Without further ado, this step-by-step GovBall guide goes out to every tri-state Suburban kid itching for live music and taking their first solo train ride. 

Your Lineup:

When the lineup came out, chances are you were buzzing with excitement at all of the featured artists that you did not stop to think about which artists you would actually be able to see. If you’re anything like me, you thought you could see every artist on the lineup and have time to explore the festival grounds too. If you have superhuman speed and navigation skills, maybe you can. However, after attending a few festivals, I have come to terms with the fact that I never end up seeing as many artists as I had initially planned. You will be limited by the timing of artists’ sets, the locations of the stages, and if you have to leave the crowd to eat or use the bathroom. So be optimistic about how many artists you plan to see, but keep these factors in mind. 

Unlike other festivals of similar size and scope, GovBall has just one headliner each night. If you’re indecisive like me, this greatly reduces the decision fatigue that will inevitably develop throughout the weekend from choosing between so many great artists. With your headliner decided for you, you can dedicate your decision-making to the earlier acts. This will all come down to personal preference. You’ll likely choose the artists who you are most familiar with or are an active fan of, and that’s a perfectly good way to choose. However, don’t neglect the smaller and up-and-coming artists that play earlier in the day. Festivals are a great way to expose yourself to new artists and fresh sounds. You may not know an artist now, but you’ve made it all the way to the festival and you’ve paid for the ticket, so use this opportunity to its fullest! Dedicate your early afternoons to artists that you are not familiar with and you just might find a new favorite singer!

Outfits:

Now that you’ve chosen who you will see at the festival, you can dedicate some time and brain space to another factor of your festival weekend. What are you going to wear? I tend to prioritize comfort over bold fashion choices. My festival looks are hardly ever more creative than jean shorts or a jean skirt, a tank top, and a pair of beat-up sneakers. Sometimes I get inventive and will coordinate the color of said tank top with the color scheme of an artist I’ll be seeing – Green for Tyler, the Creator, Purple for Olivia Rodrigo, Pink for Chappel Roan, etc., but that’s about it. You will be standing in tight crowds for hours on end, so it is important that you are comfortable in what you are wearing. If you manage to strike the balance between comfort and style, that’s even more fun!

In addition to your outfit, be sure to pack a small bag – one within the size confines as listed by the festival – with your necessities for the day. For me that includes a phone charger, Advil, chapstick, sunscreen, a light snack, sunglasses, hair ties, and a refillable water bottle. If there is rain in the forecast, be sure to pack a compact poncho in your bag and/or bring a raincoat with you. The show will go on rain or shine, so be prepared for both extremes!

Transportation:

You’ve curated your personal lineup, you’re dressed, now you have to decide how you’ll get to the festival. If possible, use public transportation! The trains are your friend! To get to Queens from Connecticut I took Metro North into Grand Central and then took either the Long Island Rail Road or the 7 train to Mets-Willet Point. All in all, the journey took about an hour and a half. I dedicated this time on the train to talking over my game plan with my group and listening to the artists I had planned to see. Taking the train takes the guesswork out of your travel plans and lets you devote the time to other much more important things. 

Getting to the festival will be easy enough as long as you check the train schedules ahead of time to minimize your wait between trains, but be prepared for the journey back to be more hectic. Because everyone is leaving the festival grounds at the same time, be prepared for uber-crowded train platforms and trains. People will fill up the entire platform and push and shove to get on the train once it pulls into the station. Once you make it on the train, you will be packed in like sardines. That’s okay. Try your best to stay with your group, but be prepared in case you and your friends are separated on the train. Don’t panic. Just get off at the stop you agreed on and meet them there. It will be okay! 

Even with the nearly one hundred and fifty thousand people at the festival, you might just end up on the same subway car as your friend from college’s barista coworker you’ve never officially met. Don’t be afraid to say hi if this happens to you, too! The crowded train can be as fun a you make it. 

There you have it – deciding your lineup, planning your outfits, and maneuvering transportation – my foolproof guide to preparing for GovBall! Be sure to catch GovBall 2026 next year for a weekend of spectacular music by the hottest names in music. A special thank you to Grandstand Media and GovBall for allowing me the opportunity to attend and cover the festival this past weekend. Hailing from Connecticut, GovBall has always been the coolest music festival to me and so covering it has been a dream of mine! 

