The National Independent Venue Association gathered DC for it second annual conference, packing The Anthem, Union Stage, and Capital Turnaround with daylong programming for several days last week.

As with many conferences, there were sponsored parties at the end of the day, and NIVA took the opportunity on the second full day of the conference to spotlight DC bands in DC’s small venues. At DC9, conferees caught DC electronic solo project Sneaks and dreampop duo Glosser, injecting some cool local indie pop into the agenda.

I don’t believe Sneaks, born Eva Moolchan, has otherwise performed live prior to the pandemic lockdowns of 2020, but I could be mistaken. Sneaks has been signed to North Carolina’s Merge Records for her last several outings, including The Eva EP (2022) and Happy Birthday (2020). Sneaks grew up in Silver Spring, Maryland, and her music embraces a post-punk spareness while also incorporating DIY electronic beats.

Watch the official music video for “Hong Kong to Amsterdam” by Sneaks on YouTube:

Dreampop band Glosser, consisting of Riley Fanning and Corbin Sheehan, released their debut full-length record earlier this year, and it’s a stunner. Although a glance at their YouTube profile reveals the band have been working on their music for several years, Riley and Corbin sound really great out of the gate. Riley’s voice recalls young Lana Del Rey and Corbin’s sonic landscapes are perfectly matched with seductive textures and thrilling melodies.

Stream Downer by Glosser on Spotify:

Sneaks and Glosser opened Gustaf at DC9 on July 11, but we called it a night after the DC performers and missed out on the Brooklyn art punk rockers. Next time, Gustaf!

Here are some photos of Sneaks performing at DC9 on July 11, 2023, for NIVA 2023. All pictures by Mickey McCarter.

Here are some photos of Glosser performing at DC9 on July 11, 2023, for NIVA 2023. All pictures by Mickey McCarter.