After a brief run of dates in Australia, Allison Russell embarked on her rescheduled All Returners Tour, which included a recent date at the Lincoln Theatre! Steve Satzberg was there to photograph the show.
Djo (the d is silent), also known as Joe Keery, is a sleeper band that like most artists these days, rose to fame with a song going viral on TikTok. The song is “End of Beginning,” originally released off the sophomore album Decide (2022), but became an internet sensation two-years later. Its success is likely due to its universally relatable nature, no matter what stage of life you’re in. Being back in “Chicago” could be any place, or any state of mind for the listener. The nostalgic synths and soft vocals make for a picturesque montage soundtrack. It’s no wonder so many people have latched onto this song, myself included.
Keery got his start in music with the Chicago-based psych-rock band Post Animal in 2015. In 2016, Keery made his TV debut as Steve Harrington in Stranger Things, which became the role he’s known for. He departed from Post Animal to focus more on acting, but started releasing music under the “Djo” moniker at the end of 2019. Three albums and six years later, Djo hits the road on the “Back on You Tour,” with a sold-out stop at The Anthem in Washington, DC on May 1.
Linkin Park needs no introduction — but with their most recent album, maybe a reintroduction is more apt. The band that was formed nearly 30 years ago has gone through some monumental changes over the past decade. From the untimely death of singer Chester Bennington and disbandment to their reformation — adding singer Emily Armstrong and drummer Colin Brittain — it’s been a trying time for this monumental band.
The classic lineup of The Damned recently performed live in a sold-out show at 9:30 Club on their North America 2025 tour, and the concert was amazing!
When I say classic lineup: This is The Damned of the ’80s — Dave Vanian (vocals), Capitain Sensible (guitar), Paul Gray (bass), and Rat Scabies (drums)! And of course Monty Oxymoron on keyboards. The return of Rat to the fold clearly energized and elevated The Damned, and this was their first appearance in DC since he rejoined in 2023.
Sharon Van Etten’s doing things a little differently at the moment.
Her latest album is a group effort with her longtime band, but even still, the self-titled release — dropped on Feb. 7 — serves as something of a formal introduction to Van Etten and the Attachment Theory.
The night of April 28 in the nation’s capital, Van Etten and her mates dazzled a capacity crowd at 9:30 Club, clearly invigorated and unified by the fresh batch of songs they’ve created. And the band leader herself was proud to tell the room how the music came to be.
Jon King is about to turn 70 years old, but he remains as sharp, acerbic, and sage as ever. The Gang of Four frontman was a spitfire in a recent sold-out show at 9:30 Club, where he struck like lightning for two sets of songs celebrating his storied English post-punk band on a farewell tour.
Alison Moyet, one of the most remarkable pop vocalists of the last several decades, is touring again in support of a new album, Key, and she recently played an outstanding show at The Fillmore Silver Spring. Moyet is selling out shows all over the globe at this time, and catching this tour is a must for her fans.
Virgil and I stood nervously at the fresh mound of earth. In his hands glowed one of those damned light-up magic swords he’d impulsively bought at last week’s bazaar in Baltimore. Before us lay the alleged final resting place of Rivethead — once a towering figure of industrial and electro music fandom, now apparently deceased from cultural neglect. With hesitant reverence, Virgil thrust the sword into the earth. Lightning erupted, and Rivethead jerked upright through the dirt, blinking at us through bleary eyes. Rivethead’s awakening was unexpected this soon in the ritual and startled us so badly that we bolted into the night with our magic sword in tow. “I just wanted to wake up Rivethead and bring them to see The Birthday Massacre!” yelled Virgil as we fled for the cemetery gates.
Everybody Needs a Hero (2024) is the sophomore album from Irish singer-songwriter Orla Gartland. This album feels like it “saved” me to an extent — definitely in my Top 5 albums from last year — I felt a connection to this album I hadn’t felt in a long time. I had the pleasure of catching Gartland in November last year at a sold-out Atlantis show (9:30’s little sibling). I was thrilled to see her come back through North America so soon, especially recently back in DC for a proper show at 9:30 Club.
In his almost 75 years, Alejandro Escovedo has lived an incredible life that has taken him all over to the country and allowed him to be a part of some of the most important scenes in the development of contemporary music. Over 50 years of making music, he’s jumped from genre to genre: punk to alt-country to glam-rock, and, for more than 30 years, he’s been a celebrated singer-songwriter. In his recent solo at The Hamilton Live, Escovedo went deep on an intimate night of songs and stories.