But Memorial Day weekend is a harbinger of change. Scratch that, of possibility, maybe even of rebirth. It’s a notable time for me historically, not because I take the train to the Hamptons, but because I spend three to four days in a car listening to the annual Beatles marathon on SiriusXM radio. 

Since 2017, the “All Together Now” countdown has aired every Memorial Day weekend, Friday through Monday, on The Beatles Channel. Once hosted solely by authoritative Beatles expert Peter Asher, the commentary work is now divided between well-intentioned but less impressive hosts of the channel. Call me old-fashioned, but if your sister didn’t date Paul McCartney, I don’t want to hear what you have to say about him!

“All Together Now” presents the top 100 Beatles songs in descending order as voted on by a listener survey. Somehow, I always miss the vote. “Hey Jude” typically wins, a choice I dispute though not whole-heartedly—I personally would opt for “Let it Be.” It is admittedly quite a feat, and a bit of a fanatical concept. If a listener is in a car intermittently throughout the weekend they will wind up with an incomplete comprehension of that year’s rankings. Maybe, then, the solution is a Memorial Day road trip, but one would think that seven hours straight of even the top 100 Beatles songs could drive a person crazy.

For the flagship home of the Beatles on SiriusXM, the countdown is not quite as ceremonious as one would hope. Some songs receive accompanying fun facts while others receive no commentary at all. At the end of the countdown, there is no celebration. Perhaps after eight years, little budget remains for balloons. The songs simply repeat starting from #100. Number nine, number nine, number nine. 

There is a remarkable lack of literature on the subject, hardly a social media promo or a Sirius-sanctioned description. I can only consult the Beatles subreddit and the occasional blog for corroboration that this countdown truly exists. Each year, the rankings become increasingly subject to critique. There are always some controversial placements, whether they be “I Don’t Want to Spoil the Party and “Hey Bulldog” in the top 20 or “Rain” moving from #12 to missing the ranking entirely. There are often moments of triumph, whether they be the inspired inclusion of the Abbey Road medley as one entry or “Julia” finally cracking the list after six years. Yet it is interesting to observe the easy foray into discontent. Some fans seem to think the mere inclusion of a “Maxwell’s Silver Hammer” in the top 100 represents the losing battle of John’s avant-pop innovation to Paul’s granny music. How “Tomorrow Never Knows” at #85 must mean young and old people are disproportionately represented in the voting, and how that must represent some failing within the fandom.

Of course, it doesn’t really matter which song achieves which spot on the countdown. It matters that the countdown occurs at all. The one constant in life is change, but the cultural relevance of the Beatles has somehow managed to persist. The beauty of the Beatles, like many of their songs suggest, lies in bringing people together. It was evident in 2012 when 62,000 people sang along to “Hey Jude” with Sir Paul McCartney at the Olympics opening ceremony. It was evident in 2019 when a middle school chorus serenaded their teacher with “All You Need is Love” at his engagement party. It was evident in March of 2025 when a busker sang “Let it Be” in Central Park and I felt overcome by a profound sense of peace.

It’s hard to believe I was ever as young as I was when I first stumbled upon the “All Together Now” marathon. To think of all that I was going through and all that I thought I knew. The years have flown as they will continue to fly. In Mays past, I would make a concerted effort to listen to the countdown. This past May, I could barely keep track of the days. I just happened to take a drive and happened to flip through the radio because my phone wouldn’t connect to my mom’s car. Even my family’s SiriusXM subscription is on its last legs. 

Some things are nearly certain: “Hey Jude” gets voted #1. Some things are less so: a nor’easter in May. Change is a part of life, but it’s nice to know that some things stay the same. So every Memorial Day, I trade sunny, beach weather for New England dreariness. I’ll make it to the Hamptons eventually. In the meantime, I’ll drive down country roads listening to “In My Life” and I’ll try my best to let it be.

