Zola Jesus performs at U Street Music Hall on Saturday (Photo by Tim Saccenti).
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 26
French electro-pop duo Yelle brings back memories of mid-aughts dance parties where her breakthrough singles “Je Veux Te Voir” and “Ce Jeu” were key parts of the soundtrack. Relive those neon nights at U Street Music Hall; Feed Me Disco boss Eau Claire opens the show. Doors 7 p.m. $25.
Sound of Ceres—comprised of members from Candy Claws, The Apples in Stereo, and The Drums—explores the stars with synthesizers in hand. The band headlines a show at the OTHERFEELS house alongside Denver’s Midwife and D.C. acts OG Lullabies and Dawkins. Doors 7 p.m. $10.
Belfast’s Stiff Little Fingers hosts a night of politically charged punk at the Black Cat with Norwegian garage rockers Death By Unga Bunga. Doors 7:30 p.m. $25.
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 27
Prolific indie rapper Open Mike Eagle brings his impressive Brick Body Kids Still Daydream concept album to the Black Cat backstage, with an opening set by like-minded newcomer Scallops Hotel. Doors 7:30 p.m. $12/$14.
For something on the other end of the hip-hop spectrum, the entirety of Harlem’s A$AP Mob—A$AP Rocky, A$AP Ferg, and the rest—take over Echostage for a night of raucous street rap. Doors 7 p.m. $51.90.
Saint Etienne detailed life in the London suburbs on their ninth album, this year’s Home Counties, and the English indie pop originals head to U Hall on Wednesday. Doors 7 p.m. $30.
Post-hardcore band Touché Amoré heads to the Rock & Roll Hotel with fellow punk screamers Single Mothers and Gouge Away. Doors 7 p.m. $15.
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 28
Detroit rock act Electric Six—of “Danger! High Voltage” and “Gay Bar” fame—play the Black Cat backstage with Los Angeles rockers Groves. Doors 7:30 p.m. $16.
Reunited emo favorites Rainer Maria are back with their first new album in over a decade. The Madison-bred, Brooklyn-based trio hits the Rock & Roll Hotel with D.C. iconoclast Olivia Neutron-John. Doors 7 p.m. $16/$18.
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 29
Brazilian actor-musician Seu Jorge presents The Life Aquatic: A Tribute to David Bowie, reimagining Bowie hits as acoustic ballads at the Kennedy Center, where he’ll be backed by the National Symphony Orchestra. Doors 8 p.m. $34-$89.
D.C.-based experimental pop duo CrushnPain commemorates the release of its first album, Love-Vision, headlining a show at the Uptown Art House that features D.C. talents Dreamcast, StClair Castro, and Soraya. Doors 7 p.m. $10.
House music legend Kerri Chandler celebrates his birthday with an open-to-close set at Flash. Doors 8 p.m. $15.
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 30
As Zola Jesus, Nika Roza Danilova delivers industrially-charged goth-pop with her powerful, operatic vocals. She brings new album Okovi to U Hall with noise composer John Wiese. Doors 7 p.m. $20.
Stick around U Hall to catch acid house pioneer DJ Pierre, who will finally release a proper album this fall, and his Afro Acid protege Beyun. Doors 10:30 p.m. FREE before 11 p.m. for 21+, $10 after.
Lil Yachty collaborator Kodie Shane has quickly made a name for herself thanks to her charismatic and energetic approach to rap. She returns to D.C. with a show at Songbyrd. Doors 7 p.m. $20/$22.
SUNDAY, OCTOBER 1
Sometimes, following D.C.’s local music scene requires index cards and pieces of string to keep track of who is collaborating with whom and in which band. Sunday’s show at the Black Cat is proof of this: post-punk band Mock Identity features members of Supersonic Piss, Insect Factory, Heart of the Ghost Double Trio, and Antonia; new act TK Echo features members of Q and Not U, Protect-U, Orthrelm, and Et At It; and fuzz rockers Faunas features members of Governess and Big Hush. Got that? Doors 7:30 p.m. $10.
Vancouver veteran The Mole gets dance floors moving, whether by DJing or performing live. See him do a bit of both during a daytime set at Flash. Doors 2 p.m. FREE before 4 p.m., $5.
MONDAY, OCTOBER 2
See what has made Irish pop-rock band The Script a chart-topping act in Europe when they bring new album Freedom Child to the Lincoln Theatre with opening act Tom Walker. Doors 6:30 p.m. $55.
