DC-native psychedelic rock band Argo and the Violet Queens released their debut album In Pieces on August 15, 2026. This debut album was released on the heels of their first ambitious and quite successful month-long tour.  This tour culminated in a hometown release party at The Black Cat in downtown Washington, DC.

In Pieces may be Argo’s debut album available on streaming services, but the band already has a rich presence in the DMV-area music scene. They have performed together for several years already and have put out single after single, including “It was Late,” “East from Sunday,” and “The Comedown.” Roughly half of the nine-track album has already been publicly released and performed, but the five new tracks to arrive with In Pieces are true to their sound.

In an interview, the band described the album as “varied,” “scattered,” and “laborious.” The name In Pieces comes from the sentiment that the album has tracks from across its history, since some tracks date back to 2020 while others are very new. The album’s name comes from the title of a documentary a friend of the band filmed about them. Clips for the documentary were filmed approximately every six months, and the band liked it so much they borrowed the title for the album.

That being said, it is only fitting that In Pieces should begin with “Right Time,” one of the band’s most popular songs ahead of the album’s release. “Right Time” and “Question of When” were released as singles in January 2026. The first track offers listeners a good introduction to what is to come in the album, but also what to expect of Argo in a grander sense. The instrumentation of “Right Time” shows that these musicians can pull off the complex textures they experiment with while creating something unique. “Question of When,” the second track, similarly rides the waves of intensity they introduce. They embrace the swell of the saxophone solo while keeping the contractions delicate. 

“Until The End” is the third track, and the first new song on the album. A jazzy saxophone section follows the leading vocals that sound distorted, almost like a voicemail. The track ends with a rock-fired section that culminates in utter chaos, between the drum kit, saxophone, and dueling guitars.

“Twelve Steps” is the track the band was most excited to release (the honor of overall favorite track goes to “Suicidal Squid Fishers”). In true Argo fashion, the track begins with upbeat synths and guitars, harkening back to a performance reminiscent of The Cure earlier this summer at Jammin’ Java. The new-wave, post-punk ‘70s elements manifest differently throughout the album but are in full force here.

“Live In This Life” follows a similar ‘70s groove, this time leaning more into a bluesy texture. This slower track feels more methodical and meditative than the others. That feeling matches the lyrics, which speak of moving on and flying solo.

“What’s So Wrong?” matches the slow beat of “Live In This Life” initially, though it brings a grunge-y texture straight from the ‘90s. A melancholy guitar melody matched with a marching drum beat and pick scrapes at the more intense moments conjures a likeness to Radiohead. “Caught In Between” follows this thread, but brings back more ‘70s elements. Caught somewhere between Kurt Cobain-esqe delivery and the backdrop of 90’s rock, we found we could listen to this song alone for hours on end.

Out of the ethereal groove of this “What’s So Wrong?” and others, Emme Pivetta’s saxophone pierces through the distorted symphony. This is one of many instances throughout the album that Pivetta’s saxophone makes its distinct appearance. Throughout the sonic fabric of the album, it is remarkable to hear this instrument incorporated into the peaks, valleys, and accentuations of songs.  We recommend listening to the album in its entirety just to hear the interplay of all these instruments delivering unique psychedelic symphonies to the listener.

This album can be listened to from “Right Time” to “Far Too Long” on a psychedelic journey, or you can dig deep on repeat on certain your favorites like “Question of When,” “Suicidal Squid Fishers,” and “What’s So Wrong.”  End-to-end or infinite repeat, join them on the sonic journey and lean into what resonates with you. The album has something for everyone, and on each listen, we found the next song we wanted to dive and settle into.

When asked about what they want listeners to take away from the album, vocalist and guitarist Arav Goswami emphasized the uniting features of music. “I’ve always wanted to take different dance elements from all different genres, and I think that’s something we do. I’m certain songs like ‘Squid Fishers’ are more new wave, kind of disco-y. In my mind, [music] is an outlet for people. Listen to music, engage with some sort of culture, all these disparate elements of culture that are all in one package,” he said.

The band was also sure to emphasize that their live sets are very different from their recordings available online. Given that the last time we saw them, they were joined by a full orchestra, we believe them.  

The album distills the essence of who Argo and the Violet Queens are, but if you see them live, be prepared for a performance you will not soon forget: Frenetic energy and explosive enthusiasm. If you get to see them with a full orchestra, expect nothing short of a Polyphonic Spree experience unfolding before you.

Speaking of their live orchestra performance, we have to point out the complex instrumentation and literal orchestra parts written by bassist Erl Fantilaga. Fantilaga wrote sheet music for each song on the album for their orchestral delivery.

Be sure to catch Argo and the Violet Queens perform this album (and more!) live at Songbyrd on September 17, 2026 (Follow this link for tickets).

Icelandic alternative blues rock band KALEO delivered a kaleidoscopic, grounded performance at The Anthem in Washington, D.C., on the final stop of their Way Down We Go Tour, celebrating the 10th anniversary of their debut album A/B.

The best way I like to describe KALEO is that they are Icelandic cowboys. Not only do they have a unique twang and deep timbre in their songs, but they also dress the part. Anyone who is familiar with the band members may be able to spot them just by their silhouettes.

The band consists of lead vocalist and guitarist Jökull “JJ” Júlíusson (often seen wearing a wide-brimmed fedora), drummer Davíð Antonsson, bassist Daniel Kristjánsson, lead guitarist Rubin Pollock, and keyboardist/harmonicist Þorleifur Gaukur Davíðsson.