On April 22nd and 23rd, Beach Bunny gave its audience a thrilling music experience at the 9:30 Club. This tour, named after their latest album Tunnel Vision (2025), offered its audience a preview of songs released a few days later on April 25th as part of the Tunnel Vision album. The setlist covered soon-to-be-released songs and some of Beach Bunny’s most popular hits, such as “Prom Queen” and “Good Girls (Don’t Get Used).” This captivated listeners, especially those who were long-time fans of the band, as it infused indie melodies with new and old thought-provoking lyrics. Beach Bunny created an enthusiastic environment while touching upon some heartbreaking and sensitive topics through their music, highlighting the band’s ability to connect with their audience.

However, the audience’s enthusiasm began before Beach Bunny even entered the stage due to the incredible opening performances by Jayla Kai and Pool Kids. These artists’ performances foreshadowed what would come as Jayla Kai’s set touched upon more subtle tones, and Pool Kids brought incredible energy to the crowd. By the time Beach Bunny entered the stage, the crowd was eager with anticipation, driving their bodies as close to the stage as possible to prepare themselves for an unforgettable evening. 

This was primarily due to the dynamic chemistry between the members: Lili Trifilio, Jon Alvarado, and Anthony Vaccaro. The three worked in unison to deliver an electrifying performance with Trifilio’s beautiful vocals, accompanied by Alvarado’s harmonious drum work and Vaccaro’s exhilarating guitar set. In all, the three members’ connection was palpable and engulfed the audience as they aimed to include the crowd in their fun and energetic trio.

Furthermore, the 9:30 Club’s intimate atmosphere allowed the audience to get personal with one another as they danced, swayed, and sang along together all throughout the night. This was even more evident when Beach Bunny’s lyrics resonated with the audience. For instance, when Beach Bunny sang “Cloud 9,” the lyric “But when he loves me, I feel like I’m floating” genuinely impacted the crowd as the crowd tied these words to a personal experience. I felt the weight of such emotionally provoking lyrics as I associated them with memories from my life. This experience also seemed to resonate with the crowd, given the energy and loudness exhibited then. A similar experience occurred during Beach Bunny’s “Sports” when Trifilio sang, “If you feel lonely / I could be lonely with you.” This created a precise moment of connection between the crowd and Beach Bunny, Trifilio in particular, and even between crowd members. These lyrics, in particular, allow each individual to relish their emotions, highlighting that one can still embrace solitude within a community. Lyrics such as these connect with each person in some way, highlighting why Beach Bunny has gained so much popularity throughout the years.

Overall, Beach Bunny’s performance left the audience begging for more, leading them to sing “6 Weeks,” “Prom Queen,” and “Painkiller” as their encore. “Prom Queen” is my personal favorite song of theirs, so I was thrilled to sing along and truly feel the song’s weight in front of its creators. As such, their unique, empowering concert is one that all, whether current fans or not, should attend to experience the intense connection, atmosphere, and energy between Beach Bunny and the crowd.

The London alt-rock band began with “Deeply,” a song from their 2010 album Twilight that possessed a crunchy ass guitar riff. Jasmine Rodgers’ guttural delivery firmly placed bôa in hard rock wonderland, her confidence akin to the captain of a pirate ship: “Feelings, they’re really burning low / They’re burning higher than they’ve ever done before / I need to talk to you, I need to feel it deeply.”

“Whiplash,” which featured Rodgers shaking a tambourine and wagging her fingers to the audience, let in on the band’s more mischievous side: “Sometimes it hurts / Take me as I am / Sometimes it hurts / Take me as I bleed.” It made me feel like I was being told off. But in a good way?? Pause.

A classic from their 2005 album Get There, “A Girl,” showed all of us that we will never be as good at drumming as Ed Herten. My roommate wanted to say she really liked this one, and lest readers suspect bias, it was a crowd favorite too. “She was the kind of girl / Beauty, you think you know / You know that you want her”…hmm wonder who was the inspo for that one!

In a break from the rock goodness, Rodgers opted for an acoustic and explained that fans had requested they play the next song. “Drinking” was a ballad mourning the loss of a no-good lover: “You say the drinking is better than a woman / And you say the thinking takes too much time / Well, God save your children, should you have them? / For to you, there’s nothing if there’s no wine.” It was such a solemn song gosh darn I have no jokes for ya.

“3 more songs! 3 more songs!” the crowd chanted. Don’t really know how they arrived at that number tbh. We all really liked bôa, so why not 4 more songs, or 5 more songs, or how about it, 6?

“Walk With Me” was another crowd pleaser, with bôa commanding the stage: “Walk with me / Share this space and walk with me.” Yes bôa I’ll go anywhere you guys want me too!!

Finally, bôa performed the song that had given them their first big break in 1998 and led to their revival in 2024…“Duvet.” Sometimes bands have some remnants of resentment to the masses making one of their songs super popular which I can’t really blame them for, but bôa seemed genuinely floored and grateful for the opportunity to be back. Tasteful guitar overdubs were added over the bridge that made me hope for a live recording, and bôa led the crowd for the last extended outro. “I am falling, I am fading / I have lost it all.” Such misinformation because I gained so much from this performance!

British pop-singer Myles Smith put on a fabulous show at the Anthem on the Wharf in D.C. Alongside folk-trio TORS, D.C. was the last domestic stop on Smith’s “We Were Never Strangers” tour before he heads abroad to Australia in May and to Europe this Fall to support Ed Sheeran. With a lively but mature spirit and personal lyrics, Smith’s music caters to listeners of all ages -only one of the many reasons his D.C. show was sold out.

Doors to the Anthem opened at 6:30, with TORS coming on stage around 8pm. TORS, a band that also hails from the U.K., invigorated the crowd with their enthusiasm. While only playing for about half an hour, their infectious energy prepared the crowd for the main act. Their setlist featured popular songs, like “Miracle” and “I Don’t Wanna Know,” which even audience members unfamiliar with their music could bop along to. The three musicians’ voices and instruments harmonized seamlessly, mixing genres like pop, indie, and folk together in a beautiful braid. After about five songs, TORS exited the stage, giving the audience a 30-minute intermission before Smith began. However, the band made quite an impression in such a short amount of time.

Around 9:20, to the sound of the audience chanting “Myles! Myles! Myles!,” Smith ran on stage. The vivacity of the crowd touched the singer so deeply, he had to take a step back to collect himself: overwhelmed, but thankful.

Known for his catchy TikTok ear worms, Smith’s concert was unexpectedly heartfelt. He also introduced a couple of unreleased songs – exciting the crowd at the prospect of his new album.

Smith’s authenticity and vulnerability during the performance made it all the more special. Both in previous interviews and on stage, he has been very open about his struggles with anxiety and depression and how he processes loss and despair through lyricism. For example, before the songs “3AM” and “Solo,” he reflected on his childhood and the impact that his absent father had on his life. Songwriting allows Smith to convey the resentment and frustration he felt in his upbringing and create community with those who can resonate.

In describing the song “3AM,” Smith even revealed that he contemplated suicide on multiple occasions before finally pursuing a career he loved – music – which allowed him to find hope again. As such, he was very gracious and appreciative of his fans, who he claimed were a big help in getting him out of a dark place.

After the last song of his main set, “Little by Little,” Smith thanked his band and took a bow, as the audience roared again with applause. The encore ended the show with two of his best-known songs: “My Home,” and “Stargazing.” While the crowd loved the first one, they were loudest for the last – his biggest hit – chanting every verse and jumping up and down to the rhythm. “Stargazing,” a No.1 Billboard hit, united fans both young and old, ending the show very memorably. While it was Smith’s first time touring in D.C, it certainly will not be his last.

On May 1st, psychedelic rock band Post Animals took the stage at the Anthem. Their vocals were punchy and the instrumentals a bit hazy, all of which elicited excited whooping and cheering from the crowd. Post Animals ended their set on a high note, playing an upbeat number accompanied by pink flashing lights. Their opening act was met with thunderous applause from the audience, as everyone banged their heads and danced around joyously. Post Animals engaged the crowd like no other. 

After a brief intermission, Djo took to the stage accompanied by an instrumental introduction which grew into “Runner” from the 2022 release Decide with orange smoke at his back. After the band struck the final chord of the first song, the audience roared and the guitarist threw a pick out into the crowd. In response, the already tight crowd drew in closer as audience members rushed up towards the stage for the chance to grab the pick. After the commotion and fanfare from the guitar pick settled, Djo addressed the passionate crowd, rejoicing that “D.C. is a dream for me.” Soon after, Djo transitioned into “Charlie’s Garden” and “Basic Being Basic” off of The Crux (2025). After playing a few songs off of the new release, Djo engaged with the crowd again. To transition into the next song, Djo commented that they were “a little bit funny,” the perfect segue into “Fool.” The spooky track was met with hoots and hollers from the crowd, and again Djo affirmed the crowd by saying “I like you D.C., you’re nice to me.” With every comment, Djo boosted the concertgoers’ egos. The flattery worked on the audience, as their energy grew from electric to explosive.  

With the energy in the Anthem high, Djo and the crowd rocked out to “Lonesome is a State of Mind” and “Delete Ya,” while swaying intermittently to “Figure You Out,” and “Fly.” After an extended playtime without speaking too much to the crowd, Djo dedicated the next song to “… all the people not in love because it’s right around the corner.” Hearing this, audience members gave each other a puzzled look and shrugged their shoulders. During the first few notes of “Chateau (Feel Alright)” the audience shared chuckles and nods of acknowledgement before bursting into song. 

Before the end of the set, Djo addressed the crowd, thanking the opener Post Animals for their wonderful performance and for livening up the crowd. In addition to enjoying their music and having a working relationship with the opener, Djo celebrated “If you ever go on tour bring all of your best friends. Following this joyous assertion, Djo rounded out the evening by inviting Post Animals back on stage. Together, Djo and Post Animals rocked out to “Flash Mountain.” The duo had the matcha-drinking, vinyl-collecting indie crowd head-banging and moshing like no other. Together, Djo and Post Animals delivered an unforgettable show full of fun, friendship, and fantastic music. 

On a mild spring evening in D.C. this past Monday, Sharon Van Etten returned to the iconic 9:30 Club for the debut performance of her new band, The Attachment Theory—a name that feels both genuinely personal and deeply psychological, much like her music. From my perch on the balcony, I saw in the sea of people endless shades of plum, charcoal, and soft black that echoed the stage’s pink and purple lighting, casting an ethereal glow over the entire performance. 

The show opened with “Live Forever,” setting the tone for a performance that was profoundly intimate and authentic. Van Etten’s voice remains a force of nature—capable of both trembling vulnerability and resolute command. That duality was on full display during “Afterlife” and “Idiot Box,” two tracks off of the artist’s newest album that explore themes of disconnection and desire with a pulsing, almost encompassing intensity. But it wasn’t just the songs that captivated those in attendance—it was the on-stage chemistry between the band members. Despite this being The Attachment Theory’s first tour, the band felt like a seasoned collective. Van Etten’s interspersed story-telling, often disarming and deeply sincere, helped bridge the occasional technical issues and draw each and every audience member into the haze that is The Attachment Theory. 

A brief but emotional monologue introduced a tribute to Max, her late stagehand, whose presence loomed quietly through his paintings that were beautifully hung behind the performers throughout the show. “This is our first show without him,” she said, voice breaking, before launching into “Something Ain’t Right,” a song that felt like a grieving wail in slow motion. Van Etten expressed her gratitude to Justin for taking over Max’s duties and made a point of thanking everyone who made the night possible—from techs to friends, bandmates, and even Bob Boilen of NPR’s Tiny Desk, whom she credited as being a driving force in the industry today. 

Beyond some of their newer songs, like “I Can’t Imagine (Why You Feel This Way)”, “Southern Life (What It Must Be Like)”, and “Trouble”, classic favorites, such as “Anything,” “Hands,” and “Seventeen,” made several welcome appearances, with “Comeback Kid,” “No One’s Easy to Love,” and “Every Time the Sun Comes Up” drawing raucous cheers from the crowd. Perhaps most poignant was the band’s tribute to the recent passing of director David Lynch, whose Twin Peaks reboot featured a personal favorite of mine, “Tarifa”. 

