Folger’s O.B. Hardison Poetry Series with Claudia Rankine and  Muse Found in a Colonized Body author Yesenia Montill. The event starts at 7:30 p.m. on Oct. 15 at Folger Library, 201 E Capitol St. SE.

Tuesday: Larry June’s Howard Homecoming Concert at the Howard

Bay Area wordsmith Larry June brings his unrivaled energy and positive attitude to Howard University’s Homecoming festivities. The show starts at 8 p.m. on Oct. 15 at the Howard, 620 T St. NW.

Wednesday: NMWA NIGHTS at the National Museum of Women in the Arts

There’s nothing more thrilling to me than an after-hours museum event—they indulge the childhood fantasies  developed from reading From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler, while also serving a speakeasy-esque element of drinking somewhere you’re normally not supposed to. Nobody does this better than NMWA Nights. The event starts at 5:30 p.m. at NMWA, 1250 New York Ave. NW.

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“We’ve returned to the scene of the crime!” an impish Brian Ritchie, bassist of the Violent Femmes said when the band took the stage at HFStival at Nationals Park on Saturday, Sept. 21. 

The Violent Femmes played the second iteration of the festival in the summer of 1991 at Lake Fairfax Park in Reston, Virginia. Same crime, different scene. With I.M.P.’s lineup featuring additional HFStival alums including Bush, Incubus, Lit, and Filter, the 2024 reboot drew 25,000 attendees and aimed to recall or relive its ’90s and ’00s glory days.

In its prime, HFStival, organized by radio station 99.1 WHFS, was one of the leading music festivals in the country. Starting one year before Lollapalooza, the annual event moved to RFK Stadium in 1993. Thanks to the explosion of alternative music into the mainstream, the popularity of HFS exploded right along with it—becoming the place where surprise appearances (a la Courtney Love) and performances (such as Tony Bennett) would make headlines. But, in January 2005 when WHFS became El Zol 99.1, the annual event faced uncertainty. The fest lived a half-life following the radio station’s death, continuing sporadically for a few years in various locations. The final HFStival was held in 2011.

So the question on attendees’ minds as they entered Nationals Park on Saturday was: Could I.M.P. recapture the glory of the original?

As it turns out, the reboot wasn’t about reliving past glories. Rather, it was about recalling a musical legacy while potentially building a new one. The majority of festivalgoers had attended past HFStivals. This time, however, they brought their kids along.

“Watching people and their kids sing back lyrics that were a thought in my head over 28 years ago is really something,” Emerson Hart, lead singer of Tonic (the band behind the 1996 hit “If You Could Only See”), says during a backstage interview.

Other than the lineup itself, there were lots of callbacks to the days of musical yore. Footage of past HFStivals and songs from the ’90s played in between sets, and former WHFS DJs Bob Waugh and Gina Crash introduced bands.

Gone from previous festivals was the second stage, where bands like Third Eye Blind and Fuel once played before they hit it big. Also gone was the mass general admission crush that would happen on the main field, allowing for lots of crowd-surfing and plenty of dehydration, giving the backstage medical room a run for its money. 

Instead, a much smaller, more civilized general admission pit was surrounded by barricades and seated sections. And the entertainment between sets included a Guitar Hero contest (where both contestants ended up winning guitars) and a cupcake eating contest where the winner scarfed down 12 cupcakes in 2 1/2 minutes (no word on how he felt afterward).

Not that the artists didn’t try to relive the old days. Gavin Rossdale, lead singer of Bush (whose set paused briefly due to sound issues), left the stage mid-set to mingle with fans at the barrier. Rossdale came just shy of crowd-surfing.

As light rain fell during Incubus’ set, the band segued from their hits into a cover of Phil Collins’ “In the Air Tonight,” a case of the throwback throwing back even further.

“What a lineup, huh?!” Ben Gibbard, lead singer of Death Cab for Cutie yelled from the stage. Gibbard performed double—and back-to-back—duty. His performance with Death Cab was immediately followed by the Postal Service’s headlining set, which was billed as their last live performance.

“I went to high school for a year in Herndon, Virginia,” Gibbard said during Death Cab’s set. “As I started getting into music, I listened to WHFS so I’m dedicating this song to them.”

It’s unclear whether this version of HFStival will become an annual event, but for one glorious day, fans relived their youth, but in a much more civilized manner.

City Paper’s contributors have their fingers on the pulse of what’s happening in and around the city. These arts events, however, could be overlooked if you aren’t paying attention. Lucky for you, we are.  

Below you’ll find some comedy, a folk fest and craft show, and two book talks—Emma Copley Eisenberg discusses Housemates and Bob Boilen joins Joe Boyd for a conversation on the music producer’s latest book, And the Roots of Rhythm Remain.

You’ll also get a chance to see what the two new but not yet built Smithsonians—National Museum of the American Latino and the American Women’s History Museum—have to offer with an event dedicated to Celia Cruz.

Takoma Park Folk Festival at Takoma Park Middle School  On Sept. 8

First held in 1978 and run entirely by volunteers, the painfully charming Takoma Park Folk Festival highlights living traditions of Takoma Park and Silver Spring communities and the surrounding areas. This year, the free one-day festival is featuring more than 40 acts across six stages covering a wide swath of vernacular musical stylings, plus a jam-packed juried craft show running the gamut from metalwork and jewelry to food and fiber arts. The festival runs from 10:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. in the Takoma Park Middle School gymnasium, 7611 Piney Branch Rd., Takoma Park. Free. —Amelia Roth-Dishy

Joe Boyd With Bob Boilen at Politics and Prose Union Market on Sept. 14

You know if a book begins with the sentence “Malcolm McLaren was bored,” it’s going to be great. Record producer/writer Joe Boyd (Pink Floyd, R.E.M., Nick Drake) follows up his memoir, White Bicycles: Making Music in the 1960s, with And the Roots of Rhythm Remain, a look at the history and sociology of popular music, which he will discuss with Bob Boilen at Politics and Prose. The conversation starts at 6 p.m. at Politics and Prose Union Market, 1324 4th St. NE. Free. —Christina Smart

Emma Copley Eisenberg at Lost City Books on Sept. 19 

Emma Copley Eisenberg’s road-trip novel about friendship, creation, queer coming of age, and unearthing lost histories is one of my favorite books of the year. Housemates is best enjoyed in the shade of a good tree, while listening to a nostalgic playlist your best friend made for you. Or, for one night only, it might best be enjoyed with Eisenberg, who will be in town to discuss it. The discussion starts at 7 p.m. at Lost City Books, 2467 18th St. NW. Free. —Serena Zets

An Evening Celebrating the Life and Legacy of Celia Cruz at the National Museum of American History on Sept. 20

You can’t really celebrate the life of the reigning Afro-Cuban salsa queen without a little azucar. To officially cement Celia Cruz’s legacy on the 2024 Celia Cruz Quarter, the National Museum of the American Latino, the American Women’s History Museum, and others host a free night covering all things Cruz—from panel discussions recounting her legendary status, to salsa lessons, and a dance party to the all-woman salsa band Lulada Club. The celebration starts at 7 p.m. at the Museum of American History, 1300 Constitution Ave. NW. Free. —Heidi Perez-Moreno

Craft2Wear at the National Building Museum starts on Sept. 27 

It’s D.C.’s own Project Runway, except these carefully selected designer finds are going on sale. The annual Smithsonian Craft2Wear Show will showcase jewelry, wearable art, and accessories from more than 93 artists working in contemporary American fashion. An additional 10 artists will show traditional and modern crafts from South Korea. The event runs Sept. 27 through 29 at the National Building Museum, 401 F St. NW. $20–$95. —Heidi Perez-Moreno

John Early at the Black Cat on Oct. 16

More than any other entertainer, actor, and comedian, John Early is the patron saint of dunking on millennials. Come check out his October set so you can find out how you’re still cringe, even when you’re pushing 40. The show starts at 7 p.m. at the Black Cat, 1811 14th St. NW. $45. —Alan Zilberman

William Gropper: Artist of the People at the Phillips Collection opens Oct. 17

For those looking for something quieter, a small exhibit of 30 pieces across two galleries highlighting the social realist painter and cartoonist William Gropper at the Phillips Collection will provide a jolt. The son of Jewish immigrants and a radical child of Lower East Side tenements, Gropper made unabashedly political works combining a satirical propensity for ghoulish villains—corrupt bosses and greedy capitalists chief among them—with a painterly attention to light and shadow. William Gropper: Artist of the People opens Oct. 17 and runs through Jan. 5 at the Phillips Collection, 1600 21st St. NW. $20. —Amelia Roth-Dishy 

Check out more of our 2024 Fall Arts Guide here.

