When Khruangbin plotted its current small-club quest across the USA, there was one spot the group members agreed they’d have to hit: 9:30 Club.
And within minutes of last month’s surprise announcement, the Houston-born psych rock phenomenon sold out not only the stop in the nation’s capital, but the entirety of a 15-date tour commemorating the 10-year anniversary of the band’s premier album, The Universe Smiles Upon You.
A diverse crowd filled the esteemed DC venue the night of Nov. 11 for what was a rare chance to see this wildly popular band in close quarters.
It’s a trio comprised of bassist Laura Lee “Leezy” Ochoa, guitarist Mark Speer, and drummer DJ Johnson. With the help of keyboardist, steel guitarist and percussionist Will Van Horn, Khruangbin lived up to its billing last week with an enthralling set that pulled from across the group’s albums.
Coinciding with the tour, Khruangbin just a couple weeks back sneakily released The Universe Smiles Upon You II, a rerecording of the original work that introduced the band to music listeners worldwide.
Listen to Khruangbin’s 10th-anniversary, surprise-release of The Universe Smiles Upon You II, a reimagined take on its premier record:
In DC, ticketholders heard new takes on Khruangbin favorites like “Two Fish and an Elephant” and “The Man Who Took My Sunglasses” before the band veered into different releases.
Speer, who like his bandmate Ochoa, performs in a black, straight-haired wig, told the crowd not to overthink the “II” behind the tracks on the reimagined record.
“This is how we’re playing them right now,” he said. “We might play them different tomorrow or the day after.”
Khruangbin performed potent, hypnotizing versions of songs pulled from elsewhere in the catalogue, including “Connosais de Face” from Mordechai (2020) and “Maria También” from Con Todo El Mundo (2018).
Upon returning to encore — with the enthusiastic audience capturing video, smart phones high in the air — Ochoa made sure to express the group’s appreciation for the those on hand and even the room itself.
“9:30 Club … iconic for a reason,” she said. “When we were sort of dreaming about doing this tour, the one place we absolutely had to play was 9:30.”
As pointed out by her bandmates, an “11/11” date made the gig that much more special.
“Thank you guys,” Ochoa said. “We are so humbled and honored to be here. We’ve been playing music for the last ten years. It is truly a blessing.”
Setlist
Two Fish and an Elephant II
The Man Who Took My Sunglasses II
August Twelve II
August 10
Como me quieres
Little Joe & Mary (Hi Life)
Connosais de Face
Mr. White Go Go Mr. White
Balls and Pins II
Maria También
Sonic Dern Kala
White Gloves II
People Everywhere (Still Alive)
Encore
I thui thing thung (Dao Bandon)
Bin Bin
Zionsville II
Below are color digital shots of Khruangbin performing live at 9:30 Club on Nov. 11, 2025. All images copyright and courtesy of Casey Ryan Vock.
Tooooo short of a concert. I was expecting much more for such a quick concert. They are music gods but i always feel slighted.