After NYC-native indie rock band Dogpark opened the show, KALEO started their set with the explosive “No Good.” They oscillated between more intense and groovy headbangers like “Hey Gringo” and more soulful, mellow songs like “All the Pretty Girls” and “Save Yourself,” to which the audience sang along. 

Though they are from a small Nordic country, they have their finger on the pulse of issues happening around the world. They even have a song, “USA Today,” that tackles issues faced in America. Hearing this song in the nation’s capital while the stage was lit up in blue and red lights felt surreal. 

KALEO’s songwriting is poignant, and the lead singer, who goes by JJ Julius Son in the U.S., said to WBUR, Boston’s NPR affiliate, that he is often inspired by music from the 50s-70s and music that came out of the Delta region of the American South. They played their song “Broken Bones,” which is written from the perspective of a slave.

The band feels like a jack of all trades. They’re quite genre-bending and one of the most unique bands I’ve ever heard. Apple Music recommends Hozier, The Lumineers, X Ambassadors, and Billie Eilish as some similar artists, but in my opinion, none of these artists truly match the kind of music they create. The range they have in their music is also highly impressive; from those lyrical, melodic songs of longing to the songs that make you want to take a walk in cowboy boots with spurs and fringes and ride off into the sunset.

It’s clear that the band cares about their community. They dedicated their song “Automobile” to their tour bus driver, and they thanked everyone who worked with them to make this tour possible at the end of the show. They said that live music was one of the “last true artforms,” and they were grateful to be able to share their music with so many people. 

Their encore included their most famous song, “Way Down We Go,” the namesake of the tour.

KALEO embraces their Icelandic roots, and it’s evident in not only their music, but also their set design. Hanging upstage over the band was a diamond-shaped screen that showed visuals throughout the concert, including the four handprints on the cover of their debut album. There were also kaleidoscopic visuals of ice, fire, and crystals as well as landscape scenes. They sang one of the songs they have written in the Icelandic language, “Vor í Vaglaskógi,” which is a traditional Icelandic poem, as scenes of what looked like the island country were displayed on the diamond-shaped screen. 

Additionally, the piano had a glowing cutout of the band name in front of the shape of a snow-covered mountain, reminiscent of the artwork on their second studio album, Surface Sounds. When looking at the side of the piano, the lights underneath made it look like a treasure chest glowing as it is opened. Lead singer Júlíusson also had a uniquely shaped guitar that had Icelandic runes on it. 

The band flew back to their home country the next day, and they will continue their European leg of the tour in early January. 

Speaking of their European leg, I was lucky enough to see them perform in Copenhagen a few years ago.  If you think KALEO is amazing in America, you should certainly make the pilgrimage to Europe and see them closer to their native roots.

KALEO knows how to create a welcoming environment for their crowd. So many people relate to their music, and I could see that in the faces of the audience members. I’ve covered a KALEO show before, but this time I got to see them as I’ve never seen them before - from on-stage.  A big thank you goes out to KALEO for having me on stage to capture their performance closer than I could have ever hoped to.   

No matter where we have seen KALEO perform, that raw and powerful performance can be felt.  Thank you to KALEO for finishing off their tour in Washington, DC, and we look forward to seeing you fill The Anthem again on tours ahead. 

“Have you ever heard of this band before?” someone asked the people next to them in the crowd. “I dig them!”

Dogpark, the indie rock band from New York City, gained new fans the night they opened a show at The Anthem in Washington, D.C.

On August 8, Dogpark opened for KALEO, the Icelandic alternative rock band, who were on their “Way Down We Go” tour, celebrating the 10th anniversary of their debut album A/B. The show in D.C. was Kaleo’s final stop of their North American tour, and it is the only stop in which Dogpark joined them.

The band officially formed in 2023, though they were created through playing music at fraternity parties and events at the University of Richmond. While they’re a young band, social media platforms like TikTok helped the band skyrocket in popularity. People online often comment on how similar the lead singer Eamon Moore’s vocals sound to the late Jeff Buckley or Adam Levine.

Dogpark shared their summer schedule online, with stops on the east coast and the midwest – and even Canada. Their set in D.C. was the only show of the summer in which they were opening for another band. They will be traveling throughout Europe in September on their own and the West Coast in November in support of the rock band Houndmouth.

The four-piece indie rock band owned the stage during their half-hour set. The band consists of Eamon Moore on lead vocals, Chris Conte on drums, Declan Harris on lead guitar, and Billy Apostolou on guitar. They now have three studio EPs and one live EP in addition to a few singles.

Their music is reminiscent of the ‘90s rock scene while remaining fresh. All of their angst and energy was laid out on the floor of The Anthem that night, and it invigorated the crowd before the next segment of live music. They opened their set with “Hollywood,” their single released in 2025. 

Following their first song was the lighthearted, breezy “Dreamwalker” from their second EP, Until The Tunnel Vision Melts.

They played a solid set, a mix of music from each of their EPs as well as their single, released at the end of May this year, “Don’t Lie.” Their tunes are full of sass, swagger, and serotonin. The stage was simple: just them, their music, and solid colored lights. They didn’t need any fancy setup because their songs are the real stars.

In between some of the songs, the band would talk to the crowd so that they could get to know each other. Despite some audience members’ lack of knowledge about the band, there were some superfans in the crowd. Some people brought signs just for Dogpark and asked them to sing certain songs (which they did).

The band concluded their set with a classic ender, “Now It’s Over” – which was, ironically, their first single, but also the last song on their debut EP Breaking In Brooklyn.

