Six Foot Blonde returned to the District on October 9, 2026, for the Spit It Out Tour at Union Stage. The show marked a celebratory step into Six Foot Blonde’s newest era, beginning with their sophomore album and latest release, Hummingbird.
Annapolis, Maryland-based band Lookout joined the ticket and delivered an opening set that showcased the same upbeat indie rock we love from Six Foot Blonde. Kate Pass's vocals are rich and dynamic, the perfect element to ground the catchy guitar work and percussion that move listeners. Fans of Briston Maroney, The Backseat Lovers, and Peach Pit have a new band to put in their rotation.
A sizable crowd arrived early to see Lookout’s set. It was a strong representation of the D.C. music community; these are the kind of people who show up for opening sets. The band performed their original songs “Austin Ln,” “Cool It,” and “Exit Signs,” between covers by the very bands we would dare to compare them to. “Freaks” by Surf Curse, “Pool House” by The Backseat Lovers, and a final descent into chaos during a jam that led into Djo’s “End of Beginning” had the crowd jumping, dancing, and feeling the energy the band created.
The end of their set got so chaotic that Pass departed the stage early to let the rest of the band break it down. Alejandro Adams on the drums, Beck Wiedmaier on rhythm bass, and guitarists William Crooks and Jack Uhl explored the stage high and low. With one lying flat on the stage, legs in the air, and the other leaning back on the first’s feet, Crooks and Uhl jumped around as Wiedmaier circled them. Lookout will play Comet Ping Pong on November 7, 2026, with Orange Dog Club.
The two bands on the ticket share an affinity, both fronted by women and similar in size and genre. It was refreshing to experience women in indie rock on a well-loved District stage.
Photo Credit: Gail Scoggin
Six Foot Blonde took the stage after a short break and piggybacked the energy Lookout created. Lead vocalist Julia Rusyniak opened the set solo on the keys with “Drinker’s Dozen,” an intense start, before the rest of the band joined her to perform the full song. Zach Patrick and Elliott Obermaier on guitars, Brian Healey on the drums, and Dom Heyob on bass and backing vocals, brought raw, immediate rock energy to the room.
The band immediately returned to their debut album, Ask Me How I Am, with “Landgirl,” one of its standout songs. Though the song feels far more playful and innocent than “Drinker’s Dozen,” the live performance created continuity between the two albums. Following “Landgirl,” they performed their standout song “Carmilla” from Hummingbird.
“Carmilla” has been both a fan- and band-favorite since Six Foot Blonde began teasing it online. Heyob and Rusyniak’s vocals created intricate harmonies that weren’t swallowed by the other instruments as they layered their voices, a testament to both their musicianship and Union Stage’s sound production.
Rusyniak took a moment to address the crowd after three incredible songs back-to-back. She expressed that D.C. is always one of the band’s favorite places to play because of the great energy the audience brings. We have to point out that their performance is a big reason the audience shows up the way they do.
“Perpendicular Universe” followed, and the crowd absolutely showed up with their energy. Rusyniak encouraged the crowd to get low to the ground to bring the energy up, and it more than worked. The crowd was dancing and jumping with their hands in the air even after the song ended and the band performed “Up A Notch.” Obermaier let it rip with a slide solo, and while it wasn’t his last of the evening, the “Up A Notch” solo hit particularly hard live because it brought the song to life in a way that felt so different from its electric recording.
The band mostly chose songs from their latest release for their set, though they still honored fan favorites “Callin’ to Karma” and “Red Wine, White Wine.” Saxophonist and keyboardist John Alex Rusyniak had a rousing saxophone feature during “Callin’ to Karma” in particular, and Julia personalized the bridge section for D.C. They also played an extended version of “Red Wine, White Wine,” letting Obermaier and the rest of the band sink into the song's heavy, intense parts once again.
Rusyniak told the crowd that the band moved to Chicago after graduating from Indiana University, leaving their home in Bloomington, Indiana. She said she felt how scary it was to graduate and start adulting. She recalled coming home from work to lie down in a twin-sized bed with her legs hanging off, but then looking out at the Chicago skyline. That reminded her that all the bad in life has to be there to balance out the good stuff.
The band played “Twin Sized Bed,” and Hummingbird reflects its moral: all the bad in life is what makes the good parts good.
“Crazy Eyes” and “Painted Ladies” are two other songs with deep stories. “Crazy Eyes,” Julia says, is about knowing that you’re going a bit insane while also knowing your friends are there to help you through it. The live performance showcased the band at their best, with vocals that could tell the story on their own, keys that add quirks, and guitars and drums that add just a sprinkle of the crazy the song describes.
“Painted Ladies” tells the story of the San Francisco landmark, but from the perspective of two ghosts haunting one of the Victorian homes. Rusyniak said she was inspired by the homes after meeting someone who works to restore them, and that she thought writing a song from the perspective of two ghosts with lead poisoning from the lead paint they used would be compelling. The band performed the song as hazy purple light bathed them all.
Six Foot Blonde’s return to D.C. was an indie-rock triumph with opener Lookout. Hummingbird shows the band moving in a new direction, and this performance absolutely lives up to that expectation. This group solidly knows who they are, and they bring their artistry into the grainiest details of their sound and work to make sure it’s clear in their live performances.
Dance with Six Foot Blonde's Infectious Energy (Photo Credit: Gail Scoggin
Six Foot Blonde continues the Spit It Out Tour. See if they are performing near you soon; you won't want to miss them! (Tour Link Here)
All Photos Courtesy of Gail Scoggin (Follow this mighty tour photographer on Instagram @gailvisuals)
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