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![Divino Niño @ DC9 [DC] - 09/17/21](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6350538c4e985848148c1691/1669659748891-EZBCGKJP313G7GA1RUHU/DivinoNino_She_DC9_MauricioCastro-17.jpg)
Divino Niño @ DC9 [DC] - 09/17/21
From Bogotá to Miami to Chicago with love. With 2019’s Foam, childhood friends Camilo Medina and Javier Forero made a great bilingual indie psych-pop album with their friends, but their DC9 show proved that they’re ready to turn those high expectations on their head once more.
![Illiterate Light @ DC9 [DC] - 1/25/2019](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6350538c4e985848148c1691/1669662593434-9SHZJGUGK24FV3QFU2PU/illiterate+ligth-5298.jpg)
Illiterate Light @ DC9 [DC] - 1/25/2019
Hailing from the quiet college town of Harrisonburg, Virginia, Illiterate Light’s Jeff Gorman and Jake Cochran have gone from playing in bands during their time at James Madison University to releasing their self-titled debut album through Atlantic Records.
Drew Beckman & the Boundary Boys @ DC9 [DC] - 10/2/2019
DC’s self-described ‘queer cowboy’ Drew Beckman has been slowly winning over crowds around town with a combination of on-stage charisma, unique writing perspective, and a great outlaw country sound.
![Lola Kirke @ DC9 [DC] - 9/27/2019](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6350538c4e985848148c1691/1669664428920-TMSU72U0FAK7A02B06XN/LolaKirke_OdettaHartman_DC9_MauricioCastro-27.jpg)
Lola Kirke @ DC9 [DC] - 9/27/2019
Singer. Guitarist. Actress. And on a nice Friday night at DC9, birthday girl.
![Mannequin Pussy @ DC9 [DC]- 9/17/2019](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6350538c4e985848148c1691/1669665182555-QI8OXZNL5838IQ0YOID9/MannequinPussy_DestroyBoys_Ellis_MauricioCastro-21.jpg)
Mannequin Pussy @ DC9 [DC]- 9/17/2019
Singer/guitarist Marisa Dabice may have been sniffling and coughing, signs of a still-in-progress recovery from a recent bout of sickness, but she sure as hell wasn’t going to let that stop her from leaving it all on the stage.
Broke Royals / Mystery Friends @ DC9 - 8/16/2019
Last week, Broke Royals finished up their whirlwind tour (12 shows in 10 days!) supporting their new album Saint Luxury with a homecoming gig at DC9 along with their good friends Mystery Friends (who are obviously no mystery to them, or YOU DC).
![Mini Mansions @ DC9 [DC] - 5/31/2019](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6350538c4e985848148c1691/1669680066114-C9AE167E9HYKHCQWC3HD/Mini+Mansions-4885.jpg)
Mini Mansions @ DC9 [DC] - 5/31/2019
Michael Shuman (Queens bassist), Tyler Parkford, and Zach Dawes make it clear that when they are not playing on larger stages, they’re still making arena sized rock ‘n’ roll.
Combo Chimbita @ DC9 - 5/5/2019
DC wasn't ready for the eye of the hurricane that is Carolina Oliveros and Combo Chimbita.
KOLARS @ DC9 - 4/21/2019
Rob Kolar and Lauren Brown, as it turns out, have rock and roll swagger for days.
Tokyo Police Club @ DC9 - 3/15/2019
Tokyo Police Club returned to DC for a night full of indie rock favorites at DC9.
Aldous Harding @ DC9- 4/9/2019
In anticipation of her third record Designer, Harding’s setlist comprised mostly of the as-of-yet unreleased album. And the DC9 crowd was utterly silent and captivated through it all.
Le Butcherettes @ DC9 - 3/2/2019
With Teri Gender Bender serving as the eye of the storm, Le Butcherettes gave a performance that will be remembered for a long time to come.
Adia Victoria @ DC9 - 2/19/2019
As she sings in “Dope Queen Blues,” “I am a god, of this I am convinced.” Once you see her perform, maybe you’ll be convinced too.
Juan Wauters @ DC9 - 1/31/2019
This Uruguayan guitarist by way of NYC wants you to take the mic and espouse your love of fruits. Get comfortable, cause this might take a while.
