The crowd at The Atlantis wasted little time turning the room into a jumping, high-energy scene on the night of March 9.
Los Angeles garage-rock band Alexsucks transformed the intimate DC venue into a basement punk party. By the time the band hit their stride, fans were jumping shoulder to shoulder, fully enjoying the moment and sending ripples through the floor.
Frontman Alex Alvarez wore a hot pink shirt under a black leather jacket, his distinctive hair and tattooed arms fitting perfectly with the band’s rough-edged aesthetic. Alongside guitarist John Luther, bassist Garrett Orseno and drummer Jonny Ransom, Alvarez led a set that was loose, energetic, and refreshingly unpolished — a performance built on pure spontaneity..
The band’s chemistry is no accident. Friends before forming Alexsucks in 2021, several members, including Alvarez, come from a skateboarding background, which shows in their laid-back style. Instead of staged moves, they perform like friends who somehow ended up with a room full of fans singing their lyrics back at them.
At different points during songs, Alvarez leaned into the crowd, singing up close to fans. In between songs, he occasionally asked if everyone was okay, encouraging people to have fun while keeping the atmosphere safe.
As the set picked up, the audience turned the place into a constant wave of motion. Midway through, Alvarez took off his leather jacket while a couple of other members removed their shirts. Fans crowd-surfed continuously and all around, adding to the night’s electric energy.
Songs like “6 Pack and Cigarettes,” “Talk to You,” and “Worm in the Sun” drew some of the loudest reactions. During “What’re We Doing Here,” the lights were turned off while the audience raised cellphones, lighting up the room as fans swayed side to side.
What the official music video for “What’re We Doing Here” by Alexsucks on YouTube:
Orseno surprised everyone when he briefly got off the stage and crowd-surfed while continuing to play, pushing the energized room into another frenzy. Near the end, during “The Headache,” Alvarez also launched himself off the stage and into the crowd. Hands shot up instantly, carrying him across the room before he climbed back onstage without missing a beat.
After the show, Ransom handed out his sticks and gave out autographs while the Orseno shared copies of their music and took photos with fans who stayed behind.
If this stop on the tour proved anything, it’s that Alexsucks doesn’t suck at all. They’re hands down worth seeing live. Catch them in one of the remaining cities before the tour wraps up at the end of the month.
Here are some photos of Alexsucks performing live at The Atlantis on March 9, 2026. All pictures copyright and courtesy of Marisol Yanguas.
