Like many LBGTQ people in D.C., Leah Douglas, Mary Alice Reilly, Rae Gaines, Katie Parker, and Zach Knowlton moved into an overcrowded Columbia Heights rowhouse to bring down rent costs while living in queer community.

There, the garage rock band Born Dad was born during an informal 2016 snow day jam. Months later, after many practice sessions, the eight-person home threw a Halloween party, and Born Dad “forced” its attendants to listen to a cover of “Monster Mash.” The ska-ish, gloriously queer punk quintet has been performing memorable live sets throughout D.C. ever since, including a show on Saturday at Comet Ping Pong, where they’ll open for Loi Loi alongside LIGHT BEAMS.

How memorable? With titles like “My Band Gets Me Boyfriends,” “Sexist Leftist,” “Sack Of Trash,” and “@GhostFuckBoi1,” Born Dad serves up delightful, messy slice-of-life songs. Set to complex chord progressions and saxophone solos, the band tells stories that their queer fans have likely been through before—but that they might not have heard in mainstream music.

“A lot of our song content comes from shooting the shit around the living room,” Reilly says during an interview at the band’s new, roomier group house in Brentwood. “Our humor and the stories we share with each other inform a lot of the songs.”

Take the seminal millennial ballad “@GhostFuckBoi1.” “You met my housemates, you met my mom / I know you are not tied up, because I was your domme,” Douglas screams. “You said you loved me / That’s what your Bitmoji said! / Now where are you / Are you fucking dead?”

Or “Poly Lyfe”, which details just that. “My lover on Monday, she likes to feed me / and my lover on Tuesday, they like to tease me / and my lover on Wednesday is the same as on Monday / and on Thursday I take a fuckin’ break,” sings Reilly. “I’m a dirty bitch and I don’t mind / as long as my sexual health is prioritized.”

“DIY”—not a nod to their roots but rather a smirking entendre—celebrates a certain self-love. “While he’s sleeping, do it yourself / while she’s sleeping, do it yourself,” shout Douglas, Parker, and Gaines. “While they’re sleeping, do it yourself / gender inclusivity is important, do it yourself!”

The rest of the band’s repertoire also embeds first-person narrative with queer humor. Their catalogue seems simple enough during a first listen, but Born Dad’s real power lies in its ability to address the trials, tribulations, and joys of fellow young, feminist, queer-identified people—like in “Da-Doo”, a song that tells the story of a young woman who experienced assault within a supposedly tight-knit community. As the band puts it, their music is “50 percent queer rage, 50 percent jokes.”

“We like to put a jokey spin on these kinds of stories, and I think that’s what sets us apart,” Knowlton says. “We’re very much on the nose.”

While Born Dad’s story-driven, hardly aloof lyrics separates them from other punk bands, their music feels just as potent. Douglas’ guitar and Reilly’s saxophone guide the band’s sound, with support from Gaines on the guitar, harmonica, or keys and Parker on the bass. Knowlton’s steady drum keeps it all rolling.

The group cites Childbirth and Ex Hex among their influences—as well as Priests, a local punk quartet with national sway. “It’s been a dream playing with Mock Identity, and any of our fellow D.C. bands, honestly,” Gaines says. Other influences include Sheryl Crow and Josie & the Pussycats. “Alternatively, we can be characterized as the exact opposite of everything you hate about Father John Misty,” the band quips in its latest lyric zine, which they sell at shows.

The group’s earlier sets and songs were considerably more folky than their current sound because they couldn’t afford a drum kit. “We’d be playing punk songs with no drums—imagine an acoustic cover of ‘Bad Reputation,’ screaming and all, with no kit,” Parker says. After Gaines secured a drum kit in 2017, Born Dad’s punk evolution was complete.

And like any good punk band, the group sounds better live. Born Dad’s performances are very angry, very funny, and very unfettered—with zero posturing. Reilly and Douglas’ banter is wildly funny, and audience participation is fun. “We’re just such a family,” Reilly says, “us and the audience.” Born Dad concert goers can expect to revel in queer community, while shouting back choruses like “It’s a queer Crockpot!” and “My band gets me so many boyfriends!”

Born Dad is planning to record and release an “LP-ish” amount of material sometime this summer, and will play a hearty roster of shows throughout D.C.’s DIY venues this spring. A good deal of the songs on their current set list aren’t available on bandcamp yet—but it’s worth learning the lyrics to them with a gaggle of others during a live set.

Comet Ping Pong, Saturday, 10 p.m. Tickets $12 adv, $15 day of. Born Dad’s other spring tour dates include March 20 at Smith Public Trust, April 5 at Slash Run, April 13 at Dew Drop Inn, and May 28 at Rhizome.