Instrumental composer and performer Flawed Mangoes will be playing at Union Stage on Sunday, June 21st!
Born in Massachusetts, Flawed Mangoes, or Evan Lo, first gained attention after a guitar loop he created for fun went viral online. Since then, he has become one of the most recognizable artists of the growing Hopecore movement, a genre centered on uplifting and inspiring listeners through instrumental music. His breakout track, “Killswitch Lullaby,” helped establish his place in the genre and introduced millions to his reflective, string-based sound.
With more than 1.6 million followers on TikTok, Flawed Mangoes has built a dedicated audience drawn to his ability to tell stories without lyrics. Blending intricate guitar melodies with atmospheric production, his music creates an emotional listening experience that resonates with listeners worldwide. Whether you’re already a fan of Hopecore or just looking to discover a new artist, make sure to check out Flawed Mangoes at Union Stage.
This Friday, Bleachers and opener Hovvdy will be playing at the Merriweather Post Pavilion. Fronted by Grammy Award-winning singer, songwriter, and producer Jack Antonoff, Bleachers is well-known for their infectious 80s-influenced pop rock. The band burst onto the scene in 2014 with their album Strange Desires, featuring two songs of the summer—“Rollercoaster” and “I Wanna Get Better.” Since then, Bleachers has been unstoppable, amassing a large following, touring internationally, and releasing another four albums. Their most recent album, everyone for ten minutes, was released on May 22. From the new to the old and from the experimental to the classic, Bleachers is sure to put on a show for everyone… let’s just hope it lasts longer than ten minutes!
From the balcony, in the middle of a stream of adoring fans, emerged a declaration: “I’m a writer, I don’t do crushes.” The line opens “Janis Joplining,” sung by BRIT-nominated Irish popstar CMAT, and opened CMAT’s first-ever show at DC’s 9:30 Club. Fulfilling a lifelong dream of playing there, CMAT noted her excitement about night in general and the iconic branded cupcakes. However, this excitement over the delights of foodstuffs only lasted until the “Very Sexy CMAT Band” started up the second song, a diss-track-turned-self-admonishment and second single from the new album Euro-Country (2025). “The Jaime Oliver Petrol Station” set the tone as red lights flashed across the stage setting, a large glowing Euro embossed with the popstar’s face and the title of the album. The song devolved into a fit of screaming, cementing CMAT’s bonafide rock-stardom as she ran around the stage, raising the energy in the room to a boiling point. After this, she played two hits from her first album, “I Don’t Really Care for You” and “2 Wrecked 2 Care”, interspersed with a song from the new record, “When a Good Man Cries,” in which the artist catapulted herself onto the floor.
Soon, CMAT called out to the crowd acknowledging two requests. She provided the background for her first song, “Phone Me.” She admitted she had forgotten the words and that most of the band had not played before, but sang and performed a snippet of it perfectly as the band played off of the keyboardist’s direction. Following this, she played the second request, “Coronation St.”
The band then exited the stage and the lights dimmed, leaving CMAT at center stage with just her guitar. This portion was bookended by the return of the band for the second half of “Rent,” a devastating ballad from her second album Crazymad, For Me (2023), which bloomed from the solitary beginning to full band backing. To close out the set, the first single from Euro-Country, “Running/Planning,” left the crowd on an an anticipatory note as the singer closed the song with the refrain “I keep on running, planning, yeah.”
Though this wasn’t the true end, CMAT returned to the stage for an encore to chants of her name. The encore began with the title track from Euro-Country, featuring a beautiful verse in Gaeilge and rooting the entire show even further within the ethos of identity. This Irish thread was masterfully woven together with her country influences as she asked the audience to do the “Dunboyne County Meath two-step” shuffle from side to side while she played the song “I Wanna Be a Cowboy, Baby!” After this, CMAT came down from the stage and into the pit to close the show, for real this time, with “Stay For Something.”
From the very beginning of the night with opener Blond in Car to the very end of the show, drama and energy reigned over the Euro-Country tour. A night with CMAT and The Very Sexy CMAT Band is certainly one you won’t want to miss. She doesn’t do crushes, but she crushed her first show at the iconic 9:30 Club!