What impressed me so much is the band’s consistency. I saw their headlining concert at the 9:30 Club in December of 2025, and they sounded incredible live, but they also sound exactly the same live as they do in their recorded music. It’s a testament to how much they seem to emphasize and value the sound of live music in their work. As members of KALEO said later in the night, live music is one of the “last true art forms.”

There is no doubt that Dogpark walked away with new fans of their music and that they will continue to grow and thrive as a band. These boys have a bright future in music and especially live music. 

Swimming through stars, driving through the desert, shining through trees, and listening through a payphone were all places audience members found themselves at Lord Huron’s concert at The Anthem on August 2, 2026.

For their final stop on the Cosmic Selector Tour, Lord Huron graced Washington, D.C. with their transcendental music and celestial visuals. After releasing their fifth studio album, The Cosmic Selector, Vol. 1, just over a year ago, the band toured the country throughout June and July this year.

They were accompanied by August Ponthier, a nonbinary singer-songwriter with magically calming vocals. The Texas native had only a guitarist – who was from D.C. – with them, but together they filled the arena and set the mood for Lord Huron’s upcoming set.

Back in 2021, Ponthier was featured on Lord Huron’s song “I Lied” from their 2022 album Long Lost. The band invited Ponthier back onstage to sing that song. Ponthier’s vocals mixed with those of lead singer Ben Schneider sounded like angels singing.

Ponthier released an album in February titled Everywhere Isn’t Texas. It is about their transgender identity, connections to their home state, and a reminder that you can leave a place in which you don’t feel comfortable. They wore a homecoming mum, a Texas tradition, that said “TRANS TX.” 

Lord Huron are masters at storytelling. Toward the beginning of the show, Schneider apologized to the audience in advance for not talking to them much between songs, but he didn’t need to. They communicated everything that needed to be said through songs and visuals.

The show began in a glowing white orb, almost like a creation, a conception, maybe even the Big Bang before the world was created. They began with “Who Laughs Last,” a song full of energy and narration by actress Kristen Stewart.

Next, in a blue haze, Schneider sang “Looking Back” through a phone, seemingly trying to deliver a message or urge someone to come back. The phone motif was present throughout the show, and it was very fun. At one point, the phone rang. Schneider picked it up, and a garbled voice began to deliver an eerie message. It got cut off, and he simply shrugged it off.

As Schneider sang into the phone, the camera hiding in the payphone showed his face large and live on the big screen in the back of the stage. The microphone also made his voice sound like it was indeed coming through a phone. The attention to detail in this show design was impeccable. 

After the first two songs, we were then instantly dropped into a red desert under a glowing moon. “Feeling lost?” said a neon road sign as a graphic car drove through the endless sand and mountains. This visual repeated itself later on in the show, but this time in a picture frame, almost like they were capturing the memory of the start of the journey. The first song in this desert setting was “Bag of Bones,” which is the second song on their most recent album. 

After the desert, the background panned upwards into a starry sky as they sang “The Ghost On The Shore” from their album Lonesome Dreams. Later, we entered an unknown land of neon red geometric lines, as if we were on the set of Tron, racing through time and space.

Roughly two-thirds of the way into the concert, Schneider came back to talk to the crowd once more. He cracked some jokes (including a joke about the Reflecting Pool) and thanked the audience sincerely for coming to the show and engaging with their music. He also encouraged the crowd to listen to their most recent album in order, front to back, the way they intended. He jokingly warned that if you listen to it backwards, you may open a portal to another dimension – even though it felt like we had all gone through multiple dimensions throughout the show. It’s clear that the band really loves their fans.

As we descended back to earth, we landed in a sun-filled forest with a stream running through it. It rippled calmly, diffusing light over the crowd. However, every once in a while, there would be a decent amount of strobing, possibly representing lightning. But then, all was calm as they played their last song of the main set.

Hearing “The Night We Met,” the song that introduced me to Lord Huron many years ago, live was an other-worldly experience. It was haunting and ethereal. Draped in green, yellow, and blue light with visuals of a rippling stream and a forest playing behind them, the band drew out the beginning of the song to lengthen the impact of the chilling vocal-only intro. It was pure magic, and the crowd was entranced.

I found it amusing that their song encore began with “The World Ender,” which repeats the phrase “back from the dead” multiple times. They ended the show with “Not Dead Yet,” a reminder to live life to the fullest. It was like they told a whole life’s story in the main act, they had died, and then they revived to bring back a few last moments of musical madness.

Lord Huron played a beautiful blend of music from nearly all of their albums, and for fans who have listened to their music for years must have felt that they were traveling back in time. Overall, Lord Huron’s Cosmic Selector Tour helped the crowd forget about the real world for a little while.

While Peter Stevens, known professionally as Pete Hayes, grew up in Chicago, he claims Washington, D.C. as his own, and he hopes that the city claims him back. D.C. is his music scene; it is where he started his career, and it is where he plans on staying for the foreseeable future. 

On Friday, July 31, Pete Hayes & The Contradictions sold out Songbyrd Music House for their biggest show to date. The show was energetic, friendly, and fresh.

You may recognize him from his first project, the Crystal Casino Band, who, in their decade-long existence, have headlined the 9:30 Club and opened shows at The Anthem. While the band is still releasing music, some of the members have moved to different parts of the country, leaving it hard to play live together. Hayes saw this as an opportunity to keep performing as a solo act.

“I really wanted to channel my energy into this project,” Hayes said in an interview. “It’s been a really good outlet to be able to still play live shows in D.C. – which I was missing so much – to release some music that I’ve been sitting on for a while, and to be able to try new things with that. It’s just been an overall really fun experience so far, and I can’t wait to see what the future holds for it.”