Azymuth at the Black Cat on Sept. 5
This jazz-funk band formed in 1973, and while bassist Alex Malheiros is the only surviving member of that original trio, the group have continued to make music, with a pair of solid albums in 2020. Two years ago, Malheiros released his first album in more than a decade, and the Azymuth sound—rooted in the ’70s fusion but reverent of Brazil’s long pop legacy before and after—remains intact, and as vital as ever. The show starts at 7:30 p.m. at the Black Cat, 1811 14th St. NW. $35–$40. —Pat Padua

BLK ODYSSY at the Atlantis on Sept. 6
To residents of the Texas Capital, BLK ODYSSY is an artist to know. That knowledge should be spread outside Austin City limits. Words like “smooth vibes,” “sultry,” and “utterly intoxicating” are used to describe BLK ODYSSY’s sound, which throws a middle finger to genre boxes, dabbling in soul, hip-hop, and indie rock with touches of funk. Catch him touring with his latest album, 1-800-Fantasy. The show starts at 6:30 p.m. at the Atlantis, 2047 9th St. NW. $35. —Sarah Marloff  

Pillow Queens at Songbyrd on Sept. 7

Whenever a band 1) you like rocking to in your headphones 2) that hails from overseas comes stateside, you do your best to make it to the show. Ireland’s Pillow Queens would be great openers for Julien Baker (playing in D.C. on Sept. 27), Waxahatchee (at Wolf Trap on Sept. 6), or (fellow Dubliners) Fontaines DC (at the 9:30 Club on Oct. 18). Perhaps All Things Go can find a slot for this queer indie four-piece on 2025’s lineup. The show starts at 8 p.m. at Songbyrd, 540 Penn St. NE. $18–$20. —Brandon Wetherbee 

Pretty Bitter and Cherub Tree at Pie Shop on Sept. 8
Two of D.C.’s most fun live bands open for Brooklyn’s riot grrrl-inspired alt-rockers Birthday Girl. Pretty Bitter serve dreamy emo synth-pop (and they say this might be their last show for a minute), while Cherub Tree’s bubblegrunge is fueled by punk sensibilities. The show starts at 8 p.m. at Pie Shop, 1339 H St. NE. $12–$15. —Sarah Marloff  

Distrito Music Fest at Songbyrd on Sept. 14

The talent and artistry pulsing through SIE7E, Tres Minutos, Max Rosado, Soroche, and JChris has made these five local Latin American bands grow in recognition in recent years. Each of them are connected by varied influences that stretch beyond the DMV, which makes boxing them into a single genre largely impossible and it doesn’t begin to do justice to the bands’ repertoire. The raw, pulsating spirit that each act delivers with ease only gets stronger with every show, and I can’t wait to see this energy take over Songbyrd at one of the few local festivals highlighting local Latin American artists. The show starts at 3 p.m. at Songbyrd, 540 Penn St. NE. $38.63. —Heidi Perez-Moreno

Joyce Moreno at Blues Alley on Sept. 14 and 15
With chestnuts like the surprise club hit “Aldeia de Ogum,” this singer-guitarist has made some of the catchiest music of MPB, the sometimes jazzy pop music that can run from bossa nova to the more eclectic sounds of Tropicalia. She’ll be in town to play the once-lost ’70s album Natureza, and the extended version of her ebullient signature anthem “Feminina.” Moreno plays at 7 and 9:30 p.m. on both days at Blues Alley, 1073 Wisconsin Ave. NW. $40. —Pat Padua

Kehlani at EagleBank Arena on Sept. 18

Talk about a doubleheader: On Sept. 18, self-described “raging lesbian” singer Kehlani plays EagleBank Arena in Fairfax while queer pop star/celesbian drama magnet Fletcher hits the stage at the Anthem. The Fletcher show is sold out, but tickets are very much still available for Kehlani’s show, perhaps because the artist has been embroiled in personal controversy all summer. Regardless, the queer agenda did not coordinate well on this one. The show starts at 8 p.m. at EagleBank Arena, 4500 Patriot Cir., Fairfax. $35–$129. —Amelia Roth-Dishy

HFStival at Nationals Park on Sept. 21
People of the 1990s, rejoice! I.M.P. is resurrecting the annual D.C. festival formerly run by WHFS in the heyday of alternative rock radio (1990–2006). In homage to HFStival’s roots, this year features Incubus, Bush, Liz Phair (replacing Garbage), Jimmy Eat World, Girl Talk, Violent Femmes, Tonic, Filter, and Lit, headlined by the Postal Service and Death Cab for Cutie (great news for those who missed their dual anniversary tour last September). The festival starts at noon at Nationals Park, 1500 South Capitol St. SE. $150–$250. —Taylor Ruckle

LEIF at the Pocket on Sept. 23
In our Spring Arts Guide we introduced D.C. to the WRIZZARDS, a Filipino multi-genre collective. LEIF, who makes pop infused with alt rock, is part of that collective. The show starts at 7 p.m at the Pocket, 1506 North Capitol St. NW. $15–$20. —Sarah Marloff

Local H at Pearl Street Warehouse on Sept. 23
Touring behind one of their best LPs in Local H’s 30-plus year career, 2004’s Whatever Happened to PJ Soles?, Scott Lucas and Ryan Harding are lifers that fit on nostalgia bills but don’t attempt to relive the glory days. Instead they just provide excellent albums and stellar live shows that incorporate radio-friendly unit-shifters from the ’90s, introspective ballads from the ’00s, oddly effective covers from the ’10s (Lorde?), and screeds of righteous indignation triggered by right-wing politics in the 2020s. The show starts at 8 p.m. at Pearl Street Warehouse, 33 Pearl St. SW. $25–$40. —Brandon Wetherbee 

Bad Moves at the Black Cat on Sept. 27

We would be remiss not to mention the record release show for the local indie quartet recently described in this very paper as the “purveyors of anthemic guitar pop songs for underdogs.” You can also sample Ocelot Brewing’s latest musical beer collab, this time with Bad Moves and dubbed Outta My Head, a “power hop” IPA with bright, bold hops, malted oats, flaked wheat, and a 6.3 percent ABV. Added bonus: Ekko Astral open. The show starts at 8 p.m. at the Black Cat, 1811 14th St. NW. $20. —Sarah Marloff  

Outerloop at Pie Shop on Sept. 27
Not to make choices harder for you, but across town from Bad Moves’ record release show, post-punk band Outerloop are celebrating the release of their EP, which WCP critic Dora Segall says “packs a dense and eclectic array of lyrics and instrumental layers.” The show starts at 8 p.m. at Pie Shop, 1339 H St. NE. $15. —Sarah Marloff  

Adeem the Artist at DC9 on Sept. 29

Country music comes in any color you can find on a pride flag—not just the usual red, white, and blue. Nonbinary Knoxville singer-songwriter Adeem the Artist proved it on their albums Cast Iron Pansexual and White Trash Revelry, and they continue to capture the spectrum on their latest LP. Anniversary is another twangy and boldly political collection of songs that renders the culture of the American South in all its manifold hues, both light and dark. The show starts at 8 p.m. at DC9, 1940 9th St. NW. $20. —Taylor Ruckle 

Crush Fund at Comet Ping Pong on Sept. 29

“Unwanted Attention” makes for an easy two-word summary of the perils of trans visibility in 2024. In the hands of New York City queercore trio Crush Fund, it also makes for a raucous punk shout-along (produced by the incomparable Marissa Paternoster of Screaming Females). Likewise, the title of their latest EP, New Fixation, forecasts your relationship with the band, once you see them live—just be cool about it. The show starts at 9 p.m. at Comet Ping Pong, 5037 Connecticut Ave. NW. $15. —Taylor Ruckle 

Infinity Song at Songbyrd on Oct. 1

Infinity Song, a band of four Detroit siblings, will play Songbyrd fresh off their All Things Go debut a few days earlier on Sept. 29. The up-and-coming R&B band got their big break in 2016 when Jeymes Samuel sent a video of the group busking in Central Park to Jay-Z. They later signed with Jiggaman’s label Roc Nation. The show starts at 8 p.m. at Songbyrd, 540 Penn St. NE. $25. —Serena Zets

Chromeo and the Midnight at the Anthem on Oct. 3

It’s been a decade since the Montreal electro-funk duo Chromeo took the dance music scene by storm with “Jealous (I Ain’t with It),” but Dave and Pee are back with a polished yet still funky sound and tackling fraught subjects like relationships in your 40s. Complementing them is the Midnight, a band whose synth-tinged rock instrumentals hearken back to ’80s power ballads that will have you feeling like an action hero. The show starts at 8 p.m. on Oct. 3 at the Anthem, 901 Wharf St. SW. $45–$75. —Dave Nyczepir

Maxwell at Capital One Arena on Oct. 4

In the mid-’90s, Maxwell led the neo-soul charge with his debut, Urban Hang Suite. Nearly 30 years later, the hang continues. This fall, Maxwell headlines the Serenade Tour, his first in two years following 2022’s sold-out 25-date international arena run. The show starts at 7:30 p.m. on Oct. 4  at Capital One Arena, 601 F St. NW. $69.50–$79.50. —Christina Smart

Marcos Valle at the Howard Theatre on Oct. 5

Marcos Valle was a baby-faced composer when he made his 1964 debut. Since then, he’s written some of the most timeless bossa nova standards such as “Summer Samba” and “Crickets Sing for Anamaria.” Now 80, Valle has never stopped performing and growing, and his 2019 album, Sempre, is among his best. The show starts at 8 p.m. at the Howard Theatre, 620 T St. NW. $35–$50. —Pat Padua

SEB at Songbyrd on Oct. 5

Singles like “seaside_demo” and “last great american summer” might be the breezy mix of acoustics and bongos that got SEB noticed, but his wide-ranging style incorporates elements of P-pop, hip-hop, and proto-funk, among other genres. The show starts at 8 p.m. at Songbyrd, 540 Penn St. NE. $18–$20. —Dave Nyczepir

La Luz at the Atlantis on Oct. 6

Ever wish you lived inside a Quentin Tarantino-esque film about 1970s Los Angeles? This surf noir band should be your soundtrack. The show starts at 7 p.m. at the Atlantis, 2047 9th St. NW. $25. —Brandon Wetherbee 

Mass of the Fermenting Dregs at the Howard Theatre on Oct. 9

This Japanese three-piece is shoegazey and proggy, power poppy and lo-fi bedroom poppy, and more styles of music that make them difficult to categorize in the best possible way. If you’re on the fence about the live show, listen to their recently released live album and you’ll be sold. The show starts at 8 p.m. at Howard Theatre, 620 T St. NW. $20–$40. —Brandon Wetherbee