I first came across the musical stylings of Courtney Barnett in 2022 during my freshman year of college. I was a DJ at KSPC 88.7FM Claremont, a far way from home, and spent a lot of time in the basement radio station for a girl that went across the country to attend a school in eternally sunny Southern California. One day, I was lucky to pull Courtney Barnett’s Tell Me How You Really Feel (2018) from the CD storage racks. Listening to this album on the intercom speakers, I found an instant companion in Barnett’s deadpan, conversational voice. Bouncing between my favorites “Help Your Self” and “Need A Little Time,” Barnett’s lyrical wit and depth opened my mind up to her music.
Now, a Senior in college and far far away from California, I connected with Courtney Barnett’s most recent release Creature of Habit (2026). This album is a true return to form for the Australian singer-songwriter. The ten-track album features the strong backbeats, striking, angsty vocals, emotionally-attuned lyrics, and vivid instrumentation that I fell for four years ago. Barnett is taking this album on the road, and you’re not going to want to miss this striking solidification of Barnett’s sound. In alignment with Barnett’s wise words from her song “Rae Street,” “Well, time is money and money is no man’s friend,” so come spend your time and money to join Courtney Barnett in Washington, D.C. at the Anthem on Sunday May 10th. Get your tickets here!
Australian indie folk band The Paper Kites are hitting the 9:30 Club on May 6th!
Originating in Melbourne in 2009, these high school friends have since reached new heights. They achieved U.S. chart success with their 2010 single “Bloom” and have released seven studio albums in total. Now touring their new album If You Go There, I Hope You Find It, the band showcases a more mature, reflective side than ever. On stage, their unique sound shines through their melancholic harmonies and playful interactions.
On May 5, indie folk artist Searows will be performing at the 9:30 Club, bringing his quiet, emotional, Phoebe Bridgersesque™ sound to one of Washington, D.C.’s most iconic venues. The 9:30 Club offers an ideal setting for this kind of performance. Known for its intimate atmosphere, the venue allows audiences to feel closely connected to the artist.
Searows, the project of Alec Duckart, has built a following through stripped-down production and introspective lyrics. His music is small and still with soft guitar and impressive vocals. Songs like “House Song” and “Keep the Rain” are his most popular, and he resonates especially with fans Phoebe Bridgers or Bon Iver.
Over the last couple years, Searows has been rising in popularity. This tour debuts his sophomore album Death in the Business of Whaling. Tears will be shed and some of us might send texts to our high school homoerotic friendships. Who knows.
I’m like, where you at, can’t see you, I need you now at fakemink’s set at 9:30 Club on May 3rd! This underground UK rapper has taken the world by storm with his playboy lyrics and shyboy attitude. fakemink began his career under the moniker 9090gate, producing his own beats on FL Studio. In 2025, his single “Easter Pink” went viral with its joy-inducing, nostalgic bass hits and nonchalant flow. fakemink might be your favorite artist’s favorite rapper, getting co-signs from Frank Ocean, A$AP Rocky, Carti, and Clairo. He released his newest EP The Boy Who Cried Terrified in January, and walked in Demma’s first Gucci runway show in February. What can’t he do???
Hear ye, hear ye! This Galway-bred band offers a hypnotic blend of shoegaze and 90s rock in exchange for your undivided attention at their upcoming DC show.
Each NewDad era feels like shedding skin to reveal something underneath. Madra, meaning “dog” in Irish, tears apart the complicated feelings of adulthood and was named by NME as one of the top 10 debut albums of 2024. In Altar, their sophomore album, the band shares a fondness for home since moving to London’s music scene. NewDad’s confident lyricism and dreamy sound has earned them a devoted fanbase that will all go see them at the 9:30 Club on April 29.
As if this couldn’t get any better, Freak Slug will be opening for NewDad! Truly a great night for esoteric girls and their Geese-loving boyfriends, as well as the rest of the human population. Grab your tickets here!
On Thursday, February 27, 2026, comedian Jim Gaffigan stopped in Washington, D.C., for three nights as part of his Everything is Wonderful tour.