Hayes has been playing instruments since he was four years old, with a ukulele in his hands. When he reached elementary school, he saw someone playing the Darth Vader theme from Star Wars on the piano and decided he wanted to take piano lessons. Next, he started to teach himself the guitar around 12 years old. In high school, he had a short stint as a guitarist in a band.

At freshman orientation at George Washington University, he met Joey Mamlin, the drummer for the Crystal Casino Band, and they decided to start a band before school even began. From there, pieces fell into place, and he was able to start his first successful band.

Later, at the end of 2025, Hayes released his first solo song, “Contradict.” This was the inspiration for his new backing band, The Contradictions, consisting of Jarrod Hendricks on guitar (also a member of the Crystal Casino Band), Will Salzmann on bass, and Ben Caprio on drums. 

“At the time I started this, I was really into Elvis Costello, and Elvis Costello has a backing band called The Attractions,” Hayes said. “During band practice, while we were rehearsing for my show at Pie Shop back in March, we were trying to come up with a name for everybody else because it’s kind of cool when a solo artist has an ‘And the Blank.’”

Hayes himself somewhat resembles a young Elvis Costello. Clad in a white button-down, tie, and thick-rimmed glasses, he rocked a more “serious” look at his show to present different sides of himself as a performer – and acknowledging that he still has a “normal, corporate 9-5 job,” as he said. 

Inspired by bands like The Killers, The 1975, The Walkmen, and other quintessential “2015 Tumblr music,” Hayes describes his style as true indie rock. That’s the era in which he started his music career, as a student at GWU. He likes to blend influences into something that feels unique and personal to him.

The opening bands at Friday’s show, Jem Wilde and Color Palette, are also local indie bands, but each of them have their own style, too. One of the members of Color Palette produces Hayes’ music.

“It was cool to show a wide variety of music that night that’s also somewhat related, but are different enough that it makes each individual set interesting,” Hayes said.

Hayes finds inspiration from living in D.C. and has often incorporated it into his music. He has written songs for the Crystal Casino Band called “Potomac” and “Curfew,” which is inspired by the events of January 6, 2021. The band even has an album titled Maryland House.

“We do live in a really unique area, and it is cool to be able to incorporate anything from those experiences of living here in our music, and have other people get to experience what D.C. is like through that way, too,” Hayes said.

While D.C. is his home, he still plans to travel the world to play music. He’s been able to play in a few cities already.

“The only other city outside of D.C. that we’ve ever sold out is Chicago,” Hayes said. “I love that city as well, so it’s always really cool to play there. But New York is always really fun to play, and whenever we make it out to the West Coast, L.A. is really cool, too.”

Hayes sees the Crystal Casino Band and Pete Hayes & The Contradictions as two distinct projects, and he likes to experiment with new ideas between the two bands. 

“I had a piano at my show on Friday, I’ve never done that before,” Hayes said. “I feel like I was getting really into the performance, just trying to put on the best show and be a really good frontman.”

The Songbyrd show at the end of July was a smashing success. It introduced people to his music, and it allowed people to introduce themselves to one another and make new friends.

The number one way to boost your coolness factor as a band is to have walk-up music. As Pete Hayes & The Contradictions walked on stage, the intro to “Kashmir” by Led Zeppelin played through the speakers, leading straight into the first song. His brand new single “Sick Of It,” released the same day as his Songbyrd show, fits remarkably well with the intro to Led Zeppelin’s track.

The band played a few of their classics, the newly released songs, and some unreleased music. Fans were enthralled, and it was clear that everyone onstage loved what they were doing.

For the encore, Hayes came back out dressed in a rain jacket and bucket hat, a nod to Liam Gallagher of Oasis as they covered their song “Supersonic.”

The most unique thing Hayes did at his Songbyrd sellout was pass out four disposable cameras to the audience. He let the crowd take as many photos as they wanted, and he plans to share those photos on social media once they are developed.

“I want to remember this moment forever,” Hayes said as he passed out the cameras.

It created a memorable moment for the audience in return. People felt more connected to the band. While Hayes had some of his friends – and his mom – in the audience, he instantly created a connection to everyone else, including those who may be brand new to his music.

“I want to be able to have the crowd experience and have something to take away from it,” Hayes said. “It’s gonna be cool for people to look through it and try to find themselves.”

Hayes has been utilizing social media to boost his music career and sees it as a useful tool.

“There’s no other way to get your name out there these days,” Hayes said.

Social media is, after all, how I found out about Hayes and this concert, so his work paid off.

For now, his new music will be released under “Pete Hayes” on streaming platforms, but he hopes to one day release music as “Pete Hayes & The Contradictions” as well. While the next Pete Hayes & The Contradictions show is not yet on the calendar, we are excited to hear what happens next in this journey.

There are concerts, there are spectacles, and then there are communal hallucinations that somehow become accepted history before the parking lot has emptied. On an angry, rain-soaked Sunday, August 2nd, at Merriweather Post Pavilion, "Weird Al" Yankovic didn't merely perform—he orchestrated a mass celebration of absurdity that somehow made more sense than reality itself.

The sky had spent the afternoon behaving like it held a personal grudge against Maryland. Sheets of rain battered Columbia as fans marched toward the venue wrapped in ponchos, rain jackets, garbage bags masquerading as weather gear, and enough optimism to power a small nation. No one was leaving. Families shuffled toward the gates with children splashing through puddles, parents balancing umbrellas and merchandise budgets, and lifelong devotees grinning beneath dripping hoods. It felt less like attending a concert than embarking on a pilgrimage.

