Blogs
Maggie Rogers: Concert Preview
Welcome home, Maggie. It’s been about 2 months since Maggie Rogers released her third studio album, Don’t Forget Me, but it’s “still feeling like it's yesterday”. The album features nostalgic, coming-of-age lyrics from the perspective of a 20-something, accompanied by...
The State of FIFA Music
The FIFA franchise is one of the most successful in gaming history, making over $20 billion in revenue since the series’ first release in 1993. Soccer’s premier video game is so well known that you’d likely have a harder time finding someone who isn’t privy to its...
Mt. Joy: Concert Preview
Written by: Eva Wallis & Ellie Balk
Preview: Kathleen Hanna in Conversation w/ Mira Jacobs @ Lincoln Theatre
Written by: Franky Rodriguez
Stephanie Hsu at AU: “All I’ve ever wanted to do is make sh*t that makes change”
Web Director Zoe here! This is the first of my two-part series for WVAU this semester highlighting the amazing interviews with artists I’ve gotten to do this past semester. The story starts with me sitting at a table at the Washington College of Law with a few other...
Interview: Horse Jumper of Love
Hey WVAU readers, Web Director Zoe here once again! This is the second in my two-part series for WVAU this semester highlighting the amazing interviews with artists I’ve gotten to do. It was March 29th, the night of our annual Capitol Boogie concert in the Battelle...
Photo essay: Capitol Boogie Spring 2024
Interview: Flowers for the Dead – The Foot of the Ascent
Flowers for the Dead are hitting their stride. Nearly three years since their initial inception, accompanied by the relentless schedule of touring, recording and gigging that’s inevitably followed, Flowers for the Dead has blossomed into one of the most mesmerizing...
Emily’s Earbuds: Which “Avatar: The Last Airbender” element would each Taylor Swift album be?
The crossover episode we didn’t know we needed: TSxATLA – which element is each album?
Why Do Jack Antonoff’s Fans Hate Him?
It's a well-known idea that fans are supposed to love, or at least admire, the person they are an enthusiast of. Look at Taylor Swift's Swifties or the "Beatlemaniacs" of the 1960s. Most fans would do anything for their favorite stars, from asking them to prom in...
Kyle Gordon is Great! No, Really!
To me, the best music is music with a point of view where there is a deliberate perspective that you can see the artist crafted the song from. Comedic music often has this strong point of view, as the artist must strike a delicate balance between making music that...
Capitol Boogie Preview: Horse Jumper of Love at American University
Mark your calendars for March 29: It’s time for this semester’s Capitol Boogie! Catch Horse Jumper of Love and Flowers for the Dead playing at the Battelle Atrium this Friday. Doors are at 7:30 p.m., and admission is free with a valid AU ID. Hailing from Boston,...
“Social Cues:” A Short and Slightly Obsessed Review
Cage the Elephant, the American rock band responsible for hits such as “Cigarette Daydreams” and “Ain’t No Rest for the Wicked”, just announced the release of their sixth studio album “Neon Pill,” coming May 17, 2024. In a bated anticipation, I have been a devout fan...
RuPaul Thinks You’re a Drag Queen Too
“We’re all born naked and the rest is drag,” sings Rupaul in their 2014 hit “Born Naked.” If this is true then we must all be drag queens/kings/artists, right? Wait. What’s drag? Who’s RuPaul?
The Half Life of Djo
Nepo Baby? Nope. After appearing in various commercials and with minor roles in “Empire” and “Chicago Fire,” Joe Keery’s breakthrough role was as Steve in “Stranger Things” in 2015. Since then, he has starred in “Spree” and acted in “Free Guy", "Cold Storage” and...
Preview: Hailey Whitters @ The Atlantis
Anyone anxiously awaiting Beyoncé and Lana Del Rey’s upcoming country projects will be excited to know that country starlet Hailey Whitters will be playing DC’s The Atlantis on March 28, 2024. The sold-out show will be supported by opening act Lauren Watkins....
An Introduction To Tyvek
A guide to the Detroit legends’ history and their essential listens.
Concert Preview: Loving @ DC9
For those in need of contemplative, dream-like melodies, Loving might just be the band you’ve been looking for. On March 19, 2024, Loving will be performing a sold-out show at DC9 Nightclub with support from Fog Lake, ensuring a night of nostalgic lo-fi for all to...
The Glory of Corporal
Nepo baby? Nope. Born in Kentucky in 1974 to an accounting professor at DePaul University and a lawyer, Michael Shannon has had a long history in both acting and musical pursuits. Since his first role in “Groundhog Day” (1993), he has acted in dozens of roles,...
La Fontaine: The Best Jazz Bar on This Side of the Atlantic
Winter in Denmark is unforgiving. Days are short, shorter than the shortest days in D.C., and the few hours of daylight are bleak and overcast - you can go weeks without seeing the sun. In Copenhagen, Danes are courteous, but not always friendly. There’s a rhythm to...
Concert preview: Sleater-Kinney @ The Anthem
Prepare yourself for a night full of electric energy and rock staples as Sleater-Kinney takes the stage at The Anthem on March 12, 2024. Sleater-Kinney, originally formed in the riot grrrl scene, is known for their explosive live performances and an unmistakably punk...
Mitch Rowland: Quiet Star Power
For every musical project that comes out, there is an artist who is at the forefront. With their name boldly printed across album covers and promotional materials, everyone knows who they are. Then there are those working just as hard behind the scenes to make the...
Dad Reviews: Songs that Sample/Interpolate 80s Songs!
Having a dad that grew up in the ‘80s naturally means I was exposed to some pretty great music growing up. I can remember listening to anything from Bon Jovi to Fleetwood Mac to AC/DC while in the car with him. My father and I share a love for music of all kinds, but...
At The Pie Shop
What started as an impromptu decision to attend any venue in the city having a show that Friday turned into a surprisingly captivating night of live music. While contemplating which one would properly satisfy the desire to view high energy performances filled with...
The Snuts: Breaking Away from Major Labels
Glasgow-based band, The Snuts, decided last year to break away from their major label Parlophone Records (a subsidiary of Warner Music Group) in favor of going independent. Despite the incredible success of their earlier releases, "W.L." and "Burn the Empire," The...
Grace Jones = Punk Icon
Happy Women’s History Month! Women have been at the forefront of many prominent musical and cultural movements, and the punk movement is no exception. Although many people today seemingly have a specific image in their minds of what punk is and looks like, punk is, by...
Kay Basement Preview: Local Orange, Mannequin Fight, TORO and Home Remedies
It’s back. WVAU’s biggest, loudest event of the semester is back this Saturday, Mar. 2, in the Kay Spiritual Life Center Basement. The Kay Basement concert is a long-standing WVAU tradition that goes back to at least 2012–or at least, that’s the earliest Instagram...
The Musicality Genius of A24’s “Waves”
Spoiler warning for the movie "Waves" “Waves” is a 2019 film directed by Trey Edward Shults. The movie has two distinct parts with the first half of the film following older brother Tyler Williams and his descent towards destruction, the second half of the...
The Talking Heads’ American Utopia
Lights up. David Byrne of the Talking Heads stands in the middle of an empty stage, clad in a gray suit, barefoot, holding a human brain. “Here”, he says, is the beginning of his American Utopia.
Orquídeas Album Review
On Jan. 12, 2024, Latin pop star Kali Uchis released her fourth studio album and second Spanish-language album, “Orquídeas.” As a fan of Uchis since the release of her 2015 album, “Por Vida,” I was ecstatic about the release of this album. I’ve seen Uchis twice —...