“There was only one problem,” Steve Kilbey deadpanned as he prepared to introduce “An Unguarded Moment” during The Church’s recent performance at the 9:30 Club. Before launching into one of the band’s defining songs, the frontman took the audience on a detour back to 1981, when The Church suddenly found themselves unlikely pop stars in Australia after the song became a hit.
Kilbey recalled driving into a small Australian town where the locals had already decided they hated the shaggy-haired newcomers from Sydney. The concert sold out anyway, but only because everyone wanted to hear the one song they’d seen the band perform on television — “An Unguarded Moment.”
Feeling more than a little cheeky, Kilbey turned to his bandmates just before the encore and suggested, “Let’s not play it.” The band walked offstage congratulating themselves on the joke, only to hear what sounded like an angry mob gathering outside the dressing room. A frantic manager burst through the door and made it clear they had better get back onstage before things got out of hand. The Church dutifully returned, played “An Unguarded Moment,” climbed into their car, and escaped back to Melbourne.
More than four decades later, there was no chance of that happening, particularly as this 21st-century iteration of The Church had arrived at the 9:30 Club for a tour titled The Singles: 1980-2025 — and this was indeed their first charting single. But the packed house hadn’t come for just one hit single. They came to celebrate the remarkable catalog that Steve Kilbey and The Church have assembled across 45 years, one that stretches far beyond “An Unguarded Moment” (1981) and “Under the Milky Way” (which, of course, we all wanted to hear anything from the enduring 1988 masterpiece Starfish).
Watch the original music video for “An Unguarded Moment” by The Church on YouTube:
The Church opened with “Columbus” from their underrated 1985 album Heyday, and it was a nicely appropriate choice, as it was the band’s first song to appear on the US charts. At the 9:30 Club, the band quickly established the shimmering guitars and hypnotic rhythms that have long defined their sound. Rather than relying on nostalgia, the group confidently mixed newer material with beloved classics, including the wonderful title track from 2023’s The Hypnogogue. The song fit seamlessly alongside older favorites, a reminder that The Church remains creatively vibrant and altogether timeless.
“An Unguarded Moment” arrived with all the emotional weight that Steve’s story had promised, while “Reptile” (Starfish!) and “Almost With You” (from 1982’s astonishing The Blurred Crusade) reminded the audience just how many enduring songs The Church produced during its remarkable run through the 1980s.
By the time the band reached “Under the Milky Way,” the evening felt less like a trip through nostalgia than a celebration of a catalog that has continued to reward listeners willing to venture beyond its biggest radio hits. Songs ebbed and flowed, stretching into expansive instrumental passages while retaining the melodic beauty that has always distinguished the band from its peers. The music carried the audience on a journey guided by Steve Kilbey’s reassuring croon.
Watch the official music video for “Reptile” by The Church on YouTube:
There was little theatricality onstage and almost no interaction among the musicians. Instead, the focus remained squarely on the songs themselves, allowing their atmosphere and subtle dynamics to transport the audience.
That restraint also left room for Kilbey to do what he now does almost as well as he writes songs. Between numbers, he drifted effortlessly from humorous anecdotes to surreal storytelling, spinning tales that were equal parts memoir, mythology, and stand-up comedy.
For the Washington performance, guitarist Jeffrey Cain was sidelined by illness, with tour manager Marty Wicks stepping in at the last minute. Wicks blended comfortably alongside fellow guitarists Ashley Naylor and Ian Haug, preserving the lush, layered textures that have become one of The Church’s defining musical signatures. Tim Powles handled percussion, keyboards, and synthesizers while Nick Meredith anchored the songs from the drum kit, giving Kilbey plenty of room to command the evening with his unmistakable voice and dry wit.
The Church remains one of alternative rock’s most singular live bands, but one of the greatest rewards of seeing them in 2026 is spending an evening with Steve Kilbey himself. Still a captivating songwriter, still an enigmatic frontman, and now a masterful raconteur, he has become every bit as compelling between the songs as he is during them. He is so damn cool.
I catch The Church every time they come to Washington, and this proved one of their most satisfying performances yet. Perhaps it was my favorite Church show, aside from their remarkable introduction of The Hypnogogue at The Birchmere (so David Bowie) and their excellent turn at the inaugural Cruel World Festival. Whatever Steve Kilbey and company choose to play, they’ll always find a welcome audience here.
Here are some photos of The Church performing live at the 9:30 Club on June 26, 2026. All pictures by Mickey McCarter.
