DMV Sounds: May 2023

We put together five of the best local show options this May in the DMV. 

Punk is alive and well in the District’s May local music lineup. If that is not your speed, there’s plenty of homegrown dreamy pop to enshrine you in the height of spring.

5.4

Tired All The Time at Pie Shop
Opening a bill with Puce Moment and Cor de Lux, do not miss D.C.-based Tired all the Time. The trio describes their sound as an “attempt to graft new wave and stoner rock together.” They make beautiful music that’s self-aware enough to know all that glitters isn’t gold. If you’re looking for a gorgeous sound about the usefulness of corporate culture, look no further. Listen to Tired all the Time at tiredallthetime.bandcamp.com and follow them on Instagram @tiredallthetimeband. $12. 8 p.m. 1339 H St. NE, DC; pieshopdc.com // @pieshopdc

5.10

Close (of Go Cozy) at Union Stage
We’re fans of pretty much anyone willing to attempt to cover My Bloody Valentine. Silver Spring’s Go Cozy’s version of “To Here Knows When” is a fine rendition that made us bigger fans. Get to Union Stage early enough before the Mr Twin Sister show to see a set of Go Cozy’s hits — Go Cozy is great, but their output is rare. Listen to Go Cozy at gocozy.bandcamp.com and follow them on Instagram @gocozyyy. $18+. 8 p.m. 740 Water St. SW, DC; unionstage.com // @unionstage

5.13

Cryptid Summer at Rhizome
Need a springtime Siouxsie and the Banshees fix? Vocalist Lizz Mazer and bassist Zach Wall (what a bass tone) know how to bring the drama. They describe themselves as gothy post punk — an accurate description. This is a great bill with another worthy-of-your-time D.C. punk band, Saffron, headlining. Listen to Cryptid Summer at cryptidsummer.bandcamp.com and follow them on Instagram @cryptid.summer.dc. $12. 7 p.m. 6950 Maple St. NW, DC; rhizomedc.org // @rhizome_dc

5.25

Color Palette at The Pocket
With heavy new wave and ’80s influences, Color Palette’s latest EP “Pacing Like a Lion” is a nostalgic, but still refreshing listen, and emblematic of their growing discography. Color Palette opens for Athens, Georgia-based band Easter Island and North Carolina-based band Slow Teeth. Expect a night of ambient cinematic soundscapes fit for a Sundance film score. Listen to Color Palette at colorpalette.bandcamp.com and follow them on Instagram @colorpalettedc. $15+. 8 p.m. 1508 N Capitol St. NW, DC; thepocketdc.com // @thepocket_dc

5.27

Ari Voxx & the Sad Lads at DC9
Cherry blossoms might have taken a bow last month, but Ari Voxx makes it a point to keep one of the District’s biggest tourist attractions top of mind with her self-described “D.C.’s Dreamy Pop Princess” persona. Dedicating a song to the aforementioned symbol of springtime in D.C., Voxx’s silky vocals often narrate themes of love and desire just out of reach. The result? Alluring melodies tinged with a melancholic tone. Listen to Ari Voxx at arivoxx.bandcamp.com and follow her on Instagram @ari.voxx. $15+. 7:30 p.m. 1940 9th St. NW, DC; dc9.club // @dc9club

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District Fray staff