The Oh Hellos have wriggled their way into my heart. Is it the music? Sure, that’s part of it. But there is more to it than that. There is a genuineness that was evident when they recently played the 9:30 Club. That feeling has attracted a lot of fans! A LOT!
The band is touring for the 10th anniversary of their album Dear Wormwood. The show was sold out. I’ve covered a lot of sold out shows at the 9:30 Club. I don’t know if this makes any sense, but it felt extra-sold out. The club was packed!
After the opener, Rabbitology, completed their set (I was late and only caught the last two songs, but I was impressed by what I heard, particularly in the vocals) the members of The Oh Hellos kind of meandered on stage, taking their time, tuning up as they hit their marks, all with crowns of roses on their heads. They effortlessly eased into the opener, “A Kindling, Of Sorts” on Oct. 16. The show moved forward at a good pace. It had to.
A few songs in, singer Tyler Heath proclaimed that they will be performing their longest sets ever on this tour. And he was not kidding!
The band played so many songs that Tyler went through a few bottles of water. You can’t really hide that on stage so he excused himself to take a few sips. The crowd started to chant “hydrate!” Tyler thanked everyone for chanting something other than “CHUG”! Maggie Heath, Tyler’s sister and the other singer in the band, mentioned that it had been a first grader since they had been in DC. She meant six years but Tyler called her out on it. After clarification they moved on to the middle of the set. That was about 13-14 songs in, so we’re getting to the point where a lot of other bands are wrapping up. Not The Oh Hellos!
After a stellar version of “Glowing,” Maggie and Tyler asked if we wanted to hear a new song. Everyone said no, and the band left the stage dejected.
No, that didn’t happen at all.
The crowd became quiet and still while the new song was performed. A few songs later, the band pulled out another surprise by covering Kate Bush’s “Suspended in Gaffa.” The backing band was amazing throughout the show. They were so energetic and happy! And that’s one of the best parts of the show; the happiness. The band was happy, the crowd was happy, this photographer was happy, and so was his daughter, which made the night all the more special.
The set wrapped up with opener, Rabbitology, returning to the stage to play “Rounds/The Valley (Reprise)”. The musicians then left the stage to thunderous applause. Maggie and Tyler returned a few moments later to play “In Memoriam” by themselves. They wrapped up the 30-song set with “Eat You Alive” and “Trees” — and somewhere in there we learned that Maggie can’t whistle. So the crowd did.
Thank you, The Oh Hellos, for a wonderful time. I enjoyed it and so did my daughter, Maggie. You went above and beyond that night and have loyal fans for life.
Setlist
- A Kindling, Of Sorts
- Rio Grande
- Bitter Water
- There Beneath
- Lapis Lazuli
- Cold
- Where Is Your Rider
- Passerine
- Like The Dawn
- Exeunt
- Boreas
- Glowing
- New Song
- Hello My Old Heart
- Constellations
- Thus Always To Tyrants
- Dear Wormwood
- Zephyrus
- This Will End
- Soldier, Poet, King
- Danse Macabre
- Suspended In Gaffa (Kate Bush)
- Soap
- The Truth Is A Cave
- Rounds/The Valley (Reprise)
Encore
- In Memoriam
- Eat You Alive
- Trees
Here are some more photos of The Oh Hellos performing live at 9:30 Club on Oct. 16, 2025. All pictures copyright and courtesy of Marc Shea.