Then, almost as if someone backstage had bribed the weather gods, the storm simply... surrendered.

The clouds cracked open just enough to reveal the evening everyone had been waiting for.

This wasn't just another stop on a tour.

It was family night for the wonderfully strange.

Grandparents stood beside grandchildren. Teenagers laughed alongside parents who first discovered Al on cassette tapes. Children who only know Taylor Swift and Billie Eilish danced beside adults who remember MTV when it actually played music. Few artists possess that kind of gravitational pull across generations. Fewer still can make every one of those generations laugh together.

Before the maestro emerged, however, Merriweather first descended into the beautifully unsettling universe of Puddles Pity Party.

Describing Puddles is a fool's errand. Imagine sadness wearing seven-foot clown shoes while possessing the voice of an operatic giant and the mischievous instincts of an escaped circus philosopher.

That gets you halfway there.

His recurring expedition known as "Who Would Like To Help the Clown?" became less of a routine and more of a social experiment. Throughout the performance, he wandered the audience hunting for willing participants—or unsuspecting victims, depending entirely upon perspective.

One unforgettable moment belonged to a young girl invited onstage to help perform "Crazy Train." The smile stretching across her face could probably be seen from low Earth orbit, while the audience roared approval as Puddles transformed a child into a temporary rock star.

His set comfortably blended beloved favorites with newer material, including the stirring performance of "America Today"from his latest album, proving that beneath the greasepaint exists a remarkably gifted vocalist capable of moving between heartfelt sincerity and complete chaos without warning.

Then things became gloriously ridiculous.

One audience member found themselves force-fed Hostess cupcakes while Queen's "Under Pressure" drifted through the speakers, creating one of those moments that could never be explained to anyone who wasn't there. Nearby, another poor soul became the unwilling recipient of an avalanche of tissues as Puddles theatrically buried them beneath a paper blizzard.

Watching this unfold, someone in the front row exclaimed through uncontrollable laughter, "Who knew a clown would be opening at a Weird Al performance?"  Without missing a beat, their friend replied, "You didn't research Puddles or this performance before coming here, did you?" Both dissolved into hysterics.  That exchange somehow summarized the evening perfectly.

After his performance concluded, Puddles refused to retreat behind the curtain. Instead, he wandered among the audience hugging strangers, pretending to choke patrons, joking with fans, mugging for photographs, and generally proving that the line separating performer from audience was merely a suggestion.

Puddles Pity Party isn't simply an opening act.

He is an experience.

He is surreal theater disguised as audience participation.

He is absolutely a must-see artist.

Then came the man himself.

Rather than simply appearing beneath the lights, Weird Al transformed his entrance into another piece of performance art. Cameras followed him from the dressing room through backstage corridors as he wandered toward destiny, building anticipation one step at a time before finally emerging to thunderous applause.

Of course... Not before hitting Puddles directly in the face with a pie - naturally.  Because this is Weird Al Yankovic's universe, and the rest of us are merely lucky enough to visit.

For nearly four decades, Weird Al Yankovic has quietly become something few people fully appreciate.

He isn't merely America's greatest musical satirist; he's America's cultural historian. Yankovic is a curator, a clairvoyant who somehow captures each musical era in amber before lovingly turning it upside down and making the entire country laugh at itself.  Queen, Michael Jackson, Devo, Nirvana, Green Day, Joan Jett, Star Wars, Billie Eilish, Taylor Swift, and the list goes on and on and on.

Every generation finds itself reflected somewhere inside Yankovic's wonderfully warped mirror. His catalog has become an unofficial archive of American popular culture, preserving not only the songs themselves but the emotions attached to them.

That remarkable lineage continued with "Polkamania!", whose accompanying video appeared during the performance. The multimedia presentation joyfully races through today's pop landscape, including appearances from Billie Eilish and Taylor Swift within the production.

Curiously, this particular video isn't available on YouTube. If you want to witness it, you'll have to show up to a concert and see it for yourself.  Some things still belong exclusively to live music — and thank heaven for that.

Speaking of Swift, even the legendary "Eras Tour" might have paused to applaud the sheer number of costume changes unfolding before our eyes. It wasn't simply Yankovik changing outfits countless times; the entire band transformed alongside him, and every entrance became another theatrical reveal.  Every song felt like opening another chapter in a beautifully unhinged musical storybook.

As remarkable as the lightning-fast costume changes were, the moments between them became a show unto themselves. Rather than leaving the audience staring at an empty stage, the massive video screens erupted with some of Weird Al's most brilliant comedic creations—his legendary mashups of celebrity interviews, painstakingly edited into surreal conversations that could only exist inside Al's wonderfully warped imagination. Through flawless editing and impeccable comic timing, rock stars, actors, musicians, and television personalities appeared to answer questions they had never actually been asked, delivering punchlines they never intended but that somehow landed with surgical precision. Every transition became an event, with the audience laughing before the joke had even fully unfolded, eagerly anticipating where Al's mischievous editing would take them next.

These weren't filler while the band disappeared backstage to change costumes. They were an essential part of the production itself, showcasing another dimension of Yankovic's genius.  Just as he reimagines beloved songs, he reimagines popular culture through the editing room, transforming familiar interviews into hilarious new works of art. It reinforced what became increasingly obvious throughout the evening: this wasn't simply a concert—it was a complete multimedia experience, where every second had been crafted to entertain.

The audience lapped up every moment—every lyric, every joke, every visual gag, every costume, every film clip, every multimedia flourish.

