The three members of new wave band Glove danced in place as a very European beat that could have sprung from the charts in 1982 recently filled the crowded room at DC9.

In DC on Friday, dashing Rod Wendt launched the show on lead vocals for the Tampa, Florida trio’s new single, “Chewing on a Wire.” The band were instantly in the zone, and the DC9 audience very much joined them there.

On June 23 at DC9, Glove paced through nine wonderfully synthy selections, drawing most from their debut album Boom Nights, published in 2022. And Glove keep the show moving as each member switches musical duties throughout the show. Soon, bassist Justin Burns took lead vocals for Boom Night’s very slinky and catchy song “Behavior.”

During this time, Brie Deux, who rounds out the trio, sang harmonies from her synthesizer at stage right. Throughout the show, Brie proved herself to be an entrancing and versatile musician. Later, it was Brie’s turn on lead vocals, and she purred and growled through Boom Night’s “Modern Toy,” which lyrically seemed a homage to The Stooges but played like it was an early song by synthpop maestros Ultravox.

Brie also moved across the stage from synth to an electronic drum kit, which sounded phenomenal.

Watch the official music video for “Chewing on a Wire” by Glove on YouTube:

Glove is one of the very best new American bands to tour in the past few years, and they show remarkable talent while exuding an undeniable stage magnetism. It is little wonder they have made friends with Nation of Language, another new wave trio out of Brooklyn, and the two bands earlier this month played some dates together in the United Kingdom, where they likely will find bigger audiences than at home. Following in the footsteps of ’70s post-punk and new-wave acts, Glove may be poised to discover that Europeans more readily embrace their stunning and sleek sound more than Americans; Blondie and others certainly discovered that to be the case early in their careers.

This was Glove’s fourth overall visit to DC, having first appeared at DC9 in September 2021. Glove returned for a performance at Songbyrd Music House in June 2022, and the band returned again to open Foals at The Anthem in December. Along the way, the band lost a member, but the result is a tighter unit that traded duties with confidence and dexterity. I am eager to see them again soon!

DC’s own punk duo Public Figures opened Glove at DC9 on Friday, and they were a terrific fit. Van Hillard (drums) and Chad McCall (bass) formed Public Figure out of pandemic lockdowns after calling it a day in their former band Park Snakes. The prolific duo unveiled a new single at DC9, opening their show with “Still a Great Night.”

Stream “Still a Great Night” by Public Figures on Spotify:

Van and Chad have attitude, and they are *fun*, which makes them great to see live. Van knocked out words from his drums, honestly recalling early stop-and-start lyrical compositions by Devo. While continuing his bass attack, Chad joined on vocals for songs like “Lay-A-Way.” Public Figures packed their 11-song set with punchy numbers like they’re closer, “By Friday.”

Here are some photos of Public Figures opening Glove at DC9 on June 23, 2023. All pictures copyright and courtesy of Ari Strauss.

And here are some photos of Glove performing at DC9 on June 23, 2023. All pictures copyright and courtesy of Ari Strauss.