The Lemon Twigs at the Atlantis on Oct. 10

The easiest way to describe the Lemon Twigs to someone who has never heard their music is the Beatles meet the Beach Boys (or at least that’s how they were described to me before the owner of 48 Record Bar in Philadelphia put on their vinyl Everything Harmony). That’s a rather reductive explanation though, as the D’Addario brothers are two of the most creative, meticulous songwriters in progressive pop right now, which has me hoping their Merseybeat revival catches on. The show starts at 6:30 p.m. at the Atlantis, 2047 9th St. NW. $25. —Dave Nyczepir

Empress Of at Union Stage on Oct. 10

Honduran American singer Empress Of’s latest album, For Your Consideration, is all about dichotomies: English and Spanish, romantic and transactional, throwback pop and experimental dance. She’s comfortable in all of them. The show starts at 8 p.m. at Union Stage, 740 Water St. SW. $25–$40. —Dave Nyczepir

illuminati hotties at the Black Cat on Oct. 19

Sarah Tudzin’s indie-rock project first wormed its way into my ears and heart with their sad and slow cover of Whitney Houston’s “I Wanna Dance With Somebody.” Since then, illuminati hotties have fallen on and off my radar, but their latest album, Power, is an indie bop with staying power. Parts of it are reminiscent of Tegan and Sara’s Heartthrob album—the one where they got polished and started writing dance-esque tracks. But other parts of Power wash over you in a wave with its emotional tracks of stripped-down guitar and Tudzin’s haunting voice. The show starts at 8 p.m. at the Black Cat, 1811 14th St. NW. $20–$25. —Sarah Marloff

Aoife O’Donovan and Bonny Light Horseman at the Kennedy Center on Oct. 22

Continuing along the fall folk road, contemporary troubadour supergroup Bonny Light Horseman are teaming up with singer-songwriter Aoife O’Donovan for a one-night-only performance in the Kennedy Center concert hall, with support from the National Symphony Orchestra. This show is the band’s lone East Coast stop before heading to Europe on a tour supporting their excellent new album, Keep Me on Your Mind/See You Free. The show starts at 8 p.m. at the Kennedy Center, 2700 F St. NW. kennedy-center.org. $29–$79. —Amelia Roth-Dishy

Daphne Eckman at Pearl Street Warehouse on Oct. 24

The quickest way for me to explain why you should check out Daphne Eckman’s “sad girl indie rock” is this: I saw her perform in a forgettable restaurant on Kent Island over a year ago and her gorgeous voice and indie vibe left such an impact I tracked her down on Instagram and have been a fan ever since. The show starts at 8 p.m. at Pearl Street Warehouse, 33 Pearl St. SW. $15–$35. —Sarah Marloff

Hinds at Union Stage on Oct. 26 

This fascinating (and fun) indie pop project by Carlotta Cosials and Ana Perrote started as a duo, became a quartet, and in late 2022, reverted back to a duo. The loss of their drummer and bassist happened in a time of upheaval; Hinds recently split from their label and their management as well. Clearly the Madrid-based band are familiar with traversing change and their newest album, Viva Hinds, out Sept. 6, reflects their recent journey. The show starts at 8 p.m. at Union Stage, 740 Water St. SW. $25. —Serena Zets

Cyndi Lauper at Capital One Arena on Oct. 27

Hard to believe it’s been more than 40 years since Cyndi Lauper knocked the pop world on its ear with the release of her debut album, She’s So Unusual. This is your last chance to see Lauper live, because the girl who just wanted to have fun is retiring from the road. The show starts at 8 p.m. at Capital One Arena, 601 F St. NW. $59.50–$479. —Christina Smart

The Go! Team at the Black Cat on Nov. 3

Sure, this is a nostalgia tour focused on the band’s 2002 debut, Thunder, Lightning, Strike, but when was the last time you listened to “Ladyflash” or “Everyone’s a VIP to Someone”? These are earworms that will still get you moving. The show starts at 7:30 p.m. at the Black Cat, 1811 14th St. NW. $25–$30. —Brandon Wetherbee

NewDad at the Atlantis on Nov. 6

I’ve been waiting with bated breath for this foursome from Northern Ireland to tour the U.S. By far one of my favorite indie bands to emerge in the past few years, NewDad make the kind of sad, gauzy, dream-pop you can get lost in—it’s no wonder NME compared them to the Cure. With its sludgy guitar, their first full-length, Madra, dropped in January and remains one of the best albums of the year. The show starts at 6:30 p.m. at the Atlantis, 2047 9th St. NW. $15. —Sarah Marloff  

FEVER 333 at Union Stage on Nov. 7

The new-look FEVER 333 rounded out their talent with the additions of drummer Thomas Pridgen, who has toured with the Mars Volta and Thundercat, bassist April Kae, whose Instagram cover of Cardi B’s “Up” went viral in 2021, and guitarist Brandon Davis. Expect frontperson Jason Aalon Butler to keep the anti-racist, anti-fascist rapcore band grounded, even as they venture deeper into frenetic protest punk waters with tracks like “$wing.” The show starts at 7:30 p.m. at Union Stage, 740 Water St. SW. $25–$125. —Dave Nyczepir

André 3000 at the Kennedy Center on Nov. 9

André 3000 still raps, including on Killer Mike’s MICHAEL, released in 2023. He’s just not rapping on his own albums. With his solo debut, 2023’s New Blue Sun, André made a jazz album, and traded his vocals for a flute (or several flutes). Now hundreds of thousands of André, OutKast, and hip-hop fans are expanding their sonic horizons. With this show, the rapper-turned-jazz musician will make his Kennedy Center debut. The show starts at 7:30 p.m. at the Kennedy Center, 2700 F St. NW. $90.85–$310. —Brandon Wetherbee

Rare Essence & the Junkyard Band at the Howard Theatre on Nov. 10

Two of D.C.’s most acclaimed go-go bands come together over Veterans Day Weekend to celebrate the 114th Anniversary of the Howard Theatre. The show starts at 10 p.m. at the Howard Theatre, 620 T St. NW. $45–$85. —Sarah Marloff

Ratboys and Palehound at the Atlantis on Nov. 12

If you asked me to build this fall’s most exciting bill from scratch, it wouldn’t take me long to come up with the acts behind two of 2023’s finest albums: The Window by Ratboys and Eye on the Bat by Palehound. With one ticket, you get peak indie alt-country and some of the cleverest singer-songwriter work of recent memory in an intimate setting. It’s no wonder it sold out. The show starts at 6:30 p.m. at the Atlantis, 2047 9th St. NW. Sold out. —Taylor Ruckle

Haley Heynderickx at the 9:30 Club on Nov. 16

The folksy and ever-observant indie darling Haley Heynderickx is in the running for the artist I’ve seen live the most—and for good reason. She puts on a killer show no matter the venue. I’ve seen her perform in a chapel, in front of a dewy, empty field during the noon slot of a music festival, at Miracle Theatre, and the Kennedy Center’s Millennium Stage. Despite how grand (and different) each of these venues were, I don’t think anything will beat seeing her in my favorite D.C. venue this November. The show starts at 6 p.m. at the 9:30 Club, 815 V St. NW. $25. —Serena Zets

Lupe Fiasco at the Howard Theatre on Nov. 16

Stalwart Chicago rapper Lupe Fiasco has already released one of the year’s best hip-hop records. Samurai is clad in choruses hard as armor and wields verses like shining steel blades. With an understated, jazzy aesthetic and a 30-minute run time, it’s the most succinct artistic statement of his 24-year career. Oh, and it’s also a narrative concept album about Amy Winehouse reimagined as a battle rapper. The show starts at 8 p.m. at the Howard Theatre, 620 T St. NW. $45–$85. —Taylor Ruckle

Godspeed You! Black Emperor at the 9:30 Club on Nov. 19

The elders of instrumental post-rock are back with their new album and a tour to support it. As always, their shows promise to be beautiful and utterly hypnotic. The show starts at 7 p.m. at the 9:30 Club, 815 V St. NW. $40. —Alan Zilberman

Sun June at DC9 on Nov. 20

This twangy indie band from Austin made one of the best albums of 2023, and when I saw them last year at this same venue, my “I think this might be love” ratcheted up to “I’m so in love.” If it was possible to wear out a record on Apple Music, I would’ve broken Bad Dream Jaguar with the number of times I flipped it over. The show starts at 8 p.m. at DC9, 1940 9th St. NW. $18–$22. —Sarah Marloff 

Mariah Carey at Capital One Arena on Dec. 1

If you’re a fan of whistle notes (and really, who isn’t?), the self-proclaimed Queen of Christmas, Mariah Carey, will start spreading holiday cheer early in the season with a performance at Capital One on Dec. 1. The show starts at 8 p.m. on Dec. 1 at Capital One Arena, 601 F St. NW. $59.95–$580. —Christina Smart

Micky Dolenz at the Birchmere on Dec. 12

Cheer up, sleepy Jean. The last surviving Monkee, Micky Dolenz, is touring. With Songs & Stories, Dolenz will reminisce and sing about life as a member of the Prefab Four. The show starts at 7:30 p.m. at the Birchmere, 3701 Mount Vernon Ave., Alexandria. $75. —Christina Smart

Check out more of our 2024 Fall Arts Guide here.