Faces across Merriweather glowed with unmistakable recognition as songs connected directly to childhood memories. One moment parents were laughing because they remembered hearing a parody in middle school. The next, their children were laughing for entirely different reasons.  That's rare magic.

At various points, the performance became impossible to distinguish from a Broadway production, a rock concert, a comedy show, and an elaborate fever dream. Giant video screens expanded the storytelling while costume changes accelerated at impossible speed. Young fans danced wildly in their seats while children spun circles across the lawn. Adults abandoned dignity somewhere around the second chorus and happily never recovered.

Everyone came prepared to polka — Everyone eventually did.

Before serenading one particularly romantic number, Al offered a mock apology to the gentlemen in attendance because the next song, he declared, was "for the ladies."

Moments later, he wandered directly into the audience, singing face-to-face with fans, transforming rows of seats into front-row experiences. Some artists give the shirt off their back, and Weird Al laughs at that and raises the stakes.

One lucky woman received the underwear right out of his pants.  Only at a Weird Al show could that sentence exist without requiring further explanation.

Later, a familiar film clip from the 2022 movie "Weird: The Al Yankovic Story" introduced "Another One Bites the Dust," and almost instinctively, thousands of hands began clapping in rhythm before the inevitable transformation into "Another One Rides the Bus."

Everyone knew exactly where the joke was headed.  Everyone loved the journey anyway. That is Yankovic's true superpower  — the jokes never expire because the joy never expires.

His songs remain timeless not simply because they're funny but because they become bookmarks in our own lives. Every parody carries the memory of the original song while simultaneously creating an entirely new one. Parents introduce their favorite Al songs to their children, who then discover the originals afterward. The cycle repeats itself generation after generation.

Very few artists get to soundtrack one lifetime. "Weird Al" Yankovic has somehow managed to soundtrack several. 

As the lights finally dimmed over Merriweather Post Pavilion, one truth remained impossible to ignore.

Puddles Pity Party had proven himself to be one of the most wonderfully bizarre, interactive, and unforgettable opening acts touring anywhere today—a surreal spectacle every music fan deserves to witness at least once.

And "Weird Al" Yankovic?

He remains a force unlike any other in popular music.

A living curator of American culture.

A fearless reimaginer of every era.

A joyous reminder that music should never take itself too seriously, even while honoring everything that made us fall in love with it in the first place.

So embrace the madness.

Celebrate the absurd.

Dare to be stupid with Al.

Because, whether we realize it or not...

We're all living in his world.

Washington, D.C.-based psychedelic rock band Argo and the Violet Queens took to the suburban venue Jammin’ Java on Monday, July 20, 2026. The homegrown-DMV band is known for blending nostalgic ‘50s disco and rock aesthetics and certainly carried through those textures in their performance.

The show was not the first stop of their album release tour. The band kicked off in Brooklyn, New York, and steadily made their way back down the East Coast. Beginning Wednesday, July 22, the band is officially touring in a retrofitted FedEx van and will be making their way across the country in anticipation of their August 15 release day for their debut album, “In Pieces.”

The band has made a name for themselves in the local scene, however, nobody could’ve expected Argo and the Violet Queens to take the stage with a 14-piece orchestra ensemble. Joining the lead vocalist Arav Goswami, bassist Erl Fantilaga, lead guitarist Levi Hebeisen, drummer Sam Tyson, synth and backing vocalist Brody Steck, and sax player Emme Pivetta were cellos and flutes and trombones (oh my!). The ensemble gave the band the depth that fans have come to know and appreciate them for.

They kicked off the set with “Likeness of You,” a track they recently recorded and released as a live version online earlier this past June. In an interview, the band described their approach to live sets as a jam band would, except with shorter songs. That energy definitely came through, because they had folks dancing in the audience from the minute they hit the stage. Their second song, “Right Time,” kept up the energy.

For this performance, Argo and the Violent Queens brought a full fourteen-piece orchestra

Their sound is deeply influenced by ‘50s rock, ‘70s disco and dance, and jazz influences. Each song of their set portrayed those influences differently, yet added a contemporary layer throughout.

Their performance of “Question of When” almost makes a listener think they’re reminiscence of ‘90s and ‘00s alternative rock, but it quickly swells to become something grander, deeper, and more evocative. Argo and the Violet Queens has accomplished a very complex sonic landscape that doesn’t disappoint in their electric recordings, either.

“Casablanca,” their third song of the evening, changed the room. The track felt a little more restrained at first before opening up into an exploration of ‘70s rock, almost bringing up bossa nova textures with energy not dissimilar from The Cure. 

They rounded out their set with “Suicidal Squid Fishers,” a band favorite, “East From Sunday,” “The Comedown,” and a song known to the band as “The 6/8 Song.” A look at the music stands from the ensemble would reveal that is exactly how it is titled on sheet music arranged and assembled by Fantilaga.

“Now we’re going to get sorrowful,” Goswami assured the crowd as the band began to play “The 6/8 Song.” The melody felt devotional while maintaining an almost pastoral feel with the woodwinds and strings features. Overall, the ability the band possesses to pack many motifs across one track and maintain cohesion is impressive. It comes as no surprise that this is the band’s bread and butter instead of a lofty goal to reach. There’s no doubt their upcoming debut album will accomplish the same.

The Jammin’ Java show marked their fourth with opener Virg and special guest Lena Traynham, two other artists based in the DMV. The band made sure to extend a special ‘thank you’ to the other musicians that have hit the road with them.

