This February, you can see a number of acts that need no introduction, like Alesso, Carrie Underwood and GZA. You can also introduce yourself to new music, with a slate of local talent like Breezy Supreme, the Crystal Casino Band and Grady taking D.C. area stages all month long. Here are a few other picks for concerts you might want to catch this month.
SISTER NANCY: Heard everywhere from Beyoncé’s live performance of “Hold Up” at Coachella 2018 to “Bam” on Jay-Z’s 4:44, the 1982 hit “Bam Bam” has had a renaissance in the last decade of mainstream hip-hop. The song is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the music of Sister Nancy, the legendary dancehall songstress who’s stopping by Union Stage this month. The District’s own NAPPYNAPPA opens. (Union Stage; Feb. 3; $28)
GRADY: You have not one, not two, but three chances to catch Grady, the power-pop trio hailing from Virginia, at DC9 this February. As the latest headliners of DC9’s residency program, Grady will be bringing their girl-powered tunes to the venue all month. Catch the group that, in their own words, sound like “the band that would play the homecoming dance in an episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer.” (DC9 Nightclub; Feb. 7, 14, and 22; $5)
THE CRYSTAL CASINO BAND: The lyrics on the Crystal Casino Band’s upcoming album Maryland House — yes, as in the rest stop north of Baltimore — run the gamut of indie rock themes. There’s love, loss, and lots of angst. There’s also political gridlock, the insurrection of the Capitol, Elon Musk, COVID-19 and president Lyndon B. Johnson. The George Washington University-bred band take the 9:30 Club stage on the heels of their album’s release. (9:30 Club; Thursday, Feb. 9; $20)
BACCHAE: You’re going to want to keep an eye on D.C. punk-pop outfit Bacchae. Don’t take my word for it — take it from the Linda Lindas, who invited Bacchae on their latest summer tour. The pairing makes sense. Like the Linda Lindas, Bacchae is a girl-led quartet serving up catchy, bright songs with a punk flavor. Don’t miss their upcoming hometown show. (Songbyrd Music House; Feb. 10; $13+)
BREEZY SUPREME: Get ready to make an addition to your pop-punk playlist in Breezy Supreme, the genre-blending artist with an attitude from Prince George’s County. Supreme doesn’t let supposed genre distinctions contain him. Instead, he volleys between punk, pop-punk and hip-hop styles, composing emotional, energetic songs that always keep you guessing.(DC9 Nightclub; Feb. 11; $15)
DARLENE LOVE: Looking for love this Valentine’s Day? You’ve found her. Darlene Love, who led the ‘60s girl group the Blossoms before going solo, is coming to Wolf Trap. Spend an evening with her massive catalog, which includes romantic hits like “He’s a Rebel” and “That’s When the Tears Start.” (The Barns at Wolf Trap; Feb. 14; $59+)
CARRIE UNDERWOOD: You and a $40 ticket to see Carrie Underwood go together like denim and rhinestones. Everyone’s favorite American Idol winner is bringing her Denim & Rhinestones tour to Capital One Arena this month. Underwood’s 2022 album has all the country pop charm we love her for, so grab your ticket before she cheats sells out. (Capital One Arena;Feb. 15; $39.50+)
ALESSO: You could spend hundreds of dollars to see artists like Hailee Steinfeld, Katy Perry, Liam Payne, Tove Lo and Usher. Or you could spend $50 to see Alesso, the Swedish DJ who has worked with all those artists and more to engineer electronic radio hits that you can’t get out of your head. (Echostage; Feb. 17; $50)
ALI SETHI: On their single “Pasoori,” Pakistani singers Ali Sethi and Shae Gill mix elements of Hindustani classical music with the beat of a reggaeton song. The globally-minded combination worked: “Pasoori” became 2022’s most-streamed Pakistani song, as well as the most-streamed song in Pakistan. This month, Sethi brings his repertoire of updated Hindustani and Punjabi songs to the Fillmore. (Fillmore Silver Spring; Feb. 17; $29.50)
ADORE DELANO: Adore Delano has made her pop culture rounds. She first appeared in 2008 as an American Idol contestant. Six years later, she was back on television screens as a contestant on RuPaul’s Drag Race. Now, the drag queen is touring her collection of danceable pop hits, with a stop at Black Cat. (Black Cat; Feb. 23; $35)
GZA: In an analysis of the vocabularies of prominent rappers, GZA came in the number two spot for largest vocabulary at 6,426 unique words, right behind Aesop Rock. (For context, William Shakespeare’s body of work contains 5,170.) The 56-year-old artist, one of the founding members of Wu-Tang Clan, brings his prolific catalog of philosophical rap to the Howard this month. (Howard Theatre; Feb. 26; $30+)
LOCALS ONLY: Ari Voxx (DC9 Nightclub; Feb. 1; $5), Nick Dache & Friends (Jammin Java; Feb. 1; $12), Joe Pug (The Barns at Wolf Trap; Feb. 2; $22), Pigeons Playing Ping Pong (9:30 Club; Feb. 3; $35), Palmyra (Pie Shop; Feb, 8; $15), Silent Island (Songbyrd Music House; Feb. 9; $14+), Home Remedies (Union Stage; Feb. 10; $15), Cal Rifkin (DC9 Nightclub; Feb. 17; $15), Flex Kartel (Union Stage; Feb. 19; $20), Tayon Robinson (Songbyrd Music House; Feb. 23; $14+), The North Country (Songbyrd Music House; Feb. 24; $15+)
SOLD OUT, CHECK STUBHUB: Ashley Kutcher (DC9 Nightclub; Feb. 4), Fitz and The Tantrums (9:30 Club; Feb. 6), The 5th Dimension (The Barns at Wolf Trap; Feb. 7-8), Maggie Rogers (The Anthem; Feb. 13-14), Viagra Boys (9:30 Club; Feb. 13), Stephen Sanchez (Union Stage; Feb. 14), Zolita (Songbyrd Music House; Feb. 18), Morgan Wade (9:30 Club; Feb. 21 and 26), GloRilla (Howard Theatre; Feb. 25), Inayah (Songbyrd Music House; Feb. 21), Chappell Roan (Black Cat; Feb. 26), J.I.D & Smino (The Fillmore; Feb. 26 and Feb. 27), SZA (Capital One Arena; Feb. 27), Weyes Blood (9:30 Club; Feb. 27)
Correction: The earlier version of this story misspelled the name of the band that’s opening for Sister Nancy. They are NAPPYNAPPA.