Oh He Dead, Ugly

On 2023’s Pretty, D.C.’s alt-soul band Oh He Dead gave us the lighter side of love with tracks full of gleaming pop melodies and lyrics comparing relationship partners to cherry blossoms and honeybees (for real). On their follow-up, Ugly, things are no longer sunshine and lollipops. Actually, they’re downright … ugly. The album, released today, Aug. 23, was written and recorded prior to guitarist and co-founder Andy Valenti’s departure from the band earlier this year. (In an email, the band’s manager stated “In January, Andy moved on from Oh He Dead to pursue other projects.”) On Ugly, the band’s strongest attribute as songwriters is their ability to keep the listener guessing. Much like “Doll,” the opening track on the Foo Fighters’ 1997 album, The Colour and the Shape—aka Dave Grohl’s divorce album—Ugly’s first track, “John Song,” sets the tone lyrically. It’s short but not sweet, with lead singer CJ Johnson’s raspy tone asking “Tell me why?/ Tell me how?/ I let a love/ I let him go so easy.” While the majority of the lyrics on the album deal with the ups and downs of relationships, the soundscape expands exponentially with each track. “Strange Love” puts the listener through their musical paces, starting as an ethereal sunny pop song that quickly transforms into distorted guitars, denser drums, and even a firm tambourine shake enters the mix. On “Moonshine,” the guitars go from Tom Petty-esque to California surf (complete with handclaps) within the first minute and, good lord, there’s even a guitar solo (how old school!). “Is It My Love,” a slow, short groove, wraps up at a mere two minutes, and unfortunately, due to its brevity, lands like an unfinished musical thought. “Every Last Trail,” a contemplative acoustic ballad where Johnson, sounding a bit stalkerish, looks for a lost love, singing “I’ll hike up every last trail/ I won’t stop ’til I find you standing there.” By the time the album wraps with the five-and-a-half minute blues opus “Cover Me,” every emotion associated with heartache has been touched upon. Is it cathartic? Not exactly. But if you’re in the midst of heartbreak, and are looking for some musical companions to assist in your wallowing, Ugly will wrap you like a codependent musical blanket. Oh He Dead play at 7:30 p.m. on Aug. 23 at the Atlantis. theatlantisdc.com. Sold out. —Christina Smart

Fat Vaughn, Road To Riches

Northwest D.C.’s Fat Vaughn uses music to make sense of his own chaotic reality. A seasoned vet of the local rap scene, Vaughn has released more than 25 projects and dozens of singles since his 2016 debut EP, The Journey. His tunnel-vision approach to making and releasing music turned him into one of the most consistent artists in the city. He’s not concerned with landing on a Spotify playlist or trending on TikTok, and fame is a nonfactor. “Struggle, death, and the people I love is what motivates me to keep making music,” he tells City Paper.

On July 4, Fat Vaughn released Road To Riches, a six-track EP that provides a solid introduction into the MC’s reflective and vulnerable music. There’s a continuous theme of embracing the pain that comes with loss, and acknowledging one’s own flaws and shortcomings.

On “Self,” Vaughn mourns friends and family who tragically passed away, rapping, “Thinking bout my dogs and it made me drop a tear/ How the fuck you 6 feet deep/ You was just right here.” His struggle with death is even more prevalent on the closing track, “Stargazing,” where he details coping with the loss of loved ones, and persevering through hardships in their honor. His vulnerability throughout the EP is matched with candid honesty. On “For the Win,” he doesn’t shy away from his drug abuse and involvement in violent street culture. “15s, 30s, and up, I ain’t popping no 10s/ Stainless steel on my hip, nigga don’t wanna get cleansed,” he raps. Although Vaughn mentions living a dangerous lifestyle throughout the EP, he doesn’t glorify it with vulgar exaggerations and outlandish punchlines. His street-related bars are relatively sparse and come across as sincere and realistic.

Fat Vaughn is no stranger to singing, but Road To Riches finds the MC flexing his vocal chops. He sings every hook on the album, switches registers in his verses, and harmonizes his ad libs. The light coat of Auto-Tune on his vocals makes the sentiment in his heartfelt lyrics more palpable, and the project’s spacey and melodic production hammers this home. He’s using hip-hop to process pain, which explains his extensive discography. He’s not rapping for fame or money, he’s doing it to express himself. This attitude is clear throughout Road To Riches, reflecting Vaughn’s dedication to his craft and unrelenting spirit. —Amari Newman

Zen Warship, The Renewal

For Zen Warship’s second studio album, they’ve decided to capitalize on sounds sure to leave listeners bouncing to the infectious beats the band have become known for. But while The Renewal has the upbeat spirit of modern pop, that feel-good energy is only scratching the surface of the band’s musical influences and sounds. The seven-track release features a mix of funk-disco, funk-rock, soul, and ska elements.

The decision to emphasize these sounds on The Renewal, alongside deeper, introspective lyricism, came out of COVID. Zen Warship’s debut album, Anything That Grooves, was written before 2020 and relied on a grittier guitar and jazz-infused sound. While there are hints of these same elements in their newest work, joy is the overwhelming takeaway. Vocalist Preethy Kolinjivadi notes that the feel-good vibe was a result of the eight-piece band coming together again after the pandemic. Their first release was written by a smaller group while The Renewal gave more members songwriting credits and a chance to collaborate. The result has a more classic funk feel with nods to James Brown, funk-rock pioneers Parliament Funkadelic, Jimi Hendrix, and even the type of funk-soul-pop that Stevie Wonder helped to create. But it’s not all throwback beats. The band also credit Jamiroquai, Nile Rodgers, H.E.R., and Dua Lipa as influences. There’s no sophomore slump here. —Heidi Pérez-Moreno

Outerloop, EP 02 

It’s hard to believe that post-punk band Outerloop’s new EP is a mere 15 and a half minutes long. The EP, released on June 21, packs a dense and eclectic array of lyrics and instrumental layers into just six tracks. The wide-ranging release bears testimony to Outerloop’s expansive roots, from straight rock to jazz. EP 02 is Outerloop’s first multi-track release since parting with their old bassist in May 2022 (the band did cover Slant 6’s “Double Edged Knife” on a Dischord-inspired compilation featuring Teen Mortgage, the Dismemberment Plan, and other local groups in January). The subsequent addition of a new drummer, Marty Risemberg, and bassist Erik Sleight spurred the group’s subsequent departure from a consistently heavy rock sound into a more genre-bending direction. Risemberg, like vocalist Taisha Estrada, comes from a primarily jazz background, while Sleight brings sizable electronic experience to the project. The band step outside of their established sound in particular on “Electric Alibi,” a relatively sparse track with minimal rhythm and bass and delicate vocals compared to Estrada’s typical style. This restraint morphs into a sustained, fuzzy guitar drone on Sleight’s subsequent “bass solo.”

Perhaps most striking on EP 02 is Outerloop’s use of English and Spanish to infuse their lyrics with social commentary. On the second track, “Huracán,” they use the two languages to capture a power dynamic within Estrada’s native Puerto Rico; she sings in Spanish from the perspective of residents pushed out of their homes and in English from that of the land-grabbers: “No, I do not feel your pain/ You have 30 days.” While most of EP 02 is a listener-directed call to address issues like sexism and social media surveillance, Estrada also uses Spanish to turn inward. The final track, “Estremecido,” compares leaving a lover to Moses’ birth mother leaving him to float down the Nile River with guilt-laden lyrics like “Te dejé/ Estremecido” (“I left you/ Trembling”). 

Outerloop’s new EP may go in too many directions, but it does so with musical and conceptual integrity. From delightfully unpredictable instrumentals and moments of melodic dissonance to poignant subject matter, the project lays out a promising blueprint for perhaps more cohesive releases to come as the band continue to settle into their new lineup. —Dora Segall

Truth or Dare, “H.S.B.F.” 

If you’re looking for a pop-punk anthem to close out the summer, look no further than Truth or Dare’s debut single, “H.S.B.F.” Released on Aug. 9, the just-shy-of-4-minute track has the pulsing beats, sing-along lyrics, and sassy angst that makes you want to drive fast or dance while screaming the song’s chorus: “And if Virginia is for lovers/ And Maryland’s for fun/ Then D.C.’s for the kids who won’t sit still for anyone.” Truth or Dare is clearly a homegrown act. So is “H.S.B.F.,” which was recorded at 38North Studios in Falls Church, produced by Reese Clutter, who’s worked with D.C. bands Beauty Pill, and Cherub Tree, and mastered by Baltimore’s Mat Leffler–Schulman (Dan Deacon, Jon Batiste, De La Soul). It’s unclear who among these names is responsible for putting some more gloss on the band, whose three-track demo from January has a much fuzzier, granulated DIY sound that’s a little more punk grit than pop polish. 

“H.S.B.F.” stands for high school boyfriend and the song charts the course of teen romance and growing up. None of it’s groundbreaking, but the driving, and sometimes distorted, guitar gives you the thrill you listen to pop-punk for and shouting along with vocalist Tori—especially if you grew up in a small town like I did—feels especially cathartic. This is a track to listen to on your last road trip of the season or even on your headphones as you head out for a late August run. But it will certainly be best experienced live in a small venue where you can dance out your angst. Either way, it’s guaranteed to make you want to move. —Sarah Marloff

Strutman Lane, “Restless Nights”

Summer’s coming to an end and while I’m glad the record-breaking heat is dying down, I’m feeling restless. There’s so much of D.C. summer left to enjoy before Labor Day: outdoor concerts and movies, dips in your local public pool, bike rides, kayaking on the Potomac, sweaty Sunday mornings at the Dupont Circle farmers market, and more. “Restless Nights,” the newest single by pop funk band Strutman Lane, released July 19, is the perfect soundtrack to these last sweet dregs of summer. The band’s accompanying music video pulls back the curtain on the song’s recording and helps you see the funk instrumental arrangement come together. The song’s smart use of piano and saxophone is reminiscent of Stevie Wonder’s iconic “Superstition” and similarly makes you want to dance. —Serena Zet

Listen along to all these new tracks with our Spotify playlist.