We’re looking forward to seeing Argo again at their closing tour show at Black Cat on August 15, 2026. Make sure to keep an eye out for their debut album, In Pieces, also releasing on August 15. If Monday’s show was any indication, Argo and the Violet Queens has a bright future ahead.

The wait is almost over, and the countdown is on.

In just one week, The Get Down returns for its 10th anniversary celebration with three days of music, camping, and community tucked deep in Tuscarora State Forest, featuring two nights of CABINET as the band celebrates its 20th anniversary.

For a decade, The Get Down has built a reputation as more than a festival. It’s a long weekend of late-night jams, creek hangs, campfire conversations, spontaneous dance circles, and the kind of forest energy that keeps people coming back year after year.

To mark the milestone, CABINET takes center stage for two nights, joined by an eclectic lineup featuring Keller and the Keels, Spafford, Sicard Hollow, Mike Miz & The NEX, The Englishtown Project, JK3!, Big Blitz, SWAAMP & The Bad Brass Gators, Brendan Michael Smith & The Susquehanna Boom Co., Francis & Sky, and more. Rounding out the weekend is a stacked mix of bluegrass, jam, roots, and late-night energy, including DMV favorites Natalie Brooke, 5 Spot, Radish, and Cumberland Honey.

Off stage, the experience keeps rolling with shaded tent and car camping along Sherman Creek, swimming holes, open space, and plenty of room to settle in, wander, connect, and let the weekend unfold at its own pace. While The Get Down welcomes all ages, its heart lives somewhere between a jam session, a campground hang, and a psychedelic summer escape.

Grab a 2-Day or 3-Day GA pass with camping included, or take the weekend up a notch with VIP access featuring early arrival, preferred parking, Happy Hour with CABINET, exclusive commemorative gifts, and a signed event poster.

Kids 12 and under are free!

Pack the tent, Bring the crew, and get ready to Get. Down.

Fans braved the cold and flurries on Friday, February 6 and got out to see DC locals Marilyn Hucek and MADDIE during the last show of Hucek’s first-ever headline tour. The show was originally scheduled for January 24, but was cancelled due to the snowstorm.

Opening up the show was MADDIE, power pop singer-songwriter with Barbie energy in the best way possible. Joined by Trey Sorrells on the keys, MADDIE performed originals "Horoscope", "Tell Me What To Do", "Breakfast in Bed", and "Flirty Little Fling", as well as a cover of Espresso by Sabrina Carpenter. Flirty Little Fling got the crowd jumping, and MADDIE’s music is definitely best enjoyed while wearing big hoop earrings.

Hucek opened the last performance of her debut headline tour with "Rebound" and "I Tried", both songs about trials in love set to catchy melodies. She was joined by Daniel Geiss on the bass, Hays Dowdy on the electric guitar, and Izik Raphael on the drums. Hucek’s music takes on an acoustic pop sound, reminiscent of Taylor Swift’s early-2010s sound with storytelling at the core of her writing. Her debut album, MARILYN, is about celebrating “girlhood, womanhood, and everything in between,” Hucek said during the show.

Two songs in particular stood out to me: "Man of the House" and "Neil Young". Man of the House is just one song in Hucek’s catalog that showcases the intersection of her musical and personal influences. She dedicated the song to “anybody who’s ever had to grow up fast, who’s ever had to take on a lot more responsibility than they’re ready for.”

Neil Young is an homage to Hucek’s father who struggled with early-onset Alzheimer’s before passing away three years ago. Hucek shared with the audience that one significant way she stayed connected with him was through music, even after he couldn’t recall her name. Hucek performed the song and left several in the audience misty-eyed. After leading the audience in the bridge, she announced 5% of all proceeds from her streams and $3 of every vinyl purchase goes to the Alzheimer’s Association.

This show in particular was special for several reasons, Hucek revealed halfway through the show: not only would Hucek celebrate her birthday at midnight, but it also marked the celebration of life for her father. The night itself was marked by bittersweet moments, and yet they only added to the power of Hucek’s performance.

The whole night felt vulnerable yet passionate, especially since it included covers of Pink Pony Club by Chappel Roan and Vivir Mi Vida by Marc Anthony. Hucek is American-Chilean, and she introduced Vivir Mi Vida by promising the crowd that they were going to have some fun with it. Both songs had the crowd singing along and dancing, and it was a fun and heartwarming display of how music can bring people together in both joy and vulnerability.

Hucek also performed her song "Me Salvaste El Alma", a song with lyrics in Spanish that translates to “You Saved My Soul.” She said the song is about someone who comes into your life and saves you in ways you never expected, following the theme of vulnerability and joy in that vulnerability.

The core of each song was rooted in a story or directly related to something bigger than Hucek herself, which is a part of the reason why I feel her music feels so authentic and powerful. Hucek joked during her performance that “we’re gonna get vulnerable, it’s all about healing,” but that’s just what makes her storytelling so raw. Whether you typically enjoy pop or not, you can’t deny that there is true artistry in Hucek’s music and even more so in her performance.

The first track from MARILYN is called "I Made It", and Hucek wrote it on a road trip to Nashville. Hucek told the crowd that she doesn’t listen to music or podcasts when she drives and she quite enjoys silence, but it was getting to her on this trip—she ended up writing I Made It during that roadtrip as she was thinking about how to define success. Hucek’s mother was present in the crowd, and Hucek sang the last chorus directly to her mother at the front of the crowd, which was a powerful triumph, especially on the last night of her debut tour.