Alex Cameron and Roy Molloy @ DC9 - 1/25/2019
The business partners are back on the road, and like any well-run business, they’ve streamlined operations and achieved maximum output and profit.
Savoir Adore @ DC9 - 11/28/18
The name of indie pop duo Savor Adore roughly translates to “to know love” in French — and love is exactly what was felt throughout their short but sweet set at DC9 on November 28th. Led by co-vocalists Paul Hammer and Lauren Zettler, the band put on a show that demonstrated their ability to dazzle an audience with the help of some blissful melodies.
Laura Gibson @ DC9 - 11/26/2018
“So much work and thought went into every turn of phrase and every tiny shimmer of sound.” That is undoubtedly true listening to Laura Gibson’s fifth studio album Goners. It also added to the punchline when Gibson told the audience at her DC9 show that European press on her recent tour struggled to find a translation of the slang term she used as a title and pronounced in a more, well, juvenile fashion. It’s a funny reminder that you can control a lot of things in life, but you can’t control the world’s response—even when you’re careful.
Diet Cig @ Rock and Roll Hotel - 2/28/2018
The phrase ‘pop-punk’ might leave a negative connotation in people’s heads, reminding them of Vans Warped Tour bands whose time has come and gone. But Diet Cig marries fast-and-furious pop-punk power chords with simple and relatable lyricism brimming with confidence and subject matter that Blink-182 wouldn’t want to touch, like wanting to eat ice cream on your birthday. The duo of singer/guitarist Alex Luciano and drummer Noah Bowman have sold out shows all over the country, including their stop at Rock and Roll Hotel. With this tour, though, the effervescent duo became a quartet by adding Spook School bassist AC Cory and keyboardist Karli Helm. But still, it was Luciano and Bowman that stole the show as they have time and again.
Starcrawler @ DC9 - 2/17/2018
It may come to people’s surprise that Nick Cave and Karen O are just normal people off the stage. But concert-goers get so wrapped up in their show personas that the show paints a picture in their heads. The collective perception of a band creates a mythology. At DC9, a new mythology began to build around LA-based quartet Starcrawler. Singer Arrow De Wilde and guitarist Henri Cash met in high school in 2015, adding drummer Austin Smith and bassist Tim Franco soon after. Their debut single “Ants” was picked up on Elton John’s “Rocket Hour” show on Apple’s Beats 1, and they’ve made a huge splash on and off the stage since then. They've spit fake blood into the crowd. They've been kicked out of a Teen Vogue party. They’ve almost gotten into a fight with a photographer in San Francisco. And they’ve been slowly racking up appearances in publications like Vice, Vulture, and, surprisingly, Teen Vogue. There’s no doubt about it: Starcrawler is earning their place among the larger-than-life musical personas of Nick Cave and Karen O.
Best Of 2017: Mauricio's List
In the world of DC live music, there was a lot to write about in 2017. I.M.P. made its broad presence even broader with the 6,000-capacity Anthem. Songbyrd solidified its niche in the up-and-coming R&B/hip-hop scene with clutch bookings like Xavier Omar, Jamila Woods, and Noname (and booked its first show at The Fillmore, with more co-bookings to come). Competition in the 200-500-capacity space increased with new venues like Union Stage, Pearl Street Warehouse, and The Miracle Theatre. Mount Pleasant DIY venue OTHERFEELS hosted its first DMV music showcase at 9:30 Club, with a second coming in late December. There really is no shortage of opportunities to catch live music in our nation's capital.
I covered 47 shows and one three-day festival for ChunkyGlasses this year, and it’s been a wild ride covering shows in venues big (Capital One Arena) and small (Dew Drop Inn). While most of there were a lot of great shows, the following ten best showcase why the live music experience is so essential. These artists convey emotion and energy in a way that can’t be contained within the confines of an album. With these shows, it was hard to walk away without the lingering feeling of ‘holy shit, they REALLY put their heart and soul into it tonight.’
So with that, here are my ten favorite shows of 2017. Click the headers to see more pics and a full recap of that show.
PS - And if you're still interested in knowing what my favorite songs from this year were, here's my Spotify playlist - Mauricio's Favorite Fifty of 'Seventeen!