Thursday: War and Treaty at the Hamilton

As part of The View’s Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit cast reunion episode that aired in June, War and Treaty singer Tanya Trotter stepped center stage to sing the solo introduction to “Joyful Joyful.” Sixty seconds in, a male voice can be heard enthusiastically shouting from offstage “Go on, girl!” “Yes, that’s my big mouth,” Michael Trotter, co-singer and husband of Tanya, admits sheepishly. “I just could not control myself … There was a second there where I forgot that was my wife.” For Tanya (previously Tanya Blount), who performed in the 1993 movie alongside Whoopi Goldberg, Lauryn Hill (who was not at the reunion), and Sheryl Lee Ralph, it was wonderful to revisit with the people who gave her her first big break. “It was incredible,” says Tanya. “Whoopi has this way of making everybody feel like they’re that 17, 16-year-old kid again … So when I saw her and I saw—I call them my classmates—I immediately started crying because I remembered how it felt to be on that set with everybody.” The visit to The View is the latest in a continuous series of highs for the D.C. duo. This year alone has included Grammy nominations, a performance at the Emmys, another performance on Jimmy Kimmel Live, and touring as the opener for Zach Bryan. The year 2024 did include one awful low though. There was a cotton plant in their dressing room backstage at Austin, Texas’ Sips and Sounds Music Festival. Whoever used the plant as a set dressing was never determined; the duo received an apology from the promoter. Michael views the incident as a teachable moment. “With the temperature of our country and all that we’re going through with the ugliness of politics, I think that, in the spirit of following our current president, we need to tone it down a bit,” he says. “I would add to it—we need to tone it down a lot …What I would’ve loved to have seen is us and the promoter company come together and make a joint statement realizing that ‘Hey, the festival did not intentionally do this to us.’” Michael adds, “Also, letting people know that you can have a grievance and you can voice your grievance and it can be heard and it is not the end-all be-all.” After a brief respite at their home in Nashville, the duo will hit the road again, which includes a stop at the Hamilton on Aug. 22. As if that wasn’t enough for the couple, their biopic should (fingers crossed) start production this fall and a new album should land at the beginning of 2025. “We have a target date,” says Michael. “In good old Mike and Tanya fashion: Valentine’s Day 2025.” The War and Treaty play at 8 p.m. on Aug. 22 at the Hamilton, 600 14th St. NW. thehamiltondc.com. $25. —Christina Smart

Friday: Korchfest at the Black Cat

In about a month, Ben Gibbard will take the stage at Nationals Park for the HSFestival and get quite a workout. First, he’ll perform with his longstanding indie rock band Death Cab for Cutie before toweling off and then return to the stage with his beloved electro-pop side project the Postal Service. An impressive accomplishment by most rock standards until compared with Korchfest at the Black Cat this Friday. Local drumming stalwart Brandon Korch will celebrate his 40th birthday by performing in five bands, a feat of strength most musicians looking to avoid Carpal Tunnel Syndrome wouldn’t dare. While attending to see whether Korch collapses is worth the price of admission alone, the lineup presents a smorgasbord of punk-related genres that includes currently active bands and projects that had since gone dormant. I’m most looking forward to Pilau, whose grind-inflected hardcore is sure to make Korch sweat buckets mid-evening and the resurrection of Gnarly Rae Jepsen, a Carly Rae cover band (which includes WCP alum Matt Cohen) that will end the evening on an e*mo*tional note. Korchfest starts at 7 p.m. on Aug. 23 at the Black Cat, 1811 14th St. NW. blackcatdc.com. $15–$20. —Matt Siblo

Friday and Saturday: Local Theatre Festival at the Kennedy Center 

At its pre-pandemic peak, more than 40 theaters, universities, and playwriting collectives participated in the Kennedy Center’s Page-to-Stage, its free, annual Labor Day weekend festival of new play readings. Nearly every local actor in town who wanted to work over Labor Day weekend could—and the same went for anyone who wanted to see a free show. COVD ended what had been a great 18-year run. While the Kennedy Center’s Local Theatre Festival, the replacement event, which returns for its second year on Friday and Saturday, doesn’t offer the array of readings from heavy-hitter playwrights and theaters like Page-to-Stage did, it’s a step in the right direction, and at least tickets are still free. The 2024 Local Theatre Festival includes two panels, seven workshops, and 11 readings, which are mostly spearheaded by local emerging playwrights. The main draw is likely to be Friday night’s conversation between Peter Marks, the former longtime Washington Post theater critic who accepted a buyout from the paper in December, and Naveen Kumar, the New York-based freelancer for Variety recently tapped to replace him at our paper of record. Promising writer-generated readings include This Play Is Not About Brian, a semi-biographical show by Nikki Mirza, a multi-hyphenate artist wrapping up a star turn as Cynthia Weil in Olney Theatre Center’s production of Beautiful. Of the readings organized by local troupes, Spooky Action’s new musical adaptation of Mikhail Bulgakov’s novel The Master and Margarita sounds the most intriguing. It’ll probably be weird, but in a good way. Teen theater geeks may be good candidates to enjoy the festival’s workshops, which will cover everything from set design to commedia dell’arte. The second annual Local Theatre Festival runs Aug. 23 and 24 at the Kennedy Center. 2700 F St. NW. kennedy-center.org. Free. —Rebecca Ritzel

Saturday: All Time Low at Merriweather Post Pavilion

Like all baby bands when they first start out, All Time Low would play any venue that would have them: VFW halls, churches, small bars—you name it. And like most baby bands, those early shows for the Towson, Maryland, band would typically have a sparse turnout. “I think the show [when] we played at Sidebar … I think we probably played for 14 people,” lead singer Alex Gaskarth tells City Paper. “There can’t have been over 20 people there. There were some really small ones but nobody knew who we were.” All Time Low don’t have issues with people not knowing who they are anymore. Twenty-one years into their career, the pop-punk quartet have released nine studio albums and their music has streamed more than 4 billion times worldwide. They also reached peak rock star status when they launched their own wine brand Everything is Wine. Not bad for a band that formed while attending Dulaney High School. Now, in celebration of their more than two decades career, the band are performing a series of shows that include playing a small club followed by a larger venue a few nights later. For Gaskarth, it’s a great opportunity for the band to get back to their roots. “We’ve been having a blast doing these kinds of clusters, these weekends of shows,” he says. “Those are the rooms that we grew up playing. I think our band really connects in those kinds of rooms and it’s really fun for us to actually be able to put on a show like that. Nothing beats that kind of energy.” Though the local small show, scheduled for August 22 at the Atlantis, is already sold out, you can still see the local band in another D.C./Baltimore suburb, not unlike their hometown. All Time Low play at 7 p.m. on Aug. 24 at Merriweather Post Pavilion, 10475 Little Patuxent Pkwy., Columbia. merriweathermusic.com. $45–$75. —Christina Smart

Saturday: Washington Salsa Festival at Eaglebank Arena

Reggaeton, bachata, and Regional Mexican music may be the biggest Latin music genres these days but salsa will forever be popular, and the Washington Salsa Festival will feature a who’s who of veteran greats from the percussion and horn-filled dance music. Salsa has managed to stay timeless for decades thanks to its combination of tuneful vocals and energetic instrumentation. The old-school stars on Saturday’s bill include the South Bronx-raised singer and trombonist Willie Colon. His raw-rhythmed 1970s solo albums and collaborative efforts with vocalists Hector Lavoe and Ruben Blades are still considered classics today. Puerto Rico’s El Gran Combo have changed members over the years since their 1962 beginning. Still, this well-rehearsed, charismatic outfit always offer three vocalists who cleverly alternate call-and-response and harmony while dancing—propelled by the group’s keyboard, drums, and bass-led musical background. Puerto Rican singer La India has sung house music and pop over the years, but her strong-voiced ’90s salsa efforts are what many still treasure the most from her catalog. The event’s lengthy bill also includes Tito Nieves, Rey Ruiz, Frankie Negron, and Los Adolescentes. Expect to see couples dancing in the aisles all night long. Washington Salsa Festival starts at 8 p.m. on Aug. 24 at Eaglebank Arena, 4500 Patriot Cir., Fairfax. eaglebankarena.com. $39–$350. —Steve Kiviat

Ongoing: Frank Lloyd Wright’s Southwestern Pennsylvania at the National Building Museum

The central tension of the exhibit Frank Lloyd Wright’s Southwestern Pennsylvania at the National Building Museum is between the famed architect’s “realized” and “unrealized” projects. The “realized” projects—notably the Fallingwater residence—are justly celebrated. The “unrealized” ones? They’re more of a mixed bag. To the exhibit’s credit, it communicates Wright’s vision through more than just standard architectural drawings and scale models; it has partnered with Skyline Ink Animators + Illustrators to produce high-quality digital animations that capture both exterior and interior views of Wright’s unbuilt designs. Some of these animations are simply lovely. One shows a farm cottage blanketed with swirling snow and chimney smoke; another depicts a small Rhododendron Chapel with a fireplace full of quietly licking flames; another shows a never-built addition to Fallingwater with an unexpectedly castle-like roof that features a succession of small dentiles. More mundane is Wright’s circular-ramp design for a 1,100-space vehicular garage in downtown Pittsburgh; it was never constructed, but it eventually came to fruition more than a decade later for the infinitely classier purpose of housing New York’s Guggenheim Museum. The big swing-and-miss from Wright, however, was a proposed, multi-use civic center on Pittsburgh’s “Point,” where the Allegheny and Monongahela rivers meet to form the Ohio River. In Wright’s vision, this triangular focal point for the city, a geographic and historical treasure, would have been overrun by a web of circle-and-spoke structures. Thankfully, the city went a different direction and built the simple, untrammeled greenery of Point State Park, which remains a civic treasure to this day. Frank Lloyd Wright’s Southwestern Pennsylvania runs through March 17, 2025, at the National Building Museum, 401 F St. NW. Thursday through Monday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. nbm.org. $7–$10.—Louis Jacobson