Hucek capped off the night with several unreleased songs: "Polar Plunge", "Animal House", and "Self-Destruct". Before performing “Self-Destruct,” Hucek commented that she was convinced she was “sitting on gold” and couldn’t wait to release it. Given the reception by the audience, Hucek is right, and these songs are going to be the next hits from Hucek.

The crowd sang Happy Birthday to Hucek at the end of the show and begged for an encore, but the band swore they didn’t have one prepared. We’ll just have to look out for Hucek’s next live show.  

It was a big night for local music last Friday, January 9th, with Stephen Sol & the 7’s headline show at Union Stage. With support from DMV-based artists Frewt and Hathway, the eight-piece psychedelic folk-rock band brought a fun show with great music to the stage.

One of my favorite parts about going to local DMV bands’ shows is the energy the crowd brings. Friends and family packed in early to greet each act. This truly was a community show; the faces in the crowd weren’t random, but true supporters.

Frewt took to the stage first, performing groovy rock originals "French Café", "Change My Mind", and "Crazy How I Feel About You". The band noted that though they write their music collaboratively, everyone has their own style on their instruments, which makes writing together exciting.

To round out their set, the band gave a shout out “to all the mothers,” and by the opening guitar riff, the crowd knew it was time to sing along to the ever-powerful "Stacy’s Mom" by Fountains of Wayne. 

Hathway’s dreamy indie rock sound changed up the energy for their set. They began by playing two unreleased songs, "Joyburn" and "Start Again", before going into originals "While I Wait" and "Keeper of Time". The band includes siblings Joe, Jude, James, Timmy, and Mary Grace Hathway. Hathway’s music would resonate with fans of Colony House and Blue Rain Boots.

The crowd particularly enjoyed "Keeper of Time," which took on a more edgy sound than the rest of their set and featured Mary Grace as a special guest. Mary Grace has a unique voice that works together with the supporting vocals to maintain their signature dreamy sound. To round out their set, the brothers performed "Money in Her Pocket" and "Altercation," which were quick to win over the crowd and provided an energy spike right before Stephen Sol & the 7 came onstage.

With the energy high from two awesome opening sets, Stephen Sol & the 7 capitalized on it and brought it to an entirely new level with a cover of "Bohemian Like You" by The Dandy Warhols. With Stephen Sol on lead vocals and guitar, Bema Tadey and Yasmin Wamala on backing vocals, Arquel Rivera on drums, Tyler Goldstein on guitar, Leif Christian L. Jomuad on bass, John Rey Tangaran on the keys, Randie Goode on the trumpet, and Jairo Chavez on the saxophone, the band certainly has a robust capacity to bring plenty of variety in their performance and pull off the inter-genre space they live in.  Stephen Sol & the 7 took up the entirety of Union Stage's stage and created a creative wall of song.

The first few minutes of the set was pure chaos in the best way possible. The chaos continued through "Compasión" and "Sacred Energy", especially with the entrance of backup dancers dressed in hot pink and beach balls tossed into the crowd.  

I find the eight pieces’ certainly lean on the rock genre to describe themselves, but their music feels like an indie rock band with a folk problem in the best way possible; balancing high-energy, earworm melodies with the storytelling ability and themes of folk music. The band self describes their music in their Instagram bio as “Bob Dylan backed by Pink Floyd and a gospel choir.” Just behind the energy created in the venue space, the musicians, and the crowd before them is a tendency to package inherent opposites together and explore the unity of these opposites through music, and this begins with their instrumentation.

It was clear throughout the first half of the show just how much fun the band has together, especially when on stage. The band played as Stephen Sol introduced "Fifth Best Singer in the Band", a song which showcases not only their musical but interpersonal chemistry. This song calls out band members by name including their instruments. Sol notes in the introduction that they have added two more members since he wrote the song, and though he currently ranks at number seven, he hopes to make it back to the fifth spot sometime. “I’ve been taking vocal lessons though, we’re getting there,” he assured the crowd.

After an energetic performance of "Short Skirt / Long Jacket" by CAKE, Sol announced a $700 raffle for ticketholders. The raffle was marketed online by Sol’s ‘financial advisor’ Vinny Sorrentino, a man who is said to dabble in the pizza and cannoli industry in New York City and who bears a striking resemblance to guitarist Tyler Goldstein. 

The second half of the set kept up the energy while leaning on the storytelling characteristic of folk tunes. Sol described Toxic as a song about how “life’s not always through rosy glasses,” and Spring as about surviving winter. They brought the warmth back quickly with Sunshine Wine, a bright song that exudes summer. As the band played, Goode and Chavez ran backstage to retrieve hot dogs just in time for Sol to sing the lyric ‘hot dog in the sun.’ Waving them around and dancing a bit, Goode eventually ran to the front of the stage and gave the hot dogs away to two audience members in the front row.

“I wouldn’t eat those,” Goldstein advised the two women. They opted to store them for later in their purses.

At the end of the show, just before the raffle, Sol announced a headline show at the iconic DC venue Black Cat on July 10 (keep an eye on the venue's show page for tickets). Then, Vinny Sorrentino came onto the stage to pull the winning raffle ticket. With much ado, the lucky winner received their prize and concluded a great night.

If you’re wishing you could’ve caught the show, you’re in luck: Stephen Sol & the 7’s latest release is a live album, Live at Manor Time, that includes some selections featured in their set. Check it out on all streaming platforms.

The DC music scene is alive and flourishing, and so are its local homegrown bands.  Don't sleep on Stephen Sol & the 7 and be sure to catch them where they shine brightly - live!  Be sure to keep Hathway on your radar - they continue to release stunning songs, and don't sleep on Frewt, who continue evolve and grow.