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Live Review: Cabaret Voltaire w/ I Speak Machine @ Howard Theatre — 10/23/26

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Mallinder
Stephen Mallinder fronts Cabaret Voltaire at the Howard Theatre on Sept. 23, 2026. (Photo by Mickey McCarter)

I Speak Machine, the audio-visual collaboration between musician Tara Busch and filmmaker Maf Lewis, has a long relationship with synth pioneer Gary Numan, having repeatedly opened for him since 2015, including extensive touring in 2022. Onstage, Busch is the visible component of that collaboration, singing, dancing, and commanding a battery of synthesizers while Lewis’ visuals accompany the performance.

I previously saw Busch perform with synth-pop act Blancmange at Cruel World 2025, playing keyboards and singing backing vocals alongside Neil Arthur during the band’s first North American appearance in 39 years. I’ve long been a fan of Blancmange, so it was thrilling to see Arthur bring those songs to life with Busch’s assistance. She absolutely nailed the music.

So when I entered the Howard Theatre for a recent performance by the groundbreaking Cabaret Voltaire, I had no idea I was about to witness another similar turn by Busch, once again taking a synthesizer station alongside one of Britain’s great electronic music pioneers.

Live Review: Jane Remover w/ Dazegxd @ 9:30 Club — 9/23/26

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Jane Remover
Jane Remover performs live at 9:30 Club on Sept. 23, 2026. (Photo by James Todd Miller)

Jane Remover brought a brilliant, high-energy performance to the 9:30 Club on Sept. 23, with Dazegxd opening the sold-out Washington, DC, stop on her Live Exhibit Tour.

Live Review: Mike Campbell and The Dirty Knobs w/ Sarah Lee Guthrie @ Warner Theatre — 9/22/26

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Mike Campbell
Mike Campbell and The Dirty Knobs perform live at Warner Theatre on Sept. 23, 2026. (Photo by James Todd Miller)

Mike Campbell has spent the years since the end of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers building something that can stand on its own. At Warner Theatre on Sept. 22, Campbell and The Dirty Knobs showed just how far that project has come.

Live Review: Peaches @ Baltimore Soundstage — 9/22/26

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Peaches
Peaches performs live at Baltimore Soundstage on Sept. 22, 2026. (Photo by Katherine Gaines / AmbientEye.com)

I recently tried to describe Peaches to someone who had never heard of her before. After my initial thought of, “Where have you been for the last 25 years?” I settled on: raunchy, feminist, queer, political, sex-positive, body-positive, age-positive, and electroclash.

Although the mainstream electroclash movement was short-lived, Peaches herself has endured far beyond any trend or TV appearance.

A Peaches live show is nothing short of spectacular. Countless costume changes, a modular riser system, and lights on wheels made the production look like a massive stadium blowout. But crowd-walking, performing from the back of the room, and connecting directly with fans made it feel like an underground DIY punk show. That dichotomy perfectly encapsulates who Peaches is as an artist.

Live Review: Dermot Kennedy w/ Jonah Kagen and Aaron Rowe @ The Anthem — 9/21/26

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Dermot Kennedy
Dermot Kennedy performs live at The Anthem on Sept. 21, 2026. (Photo by Caden Forrester)

On Sept. 21, the stage at The Anthem was completely reimagined as a rock-filled forest, a fitting setting for the Washington, DC, stop of Dermot Kennedy’s The Weight of the Woods Tour.

Live Review: Aaron Rowe @ DC9 — 9/20/26

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Aaron Rowe
Irish singer-songwriter Aaron Rowe performs at DC9 on Sept. 20, 2026. (Digital photo by Casey Ryan Vock)

It’s been a whirlwind month for Aaron Rowe.

Just a couple weeks ago, the singer-songwriter from Dublin was out on tour with pop star Ed Sheeran, slated to hit shows in major American cities like Philly, Atlanta, and Charlotte.

Instead, Rowe saw the whole thing blow up, burning into a controversy that’s made news worldwide. Though it’s forced him to change some of his plans, it’s also helped bring attention to the very issue he and his fellow musicians were trying to discuss in the first place.

Live Review: Men at Work w/ Willie Nile @ Lincoln Theatre — 9/20/26

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Men at Work
Men at Work perform live at Lincoln Theatre on Sept. 20, 2026. (Photo by Mickey McCarter)

In 1981, a young Colin Hay fronted Men at Work on their debut album, Business as Usual. It was a smash hit, producing the perennial radio staples “Down Under,” “Who Can It Be Now?,” and “Be Good Johnny,” while climbing to the top of the Billboard album chart.

In 2026, an older and wiser Hay fronted a new-look Men at Work on a North American tour that included a rare and delightful show within Washington, DC, city limits at the Lincoln Theatre. There, the band performed eight songs from Business as Usual, as well as seven from its follow-up album, Cargo.

The concert was a smashing experience, chock-full of exciting music and light on talk, and it underscored why audiences have stayed with Hay for 45 years and counting.

Live Review: Malcolm Todd @ The Anthem — 9/20/26

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Malcolm Todd
Malcolm Todd performs at The Anthem on Sept. 20, 2026. (Photo by Caden Forrester)

Malcolm Todd drew a sold-out crowd of 6,000 fans to The Anthem on Sunday, Sept. 20, for the DC stop of his Do That Again Tour.

Live Review: Jenna Raine @ The Atlantis — 9/20/26

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Jenna Raine
Jenna Raine performs live at The Atlantis on

Jenna Raine recently brought one of the most energetic and enthusiastic crowds I have ever seen to The Atlantis. Though it is a small venue, everyone in the room brought enough energy to fill a much larger space, simply because they were so excited to be at the Jeans, Boys, and Jesus Tour.

Live Review: El Ten Eleven w/ Tall Tall Trees @ Pearl Street Warehouse — 9/19/26

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El Ten Eleven
El Ten Eleven perform live at Pearl Street Warehouse on Sept. 19, 2026. (Photo by Marc Shea)

I love it when El Ten Eleven comes to town. Unfortunately for me and their other fans in the area, it’s been a few years. But they returned on Saturday, Sept. 19 to Pearl Street Warehouse in support of their latest album, Nowhere Faster.