The Dip loves Washington DC, and the nation’s capital most certainly reciprocates the sentiment.

It was clear in February of last year when the Seattle-based group filled the 9:30 Club, and it was even more obvious as The Dip returned recently for another sold-out and sensational night at the popular venue.

With its previous visit bumped back due to the pandemic, the band made it to DC in early 2023 between album releases. But The Dip’s current tour sees it out in promotion of its fourth studio record, Love Direction, unveiled in July.

The Dip has been winning over listeners and audiences since forming by chance at regularly scheduled neighborhood barbecues in the early 2010s. They’ve enamored with a timeless R&B sound and sophisticated funk, and the careful production and steady songwriting that went into each record has yielded delectable results.

Listen to the newest album from The Dip, Love Direction, via Spotify:

The 11 new tracks on Love Direction expand a catalogue that effuses with affection and consistently delights crowds. At 9:30 Club on Oct. 29, ticketholders heard grand takes on tunes from the latest album along with favorites that have helped The Dip grow a significant following in little more than a decade.

The group’s core has remained constant for much of this time. Tom Eddy is lead vocalist and guitarist. He’s joined by Mark Hunter on bass, Jarred Katz on drums, Brennan Carter on trumpet and flugelhorn, Levi Gillis on tenor sax and bass clarinet, and Evan Smith on baritone and alto sax and the flute.

On this tour, The Dip is rounded out by the talented Jace Holmes, who manned the keys in DC.

Eddy shared his gratitude for his bandmates but also for the room full of revelers, most of whom bopped and grooved all through the set. Whenever Eddy spoke, fans screamed for him.

“Thanks for packing it in,” he told the venue. “What a celebration. Thank you for being here.”

Early in the set attendees were treated to “Bougainvillea Blues” and “Doing The Thing,” two of the so-far most popular songs on Love Direction. But with “Ain’t Necessary (The Prince),” the opener on the 2015 self-titled premier, The Dip showed a continuity from its early days to the present.

Eddy and his crew combined tracks from Love Direction with some of their most compelling — like “Atlas” and “Slow Slipper” from 2019’s The Dip Delivers, and “Apollonia” from 2022’s Sticking With It. And they experimented a bit as well, performing winsome versions of “State Line” and “Real Contender” in acoustic fashion, gathered close to a retro condenser mic.

As hoped, the group delivered with its latest title track, along with two of its most enduring hits in “Paddle To The Stars” and “Sure Don’t Miss You Right Now,” putting the classy finishing touches on another unforgettable presentation.

“We love coming to DC,” Eddy said. “It’s a pleasure, seriously. So, thank you.”

Setlist

Bougainvillea Blues
Ain’t Necessary (The Prince)
Doing the Thing
Slow Slipper
Sharpen Your Shovel
Humble Hands
Atlas
What You Won’t Do For Love (Bobby Caldwell)
Apollonia
Easy Love
State Line
Real Contender
Head on a Swivel
Fill My Cup
Love Direction
Paddle to the Stars
Sure Don’t Miss You

Encore
Never My Love (The Association)

Below are home-rolled, processed and scanned images — including a few scratched shots — of The Dip along with opening act, Jordan Mackampa, performing at 9:30 Club on the night of Oct. 29, 2024. All photos copyright and courtesy of Casey Ryan Vock.

Jordan Mackampa