Blogs
Concert Review: Lecrae @ The Fillmore
After the lights dimmed and music faded out at The Fillmore in Silver Spring, Maryland, the crowd went silent, buzzing with anticipation and energy. The venue was full, and people lined up from wall to wall. Everyone was getting ready to experience the Restoration...
Op-Ed: Avoiding Rock ‘n’ Roll Ennui
“The scene just isn’t what it used to be.” Hashed out chit chat of the 40-something men holding court in the back of a local punk show. They traded in the Xs on their hands for beer bellies years ago. Now, clutching an IPA and barely squeezed into their 15-year-old...
Concert Preview: The Rocky Horror Picture Show @ Lincoln Theatre on 10/31
Rocky Horror season is officially upon us! This year the Lincoln Theater will be blessing us with all things strange on Oct. 31 at 8 p.m., for the show's 50th anniversary. While it did not receive the best response when it was originally sent to theaters in 1975,...
Concert Preview: Magdalena Bay @ The Anthem on 10/25
Magdalena Bay are bringing their dreamy synth-pop to The Anthem on Oct. 25, and it’s has potential to be one of the season's most exciting shows. The Los Angeles-native duo of Mica Tenenbaum and Matthew Lewin have gained a reputation for turning nostalgic Y2K sounds...
Concert Review: 2hollis @ The Fillmore
The White Tiger can not be easily described. As a simultaneously viral and elusive star, 2hollis has gained a cult-like following who all desperately want to replicate his aura, with many fans donning the single black line of makeup that Hollis wears under his eyes...
Concert Preview: Purity Ring @ 9:30 Club on 10/29
Canadian electronic pop duo Purity Ring formed in 2010 when Megan James and Corin Roddick came together to create their first single titled “Ungirthed”. Their first full-length LP, “Shrines,” received critical acclaim, with their hits such as fineshrine and obedear....
Concert Preview: Thundercat @ The Anthem on 10/28
LA-born bassist, producer, and singer Thundercat, known for his work with Kendrick Lamar, Bruno Mars, and Childish Gambino has been releasing unique sounds for over a decade. And now, he is now bringing his artistic performance to The Anthem on Oct. 28. Stephen...
Concert Preview: Jeff Tweedy @ The Lincoln Theatre on 10/26
Jeff Tweedy is set to perform at the Lincoln Theatre in Washington, DC, on Oct. 26. This performance follows the Sept. 26 release of his fifth solo studio album, "Twilight Override"—an ambitious three-part record that has received early critical acclaim. Tweedy is...
Concert Preview: Night Tapes @ 9:30 Club on 10/24
Night Tapes is an electronic, escapist dream pop music group that began with three housemates—Sam, Max, and Iiris who moved to the UK from Estonia—jamming out in South London while they happened to be living together. Since then, the band has grown out of recording...
Concert Preview: Neon Trees @ Lincoln on 10/24
You may know them from their iconic hit songs “Everybody Talks”, “Animals”, or “Sleeping with a Friend”. The band Neon Trees is set to come to the Lincoln Theater on Oct. 24, continuing their fall 2025 tour. Neon Trees are an alternative American pop/rock band...
The Future of D.C. DIY: Community Over Corporate
TORO Performing in the Kay Basement, March 2024. Photo by Ryan Barna Independent venues have been at the heart of the D.C. music scene for decades. Basements, warehouses, bars and more turn into a breeding ground for new music and art, and a space for people to be...
Album Review: Taylor Swift’s ‘The Life of a Showgirl’ and the Limits of Inauthenticity
I was a huge Taylor Swift fan growing up–my first iPod only had two full albums on it: One Direction’s debut album and "1989". Those two albums played on repeat, much to my mom’s chagrin, and though my music taste has changed in the last 12 years, I never stopped...
Concert Preview: Bassvictim @ The Atlantis on 10/20
The Duo Bassvictim is set to play at The Atlantis on Oct. 20th, 2025. This performance will take place just 10 days after the release of their third album, which was released this past Friday. The group is composed of Maria Manow from Poland and English-American Ike...
Concert Preview: Modest Mouse @ The Anthem on 10/18
On Oct. 18th, the popular indie rock band Modest Mouse will be performing at the Anthem in continuation of their 2025 tour spanning late summer through fall. Original member and vocalist Isaac Brock continues to carry on the unique blend of indie and alternative rock...
Concert Preview: Yung Lean @ The Anthem on 10/19
If his name doesn’t ring a bell, the intro of one of his biggest hits, “Ginseng Strip 2002”, will definitely bring up good memories of the 2010s. Jonatan Aron Leandoer Håstad, better known as Yung Lean, is a Swedish rapper who became one of the most influential...
Album Review: Innovative Rap Music & Musicianship in the Modern Landscape — McKinley Dixon’s “Magic, Alive!”
