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Live Review: Annapolis Songwriters Festival @ Annapolis, MD — 9/10-9/13/26

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Judy Blank
Judy Blank and Kristen McNamara perform live during Annapolis Songwriters Festival at Rams Head On Stage on Sept. 11, 2026. (Photo by Steve Satzberg)

Annapolis Songwriters Festival: Of Magic Potions and Superpowers
Words by Liz Wyatt
Photos by Steve Satzberg

For four talent-packed days, the Annapolis Songwriters Festival filled the historic streets, bars, restaurants, and music venues of downtown Annapolis with giants — and not just Young the Giant.

From Sept. 10-13, songwriters from around the country converged on Maryland’s capital for performances stretching from late morning well into the night at venues including 49 West, Rams Head On Stage, The Garden on Market Space, Blackwall Hitch, Stan and Joe’s Saloon, Galway Bay, and the festival’s large Calvert Street stage.

Preview: The California Honeydrops @ 9:30 Club, 10/3/26

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The California Honeydrops
The California Honeydrops (Photo courtesy the artist)

Few touring bands today channel a joyful, soul-stirring energy of street-corner party music quite like The California Honeydrops. On Saturday, Oct. 3, the Bay Area-based outfit brings their mix of Bay Area R&B, New Orleans second-line brass, southern soul, and delta blues to the iconic 9:30 Club for a night guaranteed to transform the room into a dance floor.

Live Review: The Secret Sisters w/ Caleb Elliott @ The Birchmere — 9/18/26

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The Secret Sisters
The Secret Sisters (Photo by Alysse Gafkjen)

When close relatives (especially siblings) sing together, the result is often what is called “blood harmony,” the similarities in the two voices almost melding together into a single instrument. Lydia Slagle and Laura Rogers, who perform as The Secret Sisters, are part of this long tradition in country and folk music.

They’re also fantastic songwriters; they may have only released five albums (they’re recording a new one soon), but they already have a number of gems, and they delighted the audience at The Birchmere with a selection of their best material on Friday evening.

Live Review: Angine de Poitrine @ Lincoln Theatre — 9/17/26

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Angine de Poitrine
Angine de Poitrine perform at the Lincoln Theatre on Sept. 17, 2026. (Photo by Sean Spannuth)

If you’ve been paying attention to the underground circuit lately, you already know that Quebec’s microtonal math-rock duo Angine de Poitrine is currently delivering some of the most bizarre, exhilarating, and technically jaw-dropping live music anywhere on the continent. Wrapping up their two separate nights in Washington DC at the historic Lincoln Theatre, Khn de Poitrine and Klek de Poitrine delivered a masterclass in controlled sonic chaos.

Live Review: Cheekface and Apes of the State @ Black Cat — 9/16/26

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Cheekface (Photo by Miriam Brummel)
Cheekface (Photo by Miriam Brummel)

On this humid September eve, our fearless reporter braved the not so mean streets of Northwest DC to catch two very different performances at Black Cat: Lancaster, PA – based folk-punk act Apes of the State, and Los Angeles’ sardonic pop-rock favorites, Cheekface.

Live Review: Steve Winwood and John Fogerty @ Wolf Trap — 9/15/26

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Steve Winwood
Steve Winwood performs live at Wolf Trap on Sept. 22, 2026. (Photo by Ari Strauss)

Steve Winwood and John Fogerty might not seem like the most natural pairing. Winwood’s career, which began in the ’60s with the British invasion band The Spencer Davis Group, ranges from blue-eyed soul to progressive rock. Winwood was a teenage prodigy, an immensely gifted vocalist and multi-instrumentalist. As the driving force behind Creedence Clearwater Revival and beyond, Fogerty has always drawn on old-school American rock, country, and blues. Revered for his songwriting, he towers over roots, heartland, and even punk rock.

While it may have been an unlikely pairing, it worked out splendidly on last week, when Winwood and Forgerty shared the bill at Wolf Trap.

Live Review: Jeff Rosenstock w/ Jer @ Ottobar — 9/14/26

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Jeff Rosenstock @ Ottobar Baltimore MD - 09.14.26 Photo by Casey Ryan Vock
Jeff Rosenstock leads his band in a sold-out performance at Ottobar in Baltimore the night of Sept. 14, 2026. (Digital photo by Casey Ryan Vock)

Some artists just seem custom-built to play certain venues. If his batshit-delightful appearance there last week was any indication, Jeff Rosenstock is most certainly a perfect match for Baltimore’s Ottobar.

Live Review: HammerFall w/ Evergrey and Symfinity @ Tally Ho Theater — 9/13/26

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HammerFall
HammerFall perform live at Tally Ho Theater on Sept. 13, 2026. (Photo by Gerald Henry)

The poster promised three bands: HammerFall, Evergrey, and Elvenking.

Virgil was excited for Elvenking because of “Seasonspeech,” their four-seasons song from the early aughts. We walked into Tally Ho Theater hoping for some of that Italian folk flair.

Live Review: The Fixx and Colin Blunstone w/ Peter Asher @ Warner Theatre — 9/12/26

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The Fixx
The Fixx perform live at Warner Theatre on Sept. 12, 2026. (Photo by Mickey McCarter)

The First and Second British Invasions collided in a night of wonderful and inventive tunes at Warner Theatre as MTV-era innovators The Fixx teamed with chamber-pop pioneer Colin Blunstone of The Zombies for a thoroughly enjoyable bill of English pop music. Adding even more class to the evening was the dapper Peter Asher, once of the duo Peter and Gordon, who opened the show with a set of timeless songs and the stories behind them.

Preview: Garth Brooks @ Capital One Arena, 9/18 + 9/19/26

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Garth Brooks

Important Capital One Arena Construction Updates Ahead of Garth Brooks Concerts This Weekend

Superstar entertainer and Country Music Hall of Famer Garth Brooks will bring his Blame It All On My Roots tour to Capital One Arena this weekend for two nights, Friday, Sep. 18 and Saturday, Sept. 19. It’s Brooks’ first time playing a full arena concert inside the district proper. His last time playing a major concert in DC was during his 1996 world tour. He stopped in Landover, Maryland, for a run of shows back then.