By DCIst contributor Jessica Garson

When the Dismemberment Plan first got back together in 2011 for a three-night residency in D.C., it was shocking that everyone I knew was trying to score a spot for what was the hottest ticket in town. Now that the D-Plan is back together and touring on a new album, the pair of shows they played at the 9:30 Club this past weekend didn’t have the excitement and anticipation leading up to them as their original reunion, but it was still nice to see the seminal D.C. band on stage.

I was unsure of what to expect for the first night of The Plan’s run at the 9:30 Club on Saturday. After listening to Uncanny Valley a few times, I wasn’t quite sure what to make of it. I was not disappointed, but I wasn’t overly excited about the record.

While walking into the 9:30 Club that skepticism remained. Maybe they wouldn’t be as great as I remembered? After all, they were one of the few bands that would throw all ages shows before I could get into most venues back in the day. Before they took the stage, I saw bassist Eric Axelson of the band making his way through the crowd and pretty much every person was stopping to give him a hug. He later mentioned that walking through the crowd felt like his wedding.

That said, by the time the fourth song —”The City,” off their seminal album Emergency & I —played, I could not wipe the smile off my face. I usually think most bands play too long sets, but not at Saturday’s show. Singer and guitarist Travis Morrison is effervescent and charismatic frontman, telling jokes throughout the whole show to make the entire set breeze by.

They played a mix of old and new songs, and seeing the new songs played live, they finally began to click. I wasn’t a huge fan of a few songs on the album, like “Invisible”, but I left with a deeper appreciation for it. By the time the band played one of the album’s stronger tracks, “Mexico City Christmas,” the entire crowd was moving on their feet.

The D-Plan had a team of American Sign Language interpreters, which are typically reserved for bigger acts at huge venues, like the Verizon Center. And since their songs tend to be spastic and jittery, with Morrison sometimes delivering lyrics at breakneck speed (ex: “The Dismemberment Plan Get Rich”), I had much respect for the interpreters. Their job certainly wasn’t easy that night. It’s also heartwarming to see a band remember that not everyone can hear their music as well as others and thus have a team interpreters on hand.

The encore saw the usual stage invasion/encore of the “Ice of Boston,” but it was the penultimate song of the night, “What Do You Want Me To Say,” that was the real show-stealer.

Saturday night’s openers, Deleted Scenes, have always been a band with great potential, and they seemed to have finally met that after hearing songs from their forthcoming album, Lithium Burns, which will be released in February. Songs from their previous two efforts—which explores elements of both math and folk rock without tying itself to either genre—were equally strong.

Editor’s note: The photos in the gallery are from The Dismemberment Plan’s Sunday night show with Paint Branch.