In my eyes, McKinley Dixon has occupied a special place in music ever since the 2023 release of his critically acclaimed “Beloved, Paradise, Jazz.” Hearing that album for the first time was truly an eye-opening moment. I was instantly blown away by the sheer...
Concert Preview: BETWEEN FRIENDS @ 9:30 Club on 10/17
Powerhouse sibling duo Brandon and Savannah Hudson will light up the 9:30 Club on Oct. 17 as part of their WOW! Tour. The pair makes up the fire behind BETWEEN FRIENDS, a musical group that exists somewhere between indie, synth and pop, creating a fluid, genreless...
9/30 at the 9:30 with Natasha Bedingfield
In August of 2004, Natasha Bedingfield released her debut project "Unwritten". Flash forward 21 years and she has brought her fourth tour back to Washington D.C., performing her first headlining show at the 9:30 Club on the venue’s very own day, Sept. 30 (9/30). The...
Concert Preview: The Psychedelic Furs @ The Anthem on 10/15
Listen up fans of new wave, post-punk, synth-pop, and all things 80s: The legendary Psychedelic Furs are back on tour, this time with support from the new wave king himself, Gary Numan. On Oct. 15, 2025, the Furs and Numan are taking over The Anthem stage for one...
Concert Preview: Lecrae @ The Fillmore on 10/12
Grammy-winning artist and Christian hip-hop trailblazer Lecrae is hitting the road once again for his fifth tour. He capitalizes on his message of faith, resilience, and cultural reflection to audiences nationwide. The Reconstruction Tour promises to be one of his...
Concert Preview: Lukas Nelson @ The Lincoln on 10/14
Lukas Nelson has been plucking on guitar strings since before you were born. The 36-year-old musician is best known for his band, Lukas Nelson & The Promise of the Real, and his major contributions to the Grammy-winning soundtrack of the film “A Star Is Born”....
Concert Review: Geordie Greep @ the Black Cat
It took more than five minutes after Geordie Greep’s band took the stage for him to walk up to the microphone and perform the first song in his set. When the pre-show tunes faded at Black Cat on Saturday, Sept. 20, the crowd erupted with cheer, poking their heads over...
Concert Preview: My Morning Jacket @ The Anthem on 10/8
My Morning Jacket formed 27 years ago in Louisville, Ky. Since 1998 they have created a reputation as an experimental legacy rock band that has produced sounds stemming from jam band, psychedelic rock, indie pop and alt country. As pioneers in the industry, the band...
LOCAL UNDERGROUND IS THIS SATURDAY 11/15
Join us in the Battelle Atrium for a night of live music featuring D.C. Based Group DunDrum, and the AU Student Band Camden Bay Door open at 7:30. An area will be setup for concert-goers to make donations of non-perishable food items to supplement SNAP funding being...
Concert Preview: Iniko @ 9:30 Club on 10/11
Iniko, whose pronouns are they/them, is a singer-songwriter from Brooklyn, New York. Growing up, they were influenced musically by their father, who is the lead singer of a reggae band called Soldiers, as well as singing in church. They first gained attention with...
Concert Preview: Anamanaguchi @ 9:30 Club on 10/10
Chiptune-pop fusion group Anamanaguchi brings their Buckwild Tour to the 9:30 Club on Friday, Oct. 10! The New York band blends live guitars and drums with digital instrumentation pulled from video game hardware from the 80s, delivering pixelated chaos that is bound...
Concert Preview: AFI @ The Anthem on 10/9
AFI will take the stage at The Anthem on October 9 at 8 p.m., bringing nearly three decades of dark punk energy to Washington, DC. Opening the night is TR/ST, setting the tone for AFI’s headlining set. Since their formation in the early '90s in California, AFI have...
Web Staff’s Summer 2025 Picks!
The semester is officially underway and so is WVAU Web Staff! As the summer months come to an end, our staff reviewed the releases that defined the season for them. Enjoy their take on some of the most popular drops, as well as some underrated pieces that might just...
Concert Preview: Glare, Cloakroom, Jivebomb and Destiny Bond @ The Atlantis on 10/6
HOLY STACKED LINEUP ALERT! Glare, Cloakroom, Jivebomb and Destiny Bond will all be playing killer sets at The Atlantis on 10/6! All four of these bands are legends in the making and you would be silly to miss this show. However, as a Baltimore native, I can tell you...
Concert Preview: Hailey Whitters @ 9:30 Club on 10/3
New rising country star, Hailey Whitters, is bringing her Corn Queen Tour to the 9:30 Club on October 3rd. This stop of the Corn Queen Tour will be opened by the Winner of the 2022 Boots & Hearts Festival’s Emerging Artist Competition, Owen Reigling, as he kicks...