The Struts: Glitter, Sweat, and a Sunday Night Riot on the Wharf
Words and Photos by Michael Sprouse/ Odd Rocker Photography
The recent performance of The Struts at The Anthem wasn’t just a night out — it was a spectacle, a glitter-soaked sermon of rock and roll excess.
There are concerts that feel like concerts, and then there are concerts that feel like events. The Struts have always been an event band, the kind that struts (their name really is too on-the-nose sometimes) onto a stage and flips a switch you didn’t realize you had inside you. If you’re going to blow the roof off of The Anthem you better come in with teeth bared and sequins gleaming. The Struts knew that, and they came armed accordingly.
At The Anthem on August 17, the set opened with “Primadonna Like Me,” which is basically The Struts’ entire philosophy distilled into one track. It’s campy, it’s cocky, and it’s the perfect kickoff. Luke strutted (I swear I’ll stop pointing it out, but the man really does strut) across the stage like a prizefighter showing off before the bell. The crowd, already buzzing, went up two notches. Then came “Body Talks,” and the place erupted. That song’s chorus is tailor-made for venues like The Anthem. Luke had the audience singing before the first chorus hit. By the third song, “Everybody Wants,” people who’d been holding drinks were spilling them because they were too busy jumping. It was chaos in the best way.
I’ve been to shows here where the crowd was half in, half checking their phones, but not tonight. From the jump, The Struts had the whole crowd of people under their thumb.
Here’s the thing about glam rock revival acts: Most of them fizzle. They borrow the clothes, maybe the eyeliner, but they forget that the heart of glam wasn’t just fashion. It was theater. It was exaggeration. It was a refusal to let rock be background music. The Struts get that. They don’t shy away from the silliness of it all. They embrace it, wink at it, and somehow make it feel vital again.
During “Could Have Been Me,” the room turned into one massive choir. It’s the song that broke them, and yeah, it’s been played to death on rock radio, but live it still feels urgent. People were screaming it like it was their personal motto, like it was written just for them. That’s the mark of a good band — you know the song is mass-produced, but it still hits your chest like a kung fu punch.
Watch the official music video for “Could Have Been Me” by The Struts on YouTube:
And then there was “Kiss This,” which might be the dirtiest kiss-off in modern rock, and it landed with all the subtlety of a sledgehammer. Luke leaned into the mic like he was daring the crowd to scream the chorus louder than him. Spoiler: They tried, and they came pretty damn close.
“Put Your Money on Me” is an enjoyable pop gem that glitters brightly and was a lot of fun to watch Luke and the band perform for the enthusiastic DC crowd.
Not every song was pedal-to-the-floor chaos. “Mary Go Round” slowed things just enough to let the crowd catch their breath. The Anthem’s lights dimmed, phones flickered on, and Luke sang it with this strange intimacy, like he was confiding in the room rather than performing. It was a reminder that underneath all the glam and glitter, there are songs with real teeth, real ache. But that breather didn’t last long. “Dirty Sexy Money” snapped everyone back into high gear, with a groove so filthy you could almost feel it sticking to the floor. By “The Ol’ Switcheroo” and “She Makes Me Feel,” the place was basically one massive dance pit. People were shoulder to shoulder, moving like a single organism.
Standing in The Anthem watching this unfold, I couldn’t help but think about DC’s complicated relationship with rock and roll. This is the city of Go-Go, of Dischord Records, of Fugazi’s legendary all-ages shows. DC punk was defined by restraint — five bucks at the door, no spectacle, no excess, just stripped-down urgency. The Struts are the opposite of that. They’re spectacle first, subtlety second, excess third, and then more spectacle on top of that. And yet, it worked. Maybe that’s the genius of glam — it’s escapism dressed in glitter and on a sticky August night in the capital, escapism felt like oxygen.
There’s also something funny about hearing a band so steeped in British glam history play in a town that still wears its hardcore badge proudly. It’s a clash of philosophies, but maybe that’s why it hit so hard. The Struts didn’t just try to be cool, they wanted to throw a party. By the time “Young Stars” and “Black Swan” came around, the band had hit a groove so tight it felt inevitable. Adam Slack’s guitar work was meaner than on record, sharper, daring his amps to keep up. Jed Elliott’s bass shook the floor. Gethin Davies on drums pounded like he was trying to wake up the dead.
“These Times Are Changing” and “Only Just a Call Away” stretched the set into something almost anthemic — slower, sure, but massive. These are the songs where The Struts prove they’re not just glitter and grins. They can write tunes that hold weight, that feel like they could soundtrack a film montage or a long drive.
And then came the knockout punch: “Where Did She Go,” “One Night Only,” and “Pretty Vicious.” If the show had been a roller coaster, this was the loop, the corkscrew, and the final plummet all rolled together. Luke had the crowd in his pocket, and he played with us like a cat batting around a toy. By “Pretty Vicious,” people were screaming and it felt like the floor shook, the chandeliers rattled, and The Anthem turned into a glitter bomb ready to burst.
Watch The Struts perform “Pretty Vicious” live for EastWest on YouTube:
Here’s the thing about The Struts: They know rock and roll is supposed to be dangerous, sexy, funny, and slightly ridiculous, and they lean into all of it with the confidence of a band that has studied the greats — Queen, The Rolling Stones, Slade — and decided to make the spectacle their own.
What makes them special isn’t just the showmanship, though. It’s the fact that underneath the sequins and the winks, the songs hold up. They’re catchy, they’re loud, and they’re made to be sung at top volume with a bunch of strangers on a Sunday night in DC.
That’s a rare alchemy these days. And walking out of The Anthem, ears ringing, sweat still clinging, you can’t help but feel a little high on it all — the glitter still on your skin, the chants still echoing in your head, the sense that for a couple of hours, you were part of something bigger, louder, messier than ordinary life ever allows.
That’s what The Struts do. They remind you that rock and roll is supposed to be messy, excessive, fun. It’s not supposed to be homework and it’s not supposed to be background noise. It’s supposed to grab you by the collar, shake you around, and leave you stumbling into the night with a stupid grin plastered on your face.
Maybe that’s why The Struts matter more than critics give them credit for. They’re carrying the glam torch without irony. They’re not trying to reinvent the wheel — they’re trying to make it spin so fast it throws sparks. And in a city like Washington, where cynicism is baked into the concrete, that spark felt like a small miracle.
Setlist
1. Primadonna Like Me
2. Body Talks
3. Everybody Wants
4. Roll Up
5. Could Have Been Me
6. Kiss This
7. Put Your Money on Me
8. Mary Go Round
9. Dirty Sexy Money
10. The Ol’ Switcheroo
11. She Makes Me Feel Like
12. Young Stars
13. Black Swan
14. These Times Are Changing
15. Only Just a Call Away
16. Where Did She Go
17. One Night Only
18. Pretty Vicious
Here are some photos of The Struts performing live at The Anthem on August 17, 2025. All pictures copyright and courtesy of Michael Sprouse/ Odd Rocker Photography.