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Thursday: Missy Elliott’s Out of This World Tour at Capital One Arena

It’s not often that an artist’s first headlining tour happens nearly 30 years after their debut album. But when that artist is Missy Elliott, one of the most original, innovative hip-hop artists ever, one can forgive her for taking her time getting to the road (she was too busy hitting people with the hee). The announcement of Elliott’s Out of This World tour, which will hit Capital One Arena on Aug. 8, was exciting enough. The fact that she’s performing with Timbaland, Busta Rhymes, and Ciara is enough to make Gen X squeal while running to find their shell toe Adidas and tracksuits. “I think it was divine intervention,” Timbaland, rapper and Elliott’s producing partner, tells City Paper of the tour coming together. “Everybody was ready to go on the road together. That’s what I believe. It was an idea that was maybe brought to Missy and Missy agreed … and good thing she agreed because she brought magic together.” While Elliott has performed at festivals in the past few years and had a guest spot during Katy Perry’s Super Bowl performance in 2015, her more recent public appearances have centered around accolades—including receiving an honorary doctorate from the Berklee School of Music and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. According to Timbaland, the tour is “a celebration of all our music throughout 30 years of what we’ve given to the game. It’s like giving back to the fans.” Both Elliott and Timbaland, who met in high school, hail from Norfolk, Virginia, and consider D.C. a hometown show. “It’s the DMV,” says Timbaland. “It’s definitely hometown. Everything about the DMV is hometown.” Missy Elliott with special guest Timbaland, Ciara, and Busta Rhymes play at 7 p.m. on Aug. 8 at Capital One Arena, 601 F St. NW. capitalonearena.com $59.50–$895. —Christina Smart

Friday: Sad Summer Festival at Merriweather 

You can see a pattern of seasonality in rock music. Winter is for metal or goth—all that leather gets pretty warm—while fall is more for singer-songwriter fare or gentle Midwest emo like American Football. With the days getting warmer and wedding season going into full effect, spring is for danceable music, whether it’s LCD Soundsystem or the Faint. But summer has always been about pop punk. Teenagers, or maybe the young at heart, are the target audience for music defined by fast beats, faster hooks, and short attention spans. Nothing beats driving around in the suburbs on languid, warm summer nights while you listen to another snotty vocalist scream about how they cannot wait to escape the mediocre suburb they’re stuck in. What better way to relive that precise feeling than Sad Summer Festival, a one-day pop punk showcase in Columbia? The planned community is arguably the apotheosis of the suburb, so bands like the Wonder Years and Mayday Parade will fit right into that feeling of angst that no afternoon at the pool or beach can solve. Other highlights include We the Kings, a band whose tune “Check Yes, Juliet” sounds like it was created in a lab for young fans to shake their fist toward the sky while holding back tears. Many years ago, I was once a teenage pop-punk fan in Columbia, or the “Columbubble” as it was widely known, and this lineup instantly transported me back to a period where teenage angst got in the way of what should have been the most carefree period of my life. Or maybe it was? Either way, all that’s missing is a trip to Double T diner after the mandatory noise curfew cuts off the music. Sad Summer Festival starts at 2 p.m. on  Aug. 9 at the Chrysalis at Merriweather Park, 10431 Little Patuxent Pkwy., Columbia. sadsummerfest.com. $72. —Alan Zilberman

Saturday: Claire’s Camera at National Gallery of Art

Prolific director Hong Sangsoo seems to release movies on a schedule almost as frequent as the 42 bus. This month the National Gallery of Art provides local moviegoers with a seasonal sample that just touches the surface of his sprawling work, and Saturday’s program focuses on two of Sangsoo’s films made with the great Isabelle Huppert. One of Sangsoo’s more lighthearted films, the 2017 (mostly) comedy Claire’s Camera is nevertheless fueled by all sorts of meta-tensions. Huppert stars as the eponymous photographer, a teacher/poet visiting Cannes. Claire meets Manhee (Kim Minhee), a sales rep for a film production company who has been unceremoniously fired for unspecified reasons. However, she’s been sleeping with the director, who was involved with Manhee’s boss—both of whom Claire happens to run into on the same day. What makes this romantic entanglement so intriguing is that Min-hee, a frequent Sangsoo collaborator, was herself in the throes of a fraught affair with the married director. With such behind-the-scenes drama at play, the film before us is deceptively breezy, yet Sangsoo injects the easygoing plot with strange touches: In one close up of Claire walking with the amorous director, her heavy heels seem a meaningful contrast to the director’s casual shoes. Claire’s Camera was reportedly churned out in a few days while Huppert was in Cannes promoting the film Elle. Min-hee has explained that Sangsoo would write the script the morning of the shoot, and the crew and actors would scramble to get everything in place. But despite or because of its off-the-cuff origins, the film plays out like a spontaneous outpouring of creative energy. It lasts just 68 minutes, and in terms of surface narrative, not a lot happens, but Sangsoo lets us in on the layers of meaning that bubble under even the most seemingly ordinary encounters. The double feature opens with Sangsoo’s 2012 film, In Another Country, which stars Huppert as three different women. In Another Country and Claire’s Camera screen at 2 p.m. on Aug. 10 at the National Gallery of Art East Building, 4th Street and Constitution Avenue NW. nga.gov. Free, registration required. —Pat Padua

Saturday, Sunday, Wednesday: Godzilla Vs. Hedorah at AFI Silver

What if Godzilla was the heroic beast in an ecologically conscious psychedelic musical? That’s the improbable conceit behind this wild 1971 science fiction thriller that was the first and only Godzilla movie directed by Yoshimitsu Banno. Originally titled Godzilla vs. The Smog Monster for American audiences, this film offers a new kind of scaly villain, one who feeds on garbage and huffs smokestacks. The screaming, smoggy carnage creeps in on ginormous smog feet when Marine biologist Dr. Yano (Akira Yamanouchi) and his son witness a horrifying sea mutant that thrives on pollution—and, worse, makes a heavy metal mockery of the stages of insect life by morphing into different horrifying forms, from yeasty mega-walrus to a sleek flying craft emitting poison gas that leaves everyone in its wake dying an excruciating death. It’s a bleak outlook for humanity, but the apocalypse is leavened by Banno’s fertile avant-garde imagination. While Godzilla movies often lose steam when humans dominate the screen, here the human spectacle keeps up with the monster magic in vivid psychedelic dance sequences, from an underground rock club threatened by Hedorah’s primordial ooze to a protest party on Mount Fuji used to lure the ozone-destroying shape-shifter into a climactic battle with Godzilla. Director Banno got his start as a stage actor, and worked as an assistant to Akira Kurosawa on films such as Throne of Blood and The Bad Sleep Well. Godzilla vs. Hedorah reinvigorated a series that had gotten stodgy—the last thing you can say about this movie, which not only features rock music but hallucinatory animated interludes and one sequence that starts as a mere split screen and divides into a dizzying multicellular picture of a world in crisis. Naturally, Banno didn’t get to make another Godzilla movie. Godzilla vs. Hedorah screens at 9:40 p.m. on Aug. 10, 9:15 p.m. on Aug. 11, and 9:15 p.m. on Aug. 14 at AFI Silver, 8633 Colesville Rd., Silver Spring. silver.afi.com. $13. —Pat Padua

Wednesday: The Courettes at Pie Shop

At the middle of their worldwide tour, the Courettes, a rock band marked by the infectious doo-wop harmonies of the Ronnetes and the manic tempo of the Ramones, will make a stop in D.C. this week. The duo, made up of Brazilian vocalist and guitarist Flavia Couri and Denmark drummer Martin Couri, have already made a name for themselves across Europe following the release of their first album, Here Are the Courettes, in 2015. They’ve since played at Eurosonic in Holland and punk festivals in Germany, and headed back to Denmark for the Copenhagen Psych Fest. Now they’re looking to leave a mark in the U.S. The duo and couple have released three full studio albums (not including 2022’s B-sides and outtakes from their 2021 release Back in Mono). In 2020 they signed with the legendary British label Damaged Goods Records, where they share a home with seminal English punk band Buzzcocks and Australian punks Amyl and the Sniffers. Much of the Courettes’ music draws from the garage rock and girl group sounds from the ’60s and ’70s giving their sound a glimmer of nostalgia. Pie Shop has paired the Brazilian/Danish band well, billing them with D.C.’s own Cinema Hearts. Caroline Weinroth’s project blends a pageantry, dark doo-wop, and punk for a deeply alluring sound. The Courettes with openers Cinema Hearts play at 7:30 p.m on Aug. 14 at Pie Shop, 1339 H St. NE. pieshopdc.com. $12. —Heidi Perez-Moreno

