Category: Previews

By Rosie Garner

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.

By Ellison Albright

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!

Join WGTB at the show and 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.

Get your tickets here!

By Maggie Adams

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. 

Buy tickets here!

By Isabel Liu

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???

Get ready to mosh, mosh, mosh at 9:30 Club. 

By Isabel Liu

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!

By Olivia Baine

South African-born and Berlin-based singer Alice Phoebe Lou is bringing her ethereal voice and delicate instrumentation to Washington, D.C. on April 15th. This tour is in celebration of her most recent album Oblivion (2025). The thirty-six minute, eleven track album brings Alice Phoebe Lou’s work back down to earth. The tracks are simple and stripped-down, with a strong focus on light strings and soft vocals. The subject matter of this work also returns to the basics, calling on themes of love, longing, desire, and growing up. Just a peek into the stellar life lessons included in the album – “Mind Reader” tells the tale of working together to make a relationship last and the title track “Oblivion” shares about finding peace in romantic vulnerability. Among these topics, Oblivion is a striking display of Alice Phoebe Lou’s whimsy, creativity, and musicality. Come by the Lincoln Theatre to hear this stunning display. Get your tickets for Alice Phoebe Lou’s show here!

By Isabel Liu

Have term papers been making you feel like “Nothing Matters?” I’ve got the cure for you. Female-fronted baroque pop band The Last Dinner Party will be playing at The Anthem on Tuesday, April 7th. If their dramatic, otherworldly vocals and Marie Antoinette x Salem Witch Trials wardrobes aren’t enough to convince you to come, their captivating sincerity will. Formed in London in 2021, the band met as college students who loved to attend music gigs together. In just a few short years, the band has rightfully taken their seat at the table, winning BRIT Awards’ Rising Star accolade and debuting their album Prelude to Ecstasy (2024) at number one on the UK Albums Chart. Listening to The Last Dinner Party is one thing, but attending one of their live performances is another. Seeing them at All Things Go last September was like a cult ritual; I felt like I was in a daze afterwards, but in the best way possible. 

Now’s your chance to see The Last Dinner Party before everyone else catches on. Grab your tickets before they’re gone!

For a good time, join WGTB at The Howard Theatre this Wednesday, April 8th! Rapper Snow Tha Product will be performing her newest album, Before I Crashout (2025), an impressive 30-track project that still leaves the listener wanting more. The album seamlessly blends English and Spanish, at once vulnerable and intense.

Snow first debuted on the scene in 2011, with her aptly named album Unorthodox. Since then, she has maintained a prolific output, wowing fans with her words per minute and achieving both critical acclaim and commercial success. And, she’s only gotten better. We here at WGTB anxiously await what’s to come for Snow.

But first, get your tickets for Wednesday here (before I crashout)!