Rhianna headlines the Verizon Center tonight.
Tuesday
Rihanna, Travis Scott @ Verizon Center 7:30 $35-$160. All ages, accessible venue.
Rihanna’s album rollout for her eighth record, ANTI, was nothing short of a mess. Last year, Riri released three singles and by the time the record dropped in January of this year, none of those singles made the cut. As it turns out, ANTI is a record of kiss offs that prove Rihanna is all out of fucks to give. Aside from ear-worm single, “Work,”, the album focuses more on RiRi’s bad girl side. Unlike other albums, Rihanna is singing within an inch of her life. Her vocals have improved by leaps and bounds, which make them a delight to hear her ballads, including the interlude-length “Higher”, which is the best vocal performance of Rihanna’s career. Through the years, Rihanna has become a live power-house, so see her while she is at the top of her game.
Wednesday
>>Black Cat: Mal Blum, Hothead, and Bad Moves 7:30 P.M. $12. All ages, accessible venue.
>>Comet Ping Pong: Slothrust, Yung, and Flavor Waster 9 P.M. $12. All ages, accessible venue.
Thursday
Field Music, The Effects @ DC9 8:30 P.M. $12. All ages, inaccessible venue.
The brothers Brewis, Peter and David, have been making music together since 2004. Their band started at the height of the post-punk revival, but unlike other peers, Field Music’s angular tracks mixed in indie-pop and orchestral sounds. This February, the band released their sixth record, Commontime. The album doesn’t break the mold the band has been perfecting, but rather expands on it. The recording features two of the band’s best songs from its career, “The Noisy Days are Over” and “Disappointed”. Field Music does not tour the U.S. that often, so see them now, or wait a long time for them to return.
Friday
Wildhoney, Big Hush, and Expert Alterations @ Comet Ping Pong 10 P.M. $12. All ages, accessible venue.
There was a time in the mid-aughts where bands were chasing the C-86 and shoegaze sounds. Some succeeded, but many released one great record and fell off from there. While bands with that sound have never gone away, there hasn’t been a band that has really picked up the torch. Enter Baltimore’s Wildhoney, a five-piece band that is equal parts indie pop and shoegaze. The band makes catchy tracks that are timeless in sound with layered, reverb-heavy vocals, pretty guitar lines, and just enough grit to make it less twee. A Wildhoney show is nothing but a dreamy good time.
>>DC9: Steve’n’Seagulls and Great Peacock 6 P.M. $15. All ages, inaccessible venue.
Sunday
Savages, Angus Tarnawsky @ 9:30 Club 7 P.M. $25. All ages, accessible venue.
Savages will kick your ass and then pick you right back up, sometimes in the same track. The post-punk band has two records out with countless performances under their belt, making them one of the best live bands to see right now. The band is known for punishing shows where the audience can both dance and mosh. Savages’ latest record, Adore Life, is just as powerful as their debut, but the topics are lighter, as it is about love. That doesn’t mean the tracks don’t pack a punch. The single, “The Answer”, is one of the loudest tracks the band has put to tape. Savages doesn’t need any extra hype, but know they are the truth.
>>U Street Music Hall: Gin Wigmore, Matt Santos 7 P.M. $20. All ages, accessible venue.