Opens Friday: Maurice James Jr.’s New Negro at Art of Noize

Graphic artist Maurice James Jr. is reimagining Black history through art. Although his career only started in 2021, he’s become quite prolific during those three years. By March of 2023, he was displaying his work at three overlapping exhibits, and this year he was the first artist to be featured in Homme Gallery’s new location inside Union Station; he even did a show earlier this month in Oakland, California. Much of James’ previous work has focused on imagining a Black utopia by portraying Black people in mediums they’ve been excluded from in the past—from comic book covers and movie posters to old-time propaganda. Now James plans to build on his earlier themes in his third showing at Petworth gallery Art of Noize. The New Negro: Manifest Destiny focuses on the architecture of James’ Black Utopia. The idea behind this exhibit came from his observation that, though Black architects have been recognized for their work in the past, they weren’t “necessarily building anything that added to the efforts of Black liberation.” By pairing figures from the Harlem Renaissance and portraits drawn by Winold Reiss with architectural designs, James says the exhibit shows what “true Reconstruction” would’ve meant to Black people after slavery. One such piece that captures this vision is a depiction of educator Elise Johnson McDougald with a sketching of a building meant to be the imaginary “Department of Negro Education.” James’ art is a blend of history and imagination that he describes as “AfroFuturism from the 1920s,” and a blueprint of Pan-African and Black Nationalist ideas woven into society. New Negro: Manifest Destiny opens on July 26 with an opening presentation from 6 to 10 p.m. The exhibit runs through Aug. 31 at Art of Noize, 821 Upshur St. NW. artofnoizedmv.com. Free. —Dorvall Bedford

Friday: The Pointer Sisters at MGM National Harbor

When Beyoncé released Cowboy Carter earlier this year, much fuss was made about a Black woman singing country music. But anyone with the slightest knowledge of popular music would know that R&B singers have delved into country long before Beyoncé with great success. Most notably, the Pointer Sisters, who won the Grammy for Best Country Vocal Performance by a Duo or Group for their 1974 song “Fairytales,” and were nominated in the same category the following year for “Live Your Life Before You Die.” The Pointer Sisters were so busy in their career at the time they failed to realize they had reached a milestone. “I was in shock when they said, ‘You won a Grammy,’” says Ruth Pointer. “We were like ‘For what?! We were on the road and we didn’t even go to the ceremony.” This marked the start of an extensive run of hits and accolades for the group who will be performing alongside the Commodores and the Spinners at MGM National Harbor on Friday (though her sisters, Anita, June, and Bonnie—who left the group to go solo in 1977—have passed, Ruth continues performing with her daughter Issa Pointer and granddaughter Sadako Pointer). Contrary to the belief that girl groups don’t write their own songs, the Pointer Sisters wrote several of their hits throughout their career including “Fairytales” and “I’m So Excited.” Not that producers in the industry thought these songs should automatically be included on their albums. “I remember my sister Anita fighting to get songs that she wrote, that she and me and June wrote together, on the album,” says Ruth. “Even ‘I’m So Excited’ was on the album before Break Out and it just kind of went unnoticed. Anita fought and said, ‘No! We’ve got to rerelease this song. I know it’s a hit and I’m insisting,’ and she got it back on there.” (Rereleased as part of the 1984 pressing of Break Out, “I’m So Excited,” along with the hits “Automatic,” “Neutron Dance,” and “Jump (For My Love),” helped the album go triple-platinum). And while the Pointer Sisters will perform hit after hit at their show at MGM, Ruth is most looking forward to seeing the other acts perform. “I’m a fan of all of those guys,” she says. “I’ll probably run out there and watch them before we go on.” The Pointer Sisters play at 7:30 p.m. on July 26 at MGM National Harbor, 101 MGM National Ave., Oxon Hill. mgmnationalharbor.mgmresorts.com $93.37–$235.70. —Christina Smart

Friday: Previous Industries at Songbyrd

Does Open Mike Eagle belong in the best albums about divorce? While Marvin Gaye’s Here, My Dear and Frank Sinatra’s In the Wee Small Hours pack an emotional punch both sonically and lyrically, they’re not exactly fun. Bob Dylan’s Blood on the Tracks is a bit more relatable with songs like “Tangled Up in Blue” and “Idiot Wind,” but it’s a little much sometimes—how do you top Dylan? Richard and Linda Thompson’s Shoot Out the Lights was the best of the best of the breakup records—not too heavy, a classic on par with Blood on the Tracks without the weight of Dylan. But it may now be the second best divorce album. Open Mike Eagle’s 2020 opus Anime, Trauma and Divorce is the best entry in his catalog, though it’s not the most streamed. I get it. Who wants to listen to a concept album about the end of a marriage when you can listen to more universal songs about social anxiety? If you’re not 100 percent comfortable in your relationship status, it is a good idea to stay the hell away from songs like “The Black Mirror Episode.” But if you’re not afraid of Netflix and not-at-all-chilling with your significant other, it’s the best breakup song of the decade. It’s heavy, obviously, but it’s also fun. It is possible to see the humor at the end of the road! Open Mike Eagle is not touring behind a 2020 record. This appearance is part of the new Previous Industries, a project featuring Mike and two fellow former Chicagoans/current Los Angelenos: Video Dave and Still Rift. If you like Mike’s solo stuff, this new trio’s work is in the same wheelhouse. Video Dave is on the aforementioned Anime, Trauma and Divorce and all three musicians are on the excellent 2022 single “Circuit City” and 2023 single “WFLD 32.” Previous Industries play at 8 p.m. on July 26 at Songbyrd, 540 Penn St. NE. songbyrddc.com $20–$22. —Brandon Wetherbee

Wednesday: Joan Baez at Sixth & I

Iconic folk musician and activist Joan Baez has added a new title to her illustrious resume: poet. While she played her final concert in 2019, she’ll hit the Sixth & I Stage Wednesday as an author to discuss her recently released debut book of poetry, When You See My Mother, Ask Her to Dance. Despite decades of making her voice heard on some of the world’s biggest stages (the March on Washington, Kennedy Center Honors, Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction, and the inaugural Newport Folk Festival, just to name a few), the book marks the first time Baez has publicly shared her poetry with the world. Baez told Vanity Fair earlier this year that her creativity “just exploded as soon as I quit touring.” The autobiographical poems vulnerably reflect on critical moments, people, and places from her long and impactful life in the public eye. Baez will be joined in conversation by NPR’s Ari Shapiro. The conversation with Joan Baez starts at 7 p.m. on July 31 at Sixth & I, 600 I St. NW. sixthandi.org. $12–$45. —Serena Zets 

Wednesday: Plena Libre at Strathmore’s Gudelsky Gazebo

You don’t have to be familiar with the folkloric origins of plena, a Puerto Rican musical genre, or even speak Spanish to appreciate the rhythms and fast-tempoed flow of the Grammy-nominated band Plena Libre. Formed in 1994, the Puerto Rico-based group have modernized the way plena is sung and combined their take with the barrel-shaped conga drums of bomba with touches of salsa and jazz via horns, bass, and a keyboard. Plena Libre were founded by bassist Gary Núñez, who died of cancer in 2023. Under Nunez, Plena Libre released 15 albums and brought their lively sound to concert stages around the world. Now his son LuisGa Núñez has assumed his late father’s role as bassist and bandleader. While the unit’s music has always been rooted in traditional Puerto Rican folk styles, that doesn’t mean it’s sedate. Live, some of the frontline vocalists, who also hit handheld drums or maracas, do choreographed dance moves, and harmonize behind a lead vocalist while the horn section expertly comes in and out with riffs, and the bomba and timbales drummer pound away. There’s a lot going on, but it’s well coordinated and not atonal. Audience members can both admire the musicians chops and dance. Plena Libre play at 7:30 p.m. on July 31 at Strathmore’s Gudelsky Gazebo, 10701 Rockville Pk., Rockville. strathmore.org. Free. —Steve Kiviat

Wednesday: Reyna Tropical at Songbyrd

If you combine the Spanish words for “bad” and “happy,” you get a portmanteau that rolls off the tongue: malegría. Over two decades ago, Manu Chao used the word to name a song on his seminal 1998 album, Clandestino. This year, it serves as the title of an entire album: the debut from Reyna Tropical. In one of the many interludes sprinkled throughout Malegría, Reyna Tropical co-founder Nectali “Sumohair” Díaz says the duo’s music seeks to encapsulate that bad-happy feeling. “Being able to dance it off, it’s very important,” he once said. “When constructing a track, I think about, like, how can people move, even though the song is not the happiest song in terms of lyrics?” That question took on heightened meaning for Fabi Reyna, the other founder of Reyna Tropical, following Díaz’s tragic death in an e-scooter accident in downtown Los Angeles in 2022. “For several months I didn’t know how to perform on stage without him, or how to write music without him,” she told Rolling Stone last year. “It left me with the question of, ‘How is this going to continue? Is this fair, is this what he wants?’ But the answer was always a resounding yes.” Although he’s gone, Reyna invoked Díaz all over Malegría—in intimate interludes made of old voice memos, in lyrics tinged with grief and depression, and in its bittersweet, malegría spirit. Despite its inherent heaviness, Reyna Tropical’s stellar debut album overflows with joyful, tropical rhythms that will make you want to dance. Reyna, now a solo project, weaves together sounds from Mexico, Colombia, Peru, Puerto Rico, and other cultures in Latin America, with special attention and reverence paid to Afro-Latine and Indigenous traditions. The result is an expertly crafted statement about creative partnership and diasporic living that doesn’t shy away from the ugly (say, colorism within the Latine community, or the harmful effects of ecotourism), but also staunchly celebrates the beautiful. Reyna’s soft, enchanting voice swings between sophisticated lyrics and simple mantras, giving certain songs an almost prayer-like effect—if prayers were something you sprung up and swayed your hips to. Reyna Tropical plays at 8 p.m. on July 31 at Songbyrd, 540 Penn St. NE. songbyrddc.com. $15–$22.—Ella Feldman