While introducing the origins of The Attachment Theory, Van Etten revealed that the band rented a house to jam and ended up writing 14 songs in one week, two of which were created in a single hour. She admitted that it took a little swallowing of her pride to give up her solo career and get to that point. While some artists might stumble over such admissions, Van Etten’s open-heartedness only endeared her more. The band closed the set with “I Want You Here” off of their new album. The encore featured a beautiful solo performance of “I Wish I Knew,” followed by the stunning closer, “Fading Beauty”—a title that couldn’t have been more ironic in light of the band’s blooming musical connection.

What do fifteen year olds on a first date and married couples on a night out have in common? Apparently, Snow Patrol. On April 11th, Snow Patrol made their return to the Anthem for their newest album, The Forest Is the Path (2024), a couple band members fewer but hardly worse for wear. At nine o’clock almost on the dot, the lights dimmed and the band members walked casually onto the stage, as the crowd–young and old–screamed and clapped their name. A large screen behind them lit up with “Snow Patrol” blasted across the top, before it dove into trippy visuals with the first stroke of the guitar. The screen cycled through different animated visuals with each song, often repeating the motif of a tree or a forest, referencing the title of their most recent album. Dressed in a simple gray button down and pants, Gary Lightbody and his bandmates aren’t here to impress anybody. This is their gig; unpretentious as they are unassailable. Although this was a seated show, the audience was on their feet the entire time, in easy camaraderie with one another. In between songs, Lightbody joked casually with the crowd, as if this were a garage show in his buddy’s backyard and not a venue of over three thousand. He asked the crowd, do you like to be called DC or Washington (to which the crowd overwhelmingly responded DC), laughing and saying the next song only works with a three syllable city. With each quip, the stage faded further and further into the background, until it just felt like some old friends having a jam. During “Called Out in the Dark” off their sixth album Fallen Empires (2011), Lightbody invited the audience to sing along to the chorus, singing “this is your life, this is your time” louder and louder each time. After over thirty years in the band, performing all over the world, it was clear that the band was totally secure on the stage, genuinely enjoying themselves and reveling in the kind of luck that allows anyone to make art for a living. When he hit a wrong chord or two, he’d just laugh and say “ah fuck we’re old” in that quintessential Irish accent and keep moving. Nevertheless, nothing felt worn out about this performance. Lightbody sang with as much passion and vulnerability as ever, and Nathan Connolly and Johnny McDaid tore it up on the piano and guitar, at this point masters at their craft. Even when they played “Chasing Cars,” by far their most famous song to date, you could almost forget it’s one of the most played songs in the UK, as Lightbody kneeled at the front of the stage, pouring seemingly everything into the words. It makes one wonder what it must be like to sing the lyrics you wrote almost twenty years ago night after night, haunted or perhaps comforted by these souvenirs of your past. But in the space of a two hour set, something like a holy place, all our ghosts might revisit us, and we might just thank them for it.

On Saturday, April 12, flipturn delivered one of the most unforgettable performances I’ve ever seen, captivating a sold-out crowd at The Anthem. With its imposing black walls and 6,000-person capacity, The Anthem can be an intimidating venue, often swallowing up less seasoned acts. But flipturn, fresh off the success of their latest album Burnout Days (2025), commanded the space with a joyous confidence and an electrifying stage presence that left the audience cheering long after the final note.

The night opened with a set from The Stews, an Auburn-based rock band whose echoing guitar riffs and southern bluesy rock set a fitting tone for the night. Several times they appeared to get swept away in their sound, forgetting the traditional conventions of music performances and carrying on songs for more than ten minutes at a time—something that beckoned the stories of impromptu, on-stage jams between the members of the Grateful Dead that my dad told me about as a kid. This dynamic stage presence drew people in as they took a break from their eager anticipation for the show ahead in order to enjoy the bluesy rock of The Stews.

Then, Flipturn took the stage. From the electrifying intro of “Juno” to the final chant of “Nickel,” the band’s playful energy was relentless. Lead singer Dillon Basse moved