The National Independent Venue Association held its second annual conference in DC last week, and as with many conferences, there were plenty of afterparties.
Given that DC is full of great venues, those afterparties also featured great DC bands, and arguably NIVA 2023 surely couldn’t have done better than to close with a party at the legendary Black Cat, featuring headliner Ex Hex, back on stage finally post-pandemic, and The Owners, the talented new band made up of club personnel.
At the Black Cat on July 12, Ex Hex performed 11 songs, drawing from highlights of their two studio albums — Rips (2014) and It’s Real (2019). The trio opened with “You Fell Apart” from their debut record, stuck with that album for “Waterfall,” hit “Hot and Cold” near the end, and closed the entire show with “Everywhere.”
From their very good and slightly more psychedelic second album, Ex Hex selected “Tough Enough” for a mindset tune and “Rainbow Shiner” as the penultimate song in the set.
Watch the official music video for “Tough Enough” by Ex Hex on YouTube:
Performing in their original configuration of frontwoman Mary Timony, bassist Betsy Wright, and drummer Laura Harris, Ex Hex were in good spirits for what appeared to be their first show in about four years. The band promptly announced a short run of U.S. east coast dates in September, ending in the super sold-out Black Cat anniversary show on Sept. 8.
Check out the Ex Hex tour schedule!
Speaking of the Black Cat, The Owners — comprised of the longtime owners and barkeeps of the Black Cat — also were in high spirits. The power pop quartet featured frontwoman Catherine Ferrando and husband Dante Ferrando (drums) as well as Alec Budd (guitar, vocals) and Laura Harris (bass). You may have noticed that Laura Harris holds positions in both The Owners and Ex Hex, so she effectively opened for herself! (Additional DC bands Breezy Supreme and Dim Wizard also appeared on the bill.)
The Owners performed about seven songs, laying down a little bit of rock and roll and evoking a bit of punk spirit. The Owners played tunes from their 2022 self-titled debut record, published via Dischord Records and Red Room Records.
Those songs included easy-to-love singalongs like “Red Room Nights” and call-to-action thinking tunes like “Wrecked the World.” All in all it’s a great album that warrants repeat listening! So, give it a listen.
Stream The Owners by The Owners on Spotify:
The Owners also have announced a run of dates in August, taking a quintessentially DC act on the road to share their earworms with other cities.
Catch up with The Owners on the band’s Instagram!
Here are some photos of The Owners performing at Black Cat on July 12, 2023. All pictures by Mickey McCarter.
Here are some photos of Ex Hex performing at Black Cat on July 12, 2023. All pictures by Mickey McCarter.
