It was a great year for transformative punk and new wave artists who broke the mold back in the day and continue to do great work. From the musical curiosity of David Byrne to the bright synths of Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark and the groundbreaking originality of Sparks, I thoroughly enjoyed seeing some of my personal favorite artists do great things with new songs while also delivering some of their most wonderful tunes from the late ’70s and early ’80s. While first wave musicians dominate my list of top concerts of 2025, Nation of Language — the prolific and downright amazing band who are clearly inspired by those acts — also put on a stupendous show this year in support of a new album.
As I’m fond of saying, I’m an old-school MTV kid with a big love of the Second British Invasion. Quite a few of the most exciting Brits came through the DC area this year. But Mr. Bryne, one of New York City’s favorite sons, undeniably delivered the best show of the year. Read on for more!
1 – David Byrne @ The Anthem — 9/27/25
There is no one like David Byrne, a man who remains creatively in motion. David released Who Is the Sky?, a catchy new album, this past year. And he performed incredible songs from his time with Talking Heads in this appearance at The Anthem, the first of two sold-out nights. To top it off, he played the then-unreleased “T-Shirt,” a fresh song he wrote with Brian Eno, to the surprise and delight of the DC crowd.
2 – Simple Minds w/ Modern English and Soft Cell @ Merriweather Post Pavilion — 6/10/25
Simple Minds are nothing less than outstanding. The band have had a banner year with the US release of a documentary, Everything Is Possible, and a new book, Our Secrets Are The Same (a memoir from Jim Kerr and Charlie Burchill). Simple Minds visited Merriweather Post Pavilion for their biggest US tour in decades, and so of course they celebrated the 40th anniversary of “Don’t You Forget About Me,” the song that made their name in America. As if that wasn’t great enough, Kerr and company enlisted the droll Soft Cell and the brilliant Modern English to open for them. What a great bill!
3 – Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark @ Lincoln Theatre — 5/22 + 5/23/25
Since Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark returned to performing for US audiences in the 21st century, I’ve watched their shows get bigger and bigger. This year, they sold out two nights at the Lincoln Theatre, demonstrating they are possibly one of the few enduring new wave originals that could sell out The Anthem (next time?!). When it comes to smart songwriting and deeply memorable songs, OMD have no equal, and they were terrific live in performances that drew on their 2023 album, Bauhaus Staircase, as well as classics.
4 – The Damned @ 9:30 Club — 5/2/25
Drummer Rat Scabies returned to the fold! The Damned sold out their latest DC appearance at 9:30 Club with the return of their classic lineup: Dave Vanian, Captain Sensible, Paul Gray, and Rat Scabies! The four punks were aided and abetted by the personable Monty Oxymoron on keyboards, pleasing fans of The Damned old and new in a mind-blowing concert that celebrated some of the band’s ’80s highlights. They were simply on fire!
5 – DEVO @ The Anthem — 5/3/25
Speaking of older men totally killing it these days, DEVO stand the test of time as one of the most exciting live bands active today. Not only does their core concept of “devolution” seem more relevant than ever, bandmates Mark Mothersbaugh and Gerald Casale particularly take the stage with renewed style and determination. The songs still punch with bite, and Bob Mothersbaugh is a grounding presence on guitar while Mark and Jerry are true livewires.
6 – Nation of Language @ 9:30 Club — 10/30/25
Nation of Language released Dance Called Memory, their fourth studio album, in 2025 after signing to Sub Pop. They returned to DC to quickly sell out the room at 9:30 Club, the very place they made their DC debut back in 2018 as openers for The Wombats. Frontman Ian Richard Devaney was a kinetic musical mastermind, whipping through numbers as he danced his heart out. The new material was very good, and the trio gave new life to their first two albums in performance. This show gave me life! Nation of Language remain my personal favorite band of the 2020s.
7 – Sparks @ Lincoln Theatre — 9/9/25
When it comes to legends, Sparks still don’t get enough love! In 2021, director Edgar Wright released the excellent documentary The Sparks Brothers, which gave Ron and Russell Mael a bounce in their US audiences, and they sold out many venues on tour. This year, they returned with very good new songs from Mad!, their 26th studio album. The original synthpop duo came to town with clever wordplay and abundant musicality to rock the night away with the faithful at the Lincoln Theatre, which has been their DC home for the past several years. I was very happy with the love for 1979’s No. 1 in Heaven, from which Sparks drew three songs in this show: “Academy Award Performance,” “Beat the Clock,” and of course “The Number One Song in Heaven.”
8 – The Psychedelic Furs w/ Gary Numan @ The Anthem — 10/15/25
As 60-something Englishmen, Richard Butler and Gary Numan occupy different parts of the post-punk spectrum, and at The Anthem in October they did so in such a cool complementary way. The entire hall was mesmerized by the first moment that Gary took the stage for a very strong and lengthy opening set, focusing on his recent output but also including “Are Friends Electric?” and “Metal” from his early days. The audience was on the edge of their seats! And they remained fully engaged for The Psychedelic Furs who did explored their wry catalog of hopeful or broken hearts. Everyone was in top form and the crowd ate it up!
9 – Howard Jones and ABC w/ Richard Blade @ Warner Theatre — 2/23/25
Howard Jones in a perennial Second British Invasion favorite in American cities, and the indefatigable rocker is celebrating the 40th anniversary of his seminal album Dream into Action this year. He played to his biggest DC crowd in some time at the Warner Theatre early in 2025, and he wisely recruited ABC on a double bill that saw Martin Fry return to the city of DC for his first show in roughly 20 years. Amazing! Howard is living his best life, and ABC knocked it out of the park. Among my Gen X fellows here in the District, many of them saw ABC for the first time ever and were deeply impressed with the suave, soulful collective.
10 – The Fixx @ Wolf Trap — 4/16/25
Artists of the Second British Invasion were adept at mixing thoughtful messages in with dance tunes, and The Fixx are at the top of the heap when it comes to soul-searching grooves. The quintet, lead by the always theatrical Cy Curnin, still consists of classic members, and they play with the expertise and chemistry of knowledgeable hands who love what they do. They usually play at The Birchmere when they are in the DC area, and so it was fun to see them at The Barns of Wolf Trap for a change of pace.
Honorable Mention: A Flock of Seagulls @ The Atlantis — 4/15/25
Mike Score, the now-bald synth maestro once famed for his outrageous ’80s haircut, has recruited a strong new backing band and returned A Flock of Seagulls to the road. It was very satisfying to see A Flock of Seagulls sell out The Atlantis, particularly given that they hadn’t played a venue in DC city for a while. The audience really loved the show, and everyone readily embraced new tunes from 2024’s Some Dreams. Mike has a good thing going right now, and I hope A Flock of Seagulls return very soon!