Jim Gaffigan, a Georgetown graduate, gained widespread popularity through specials like Mr. Universe and Cinco.
I was unfamiliar with Gaffigan’s comedy, so when I noticed that the Anthem was filled with people mostly in their early thirties to mid-fifties, I immediately assumed I was not the target audience. After watching the show, I now know I wasn’t the target audience, but I still found him really funny.
Ted Alexandro opened the show; the majority of his jokes were about marriage or parenting, so not really topics I could relate to. Nevertheless, I felt that if I were slightly older, I would have found many of the jokes funny. He joked that active-duty soldiers and young parents are the first groups to board planes, which should be pretty telling about how difficult parenting is. I thought that was funny.
Gaffigan came on after him. He also made jokes about parenting and marriage, but to older kids. One thing I noticed is how clean his humor is, yet he still manages to be really funny. Gaffigan’s comedy is known for its observational style—focusing on everyday things like food, family life, and small annoyances that most people can relate to. Even when the jokes weren’t directly aimed at someone my age, the way he built them made it easy to laugh along with the rest of the audience. Most comedians, I feel, have to resort to controversial or sexual humor to get the crowd laughing. Gaffigan didn’t at all, and I found myself laughing a lot, as did the rest of the crowd.
I also appreciated how Gaffigan weaved in jokes from Alexandro’s stand-up into his jokes. It wasn’t very noticeable, but if you were paying close attention, you would have noticed it.
I kept on thinking about how much my parents and older cousins would have enjoyed this show, and maybe if I were ten years older, I would have enjoyed it much more. Even though the humor was not directed at me, I still enjoyed it, and I am really glad I went. If anything, the show made me curious to revisit his comedy in a few years.
Perfume Genius (aka Michael Hadreas) returned to Lincoln Theatre on March 31, 2026, for a performance that felt less like a traditional concert and more like an intimate, dimly lit, secret performance. Stripped down to Hadreas’ angelic voice and the quiet – yet essential – presence of his husband and collaborator Alan Wyffels, the evening leaned into a sense of graceful fragility.
The stage set-up was minimal: two seats, two pianos, and low lighting that cast long shadows. Throughout the set, Hadreas alternated between sitting at his piano and standing behind a mic stand at center stage. From the moment he got on stage, Hadreas set a tone that blurred vulnerability with humor, remarking that the night would be filled with banter due to the beta blockers he had just taken. Later, he went on to joke about the visible stain on his shirt from the bread pudding and ice cream he’d eaten earlier.
The duo opened with “AWOL Marine,” which Hadreas noted they were performing live for the first time in a while. They followed with “Perry,” a track off of their debut album, Learning, and “No Front Teeth,” during which Hadreas sang both parts of the duet – and exquisitely.
Before launching into “Valley,” Hadreas remarked that the show should have been labeled “a night with Perfume Genius” as he enters the second half of his life. From there, he introduced “Full On,” one of his favorite songs off of Glory. He followed that up with a series of throwbacks, including “Die 4 You,” “Hood,” and a slowed-down, nearly unrecognizable version of “On the Floor,” which served as a stark contrast from its usual pulsing beat. On “Whole Life” and “Jason” (a personal favorite), Wyffels’ beautiful piano playing was on full display alongside Hadreas’ piercing vocals.
One of the most unexpected joys of the night was getting to see the playful and loving energy between Hadreas and Wyffels. After “Without You,” Wyffels remarked that he kept finding himself finishing Hadreas’ sentences and dancing along as he sang. During “Nothing at All,” the two fought over who got to play the last note, with Wyffels eventually ceding to Hadreas. For “Describe” and “Alan,” Wyffels gave Hadreas the stage, but stood in the wings watching warmly. To close out the set, the two sat side by side to perform “Learning,” with Wyffels mouthing each word in sync with Hadreas.
Everything, from seeing the opener, Dan English, watch Perfume Genius’ set, to the audience to observing as old friends ran into each other and caught up between sets, conveyed the warmth and simple joy of the night. It was raw, occasionally awkward, and deeply affecting. Perfume Genius does not perform at you, but rather lets you quietly into his world.