Pinky Lemon, Pinky Hell

Pinky Lemon’s Pinky Hell is over long before you can get tired of that much pink. The six-song EP, which came out June 27, avoids what most every shoegaze and shoegaze-adjacent band does by wrapping things up quickly. Every track is under 4 minutes, 35 seconds long, most songs are near the 3-minute mark, and each has the potential to be twice as long. The “long” song on the record is actually two songs that share a track. There’s no fat on Pinky Hell, which is impressive considering who this five-piece may be inspired by. There are major Beach House vibes with some “Minerva”-era Deftones sprinkled in for good guitar measure. “I MIL” has a lot in common with acts like Tanukichan and SASAMI—both of whom would pair well with Pinky Lemon on a shared bill. But we’re not in My Bloody Valentine-inspired territory—it’s more reminiscent of Gish-era Smashing Pumpkins. (There are also some jungle and drum and bass-inspired interludes that break up the shoegaze.) All of those aforementioned acts like to play it loud and long. Pinky Lemon have nailed the ethos of the genre without getting into the more flights of fancy. This very quick EP does not sound like the past, instead it sounds like a group of musicians who spent a lot of time thinking about how to manipulate drums, guitar, and vocals into something wholly their own.  Pinky Lemon’s 2022 self-titled LP highlighted some of the better aspects of the band. This EP delivers on those aspects. It’ll be great to hear what they do on their next full-length. Pinky Lemon open for Silver Spring act Eyefish Ink at 7:30 p.m. on Aug. 30 at Songbyrd. $15–$18. —Brandon Wetherbee 

Bed Maker, Bed Maker

Formed in 2019, Bed Maker are the perfect example of what can happen when elements of various D.C. bands come together to form their own powerhouse project. Bassist Arthur Noll and drummer Vin Novara (both from Alarms & Controls), guitarist Jeff Barsky (Insect Factory, Time Is Fire), and lead singer Amanda MacKaye (Desiderata, Routineers) began laying the groundwork for their eponymous debut album before the pandemic. Recorded at Inner Ear Studios and released May 31 via Dischord Records, Bed Maker is quintessential D.C. punk: zero frills and straight to the point. MacKaye recently described the process to the One Life One Chance Podcast with Toby Morse as “very 1987.” In the opening track, “Two Left Feet,” MacKaye calls for a “rally cry” that’s “sure to kick your teeth in.” (Pass me my Docs.) This rally cry and album is as much a wake-up call to young’uns testing out their punk legs as it is a reminder to older punks who may have lost their way. “If you think about people who follow the societal path that has been documented in countless punk songs,” MacKaye told Morse. “Graduate from college. Get married to somebody. Have two kids. Get a house. Then you turn 60 and you retire and then you slow down cause that’s what society says … Fuck a bunch of that noise.” MacKaye’s raw, unadulterated delivery contains all the passion and rage of a 1980s D.C. punk who happens to be dealing with life in 2024. “Fool’s Errand” finds MacKaye lamenting the busyness of life with “And all these fucking hours/ I can’t find what’s mine/ As long as I’m awake I never have the time.” Preach, sister. The trio of Noll, Novara, and Barsky lay down far more than your standard three-chords-and-a-dream fare throughout the album as MacKaye’s vocals tear all of the songs’ lyrics to shreds. While the 32-minute run time of their debut is short, it’s hardly sweet and instead packs a much-needed wallop that is much more than a bunch of noise. Bed Maker play with Kid Congo Powers at 8 p.m. on Aug. 8 at the Black Cat. $20. —Christina Smart 

Pretty Bitter and Flowerbomb, Take Me Out

Back in February, two of D.C.’s most prolific bands joined forces in Chicago. The result is Take Me Out, a split EP from Pretty Bitter and Flowerbomb that drops on Aug. 1. The five-track EP—two songs from Pretty Bitter, two from Flowerbomb, and the collaborative title track—swings from indie rock to dream pop in an enjoyable and jive-able package. Pretty Bitter’s “Never Better” opens the split with the band’s shiny pop sensibilities. Em Bleker’s singsongy meets spoken-word vocals drive the track alongside a danceable drumbeat from Jason Hayes. The song contemplates moving on from a breakup with a sing-along chorus: “Baby, I needed more/ It’s not either of our faults,” and an equally catchy refrain, “If I saw you on the street/ I’d give you directions/ It’s no difference to me.” The Flowerbomb track “Nothing To Do With Me” follows, pulling the EP closer to a more cut-and-dried indie rock sound with its fuzzy, driving guitar riffs more suited for head-banging than bopping around the dance floor. Rachel Kline’s vocals channel the women of ’90s alt rock—throaty and powerful, brimming with attitude reminiscent of Alanis Morissette or Shirley Manson. As you might expect, the third song, “youbuiltafinelife,” comes from Pretty Bitter, the fourth, “I Always Knew,” from Flowerbomb. The sounds of the two bands blend best on these tracks, melding their shared genres from heart-on-sleeve emo to lush dream pop. The closing collaborative track, “Take  Me Out,” centers Pretty Bitter’s upbeat pop, but the recurring guitar riff gives the song an unexpected—and very appealing—twang that’s everything I didn’t know I wanted. Flowerbomb and Pretty Bitter fit so well together, it’s near impossible to tell which band member is contributing what. Bits and pieces of tracks carry some of that unpolished DIY feel—there’s a little too much ’90s video game-esque synth in “I Always Knew,” but then it finds its footing when the guitar and drums power into the song just over the minute mark; the funky bass line in “youbuiltafinelife” sometimes feels mismatched with Bleker’s truly hypnotic voice and the darker undertones filling the second half of the song. Still, taken as a whole, Take Me Out demonstrates the type of growth in songwriting and finished product that only comes from years working together as a band. On first listen, Take Me Out is a fun summer release, but keep it on repeat and you’ll get lost in the music as the songs get stuck in your head. And that’s OK, they’re worthy of staying there. Pretty Bitter and Flowerbomb’s EP release show starts at 8 p.m on Aug. 9 at the Black Cat. $20. —Sarah Marloff

Juliet Lloyd, “Sorry Now” 

Gaithersburg singer-songwriter Juliet Lloyd’s second single, “Sorry Now,” from her forthcoming album, is an introspective take on the aftermath of her divorce. With a blend of folk and pop elements, the song delves into moments of vulnerability and self-examination following the dissolution of her marriage. The house has already been emptied, the belongings divided, the boxes moved into two distinct homes, and our singer is just coming to a larger epiphany. “You were one of the good ones,” she laments, and then she does the grown-up thing and apologizes for past hurts and mistakes: “I wasn’t sorry then, but I’m sorry now.” In the first two verses, as Lloyd catalogs the broken household goods shoved into boxes, the divvying up of knife sets, photo frames, and mattresses, an inventory of the relationship outlines the emotional baggage of starting over. The production of the song, helmed by Todd Wright—who also plays bass, guitars, and synths—adds layers with lush strings, courtesy of David Henry, Steve Quintilian’s plaintive guitar, and Lloyd’s airy vocals. Following “Pretty,” the first single—a cautionary fairy tale about falling for a dashing villain—Lloyd’s evocative storytelling and raw honesty makes “Sorry Now,” released June 7, a captivating preview of Carnival, which will be released this fall. As a seasoned artist on the mid-Atlantic folk scene, the multiple Wammie nominee will be touring extensively in the area with upcoming shows listed on her website. “Sorry Now” is available on all streaming platforms. Lloyd and her band play the Montgomery County Parks Summer Concert Series at 6 p.m. on July 25 at Cabin John Regional Park; and the Bethesda Summer Concert Series at 6 p.m. on July 26 at the corner of Norfolk & St. Elmo Avenues in Bethesda. julietlloyd.com. —Colleen Kennedy 

Cuni, “Misato” 

Cuni, a tight four-piece that pulls from every electric guitar-based wave of emotional music, wave their emo flag proudly. They should. The band describe “Misasto,” the first single from their forthcoming LP, Prescribed Burn, out mid-September, as their “attempt to make an anime OST, the kind of song you’d see in the background of an early 2000s AMV, channeling equal parts of emo, American post-hardcore, and J-rock.” It’s not a bad description. The early 2000s sound is there with a bit of Taking Back Sunday meets Coheed and Cambria guitar play throughout the nearly four-minute jam. There’s some slightly older emo bleeding through too, with an instrumental line that feels like a nod to Sunny Day Real Estate. For better or worse, this should please fans of Brand New without any of the emotional baggage of listening to Brand New. This first taste from their upcoming record shows growth from earlier singles. The musicianship is tighter and the songwriting is more adventurous. There’s nothing wrong with their earlier stuff, especially 2023’s single “didymus,” but “Misato,” released on June 28, sounds more mature, even if the lyrical content is revisiting the same types of subjects (in 2023 it was about hanging by a noose, in 2024 it’s about drinking gasoline, different sounds, same end result). Jared Cunanan (vocals and rhythm guitar), Lucas Kirby (drums), Aaron Millison (lead guitar), and Franklin Parada (bass) have tightened their act and expanded their sound. Cuni play in Baltimore at 8 p.m. on Aug. 15 at the Undercroft. —Brandon Wetherbee 

Other recent releases on our radar: 

On June 13, the aforementioned Flowerbomb released the follow-up to their January EP, Gloom Scroll, Vol 1, with Vol. 2. 

On June 21, postpunk band Outerloop dropped EP 02.