As someone who is relatively out of the loop with the Ska scene, I was delightfully surprised by how much life the genre still has. From the leather clad OG fans to the families with kids running around, this annual holiday concert felt different to any show I’d ever been to before. As the show was setting up at 9:30 Club, you’d randomly hear squeals of joy, only to look and see a group of people hugging and catching up. It became clear as the acts came on that those were caused by several band members who were roaming around the entirety of the show.
And so it was that The Pietasters, the legendary ska-punk collective, led a merry march through a night of stompin’ good music that included openers The Upstarters, The Players Band, and The Loving Paupers.
At 9:30 Club on Dec. 27, the Upstarters got the show started with some of the best vocals of the night. I had not done any research on the bands, but I knew if the first of four on the artist list had that much talent, I was in for a good night.
They were followed by The Players Band, who filled the stage with so many talented artists. Nearly halfway through their set I realized that as they were changing singers, they were also swapping instruments, showing how deep and multifaceted nearly all their members are. The obvious highlight of their performance was the horn section; however, I found their drummer to not only be the best part of their act but a standout part of the entire night. (Editor: The Players Band founder Andy Schneider!) No wonder he had to take his checkered jacket off halfway through their set because of how passionately he was playing!
Stream music by The Players Band on Spotify:
To finish up the openers segment of the show was The Loving Paupers who slowed things down before the main act. Their big moment came toward the end of their set when they brought up two members from The Pietasters to perform a couple songs with them. However, The two horn players came up one song too early and had to be kicked off momentarily and later brought back for a proper ending.
Finally, The Pietasters came to close out the show and that’s when shooting the show became a lot more dynamic. Throughout the event, a voice from the heavens (the upper level balcony) was DJing and making announcements. That voice belonged to DJ Selah, who set the vibes between sets with commentary and more Ska. We even had a moment of silence for an artist whose name I unfortunately couldn’t hear through my earplugs.
Stream music by The Pietasters on Spotify:
Very soon into the Pietasters set, Selah jumped off the stage into the photo pit, running around and holding a mic into the faces of fans. All the while, the action did not stop on stage and the crowd was eating it up in a frenzy. I have so many shots of DJ Selah running around where you can see the other photographers in the pit also doing whatever they can do to get shots of him engaging the crowd.
The object on stage that really caught my eye was the disco ball on the ceiling. Like a moth to a flame I couldn’t stop looking at it. It glittered and reflected light onto Pietasters frontman Steve Jackson. The music itself was extremely tight and lively, with the four-man horn section really filling the venue with much needed warmth.
I had a couple of takeaways from the show. First off, I clearly need to learn more about the local artists in DC. Clearly there is talent, as each and every person who took the stage was holding their own. Secondly, it’s shocking how good stage presence such small artists can have. It makes sense, to fill up the 9:30 Club during the holidays, you have to put on a show that people will ditch their families to see. Lastly, the food at 9:30 Club is surprisingly good but takes forever to come out. I ordered an empanada 15 minutes before an act, proceeded to photograph half of their performance, and my food was still not ready.
But man, some soulful performances and corn-filled dough is a great way to spend a Saturday night in the city.
Here are some photos of The Pietasters performing live at 9:30 Club on Dec. 27, 2025. All pictures copyright and courtesy of Roman Meerzaman.
Here are some photos of The Loving Paupers performing live at 9:30 Club on Dec. 27, 2025. All pictures copyright and courtesy of Roman Meerzaman.
Here are some photos of The Players Band performing live at 9:30 Club on Dec. 27, 2025. All pictures copyright and courtesy of Roman Meerzaman.
Here are some photos of The Upstarters performing live at 9:30 Club on Dec. 27, 2025. All pictures copyright and courtesy of Roman Meerzaman.
