It’s a good month for the chronically online. Our March concert calendar includes a TikTok rage rap sensation, a YouTuber-turned-pop star, and your reggaetonero Instagram crush. This is your sign to stop scrolling and grab tickets before they’re gone.
DREAMCATCHER: From Machine Gun Kelly to Olivia Rodrigo, the pop-punk revival of the 2020s has enough champions to fill a Vans Warped Tour poster. The genre has been embraced by rappers, pop stars, and at least one South Korean girl group: Dreamcatcher, a seven-member outfit formed in 2017. The band has cemented their place in the K-pop mainstream, but they’ve done so with a sound informed by rock, punk and metal. Catch the girls on a tour named after their latest single, “Reason,” a symphonic pop punk number that could fit just as well on a Panic! At The Disco album. (MGM National Harbor; Thursday, March 2; $55+)
KEVIN ROSS: Kevin Ross was in his sophomore year at Duke Ellington School of the Arts when he committed himself to pursuing a career in music. The pursuit paid off: The D.C. native was awarded a scholarship to the Berklee College of Music in Massachusetts where he studied contemporary writing and production. Since then, Ross has turned heads with his romantic R&B songs, carried out in a voice that’s smooth as butter. He plays the Birchmere shortly after the release of “Show & Prove,” a sensual single from his upcoming project, Midnight Microdose. (The Birchmere; Sunday, March 5; $55)
YEAT: How did a 21-year-old kid from Portland rapping over rage beats become a worshiped sensation nearly overnight? TikTok, of course. In 2021, Yeat found viral success with songs like “Monëy so big” and “Gët Busy,” and developed a devoted cult following for his DIY beats, Auto-Tuned vocals and invented vocabulary. Now only 23, the rapper has a number of beloved albums and viral songs to his name — including “Rich Minion,” which was used to promote Minions: The Rise of Gru. (The Anthem; Thursday, March 9; $59.50+)
KENIA OS: Kenia Os is used to having an audience. The 23-year-old Mexican singer and influencer got her career started as an energetic YouTuber, uploading lifestyle and chisme, or gossip, videos. Her music career began in 2018 with her debut single, “Por Siempre.” Since then, Os has fine-tuned her bubbly pop sound, which sounds better than ever on 2022’s K23. She’ll bring the album, which features fan-favorite “Malas Decisiones,” to the Howard Theatre this month. (Howard Theatre; Friday, March 17; $44.50)
RAUW ALEJANDRO: Take a trip to outer space with Rauw Alejandro, the self-described “emo reggaetonero” from Puerto Rico who plays at Capital One Arena this March. He’ll be touring Saturno, his critically-acclaimed 2022 album that mixes elements of Miami bass, house and ‘90s freestyle into its reggaeton core. The result is a constellation of sounds that reaches for the stars — and makes a great soundtrack for a night of perreo. (Capital One Arena; Sunday, March 19; $45+)
FANA HUES: If you’re a fan of Tyler, The Creator, chances are you’re already familiar with the voice of Fana Hues. The R&B singer, who hails from Pasadena, California, is featured on Call Me If You Get Lost’s “I Thought You Wanted to Dance.” It’s no wonder Hues was tapped for it — her voice is silky and mesmerizing, and her own music shares the alternative soul and jazz flourishes of the album. flora + fauna, her latest work, is a celebration of self-care in 11 dreamy, soulful numbers.(Songbyrd Music House; Monday, March 20; $20+)
AMADOU & MARIAM: A bit of Mali is coming to D.C. Malian musical duo Amadou & Mariam are bringing their fusion sound to the 9:30 Club this month. Over their five-decade career, the couple have mixed traditional Mali sounds with everything from Indian tablas to Cuban trumpets, and have collaborated with everyone from Theophilus London to Sofi Tukker. Dance the night away with their genre-melding melodies. (9:30 Club; Wednesday, March 22; $40)
COMBO CHIMBITA: Combo Chimbita make music that sounds like it’s somehow from both the past and the future. Grounded in Afro-Caribbean traditions, the band of first-generation Colombian New Yorkers constantly push the envelope and cover new ground. Their psychedelic, sprawling songs are rooted in memory, anti-colonialism and resistance. Find out for yourself what that sounds like when they play DC9 this month. (DC9, Tuesday, March 28, $23.18-$25.18)
CAYE: In his album art, Caye favors blotches of bright colors arranged in abstract formations against a white background. The style is a good representation of his sound: The Santa Monica-based musician specializes in indie pop that’s just as colorful and bright. Caye’s latest project, We Love, reflects his multi-instrumentalism and knack for intimate songwriting. (Jammin Java; Thursday, March 30; $15)
LOCALS ONLY: The Ramen Legion (Jammin Java; Saturday, March 4; $15+), Shelby Morgan (Songbyrd Music House; Thursday, March 9; $14+), Will Overman (Pie Shop; Thursday, March 9; $12), Bleary Eyed (Pie Shop; Friday, March 10; $12+), White Ford Bronco (9:30 Club; Friday, March 24; $25)
SOLD OUT, CHECK STUBHUB: The Beths (9:30 Club; Saturday, March 4), Regina Spektor (Warner Theatre; Wednesday, March 15), Gracie Abrams (Howard Theatre; Saturday, March 18), Yo La Tengo (9:30 Club; Sunday, March 19), Vance Joy (The Anthem; Saturday, March 25), Ari Lennox (Fillmore Silver Spring; Saturday March 25 and Sunday, March 26), Joshua Bassett (The Fillmore; Tuesday, March 28)