Make like it is 2000 and go see 98 Degrees on Saturday.
Wednesday
Diet Cig, Solids, HAUNTS @ DC9 8 P.M. $14. All ages, inaccessible venue.
New York duo Diet Cig have been turning heads since the release of their 2015 EP Over Easy. Made up of Alex Luciano and Noah Bowman, the band makes short pop songs that recall 90’s college rock. Over Easy is just five songs, but it is super catchy and re-playable. The band followed up their EP with a quick split single, with two strong songs, “Dinner Date” and “Sleep Talk”. Diet Cig are currently working on a debut album to be released next year, so see them now before they start playing bigger venues.
>>Black Cat: Drive Like Jehu, Hurry Up 7:30 P.M. Sold Out. All ages, accessible venue.
Thursday
Piebald, American Television @ Black Cat 7:30 P.M. $25. All ages, accessible venue.
While new emo and pop-punk bands are starting up, luminaries are coming back for victory laps. Piebald have returned for a second go round after breaking up in 2008, and reuniting for a quick spell in 2010. The Boston band formed in 1994 and have released six studio albums and a bunch of EPs and splits. Their music is in tune with second wave emo bands like The Promise Ring, The Get Up Kids, and Saves the Day. Though Piebald never rose to the heights of their peers, they do have a strong cult following. Piebald is also incredible live, so if you missed them in their heyday, now is the perfect time.
>>Comet Ping Pong: Lemuria, Looming, and the Max Levine Ensemble 9 P.M. $12. All ages, accessible venue.
Friday
Kyle Craft, Mass Gothic @ DC9 6:30 P.M. $12. All ages, inaccessible venue.
Kyle Craft’s debut album Dolls of Highland is one of 2016’s biggest surprises. The Louisiana bred glam rocker blends his swampy heritage with a dash of Bowie and a scoop of Elton John. His tracks have driving piano and Broadway-like vocals, but while his music feels like it is from a bygone era, it still sounds fresh and current. Craft’s tour mate and Sub Pop label mate Mass Gothic are also worth a listen. The former Hooray for Earth vocalist’s record Mass Gothic was released earlier this year and has quickly been followed up with a new EP Sup Goth last week. Both artists are part of the new class of Sub Pop, so this tour is a real treat.
>>Howard Theatre: Baroness, Pallbearer 6 P.M. $25. All ages, accessible venue.
>>9:30 Club: L7 8 P.M. $25. All ages, accessible venue.
Saturday
98 Degrees, O-Town, Dream, Ryan Cabrera @ Wolf Trap 7 P.M. $30-$55. All ages, accessible venue.
Is it getting hot in here? Are you having “Liquid Dreams”? Maybe he “loves me and he loves you not.” Well if you feel any of those things, this tour might be calling you. This is the summer of the 90’s, with everything looking back to the decade and things as dumb as chokers making a comeback. So why not C-List TRL stars? Like the alternative leaning Endless Summer tours with Everclear and Sugar Ray, the MY2K tour capitalizes on pop music with four artists that reached peaks in the late 90’s early 00’s. The reformed 98 Degrees headline the bill, but more special is the reunited Dream, who released one decent record and never really got a shot after. Relive your childhood and scream your hearts out, as this is the most fun thing to do on Saturday night.
Belly @ 9:30 Club 8 P.M. $35. All ages, accessible venue.
When Tanya Donelly left Throwing Muses in 1991 she formed The Breeders with Pixies member Kim Deal. After the band’s first record Pod was released, Donelly went on to form her own group Belly, leaving Kim Deal to recruit her sister Kelley Deal to play guitar with the Breeders. Belly would go on to released two acclaimed records, Star and King, both released on Donelly’s long time label 4AD, garnering two Grammy nominations, and like all good albums in the CD era, selling a shit load of albums. Belly eventually called it quits in 1996 and Donelly has been playing solo since, but this year, like all good 90’s rock bands, she has gotten the band back together for a run of shows. It has been twenty years since the band broke up, so it is high time for a reevaluation of Belly.
Sunday
>>9:30 Club: Honne, Jones 7 P.M. $20. All ages, accessible venue.
