A delayed tour to promote an album release might not be the ideal way for a band to keep its momentum going. But then again it does allow for the record to soak into listeners, and by the time the songwriters get on stage, fans could very well have the tunes down pat.

Dehd released its latest LP, Poetry, back in early May, but the Chicago-born indie rock trio is just now getting around to toot the horn of 14 tracks that devotees have had on repeat for months.

The night of Oct. 23, Dehd packed Howard Theater in DC for what was an overdue visit with concert goers from across the DMV and a stunning showcase of this group’s infectious surf rock recipe.

It’s a simple one: Emily Kempf plays bass and lends her glorious vocals, Jason Balla rips the electric guitar all over the stage and adds additional vocals, and Eric McGrady pounds a barebones drumkit in ceremonious fashion.

Listen to the latest studio album from Dehd, Poetry, via Spotify:

But the mighty sound has caught on since the group formed back in 2015, originally taking the name Dream Eagles Heavy Dreams before using its acronym to invent a new word.

Since then, Dehd’s found itself on tour in Europe and had its music used for a notable TV series, helping it grow a following far beyond the limits of the Windy City.

Last week in the nation’s capital, the group displayed its hypnotic ways and shared tracks from the latest album as part of a loaded setlist that invigorated and rewarded an enthusiastic and well-versed audience.

Setlist

Poem
Window
Nobody
Loner
Stars
Drip Drop
Don’t Look Down
Clear
Letter
Necklace
Shake
Mood Ring
Bad Love
Flood
Empty in My Mind
Light On
Pure Gold
Love Song
Lucky
Wild
No Difference
Hard To Love
Dog Days

Encore
Alien
Flying

Below is a mix of home-processed color 35mm photos and black and white digital images of Dehd performing at the Howard Theater on Oct. 23, 2024. All photos copyright and courtesy of Casey Ryan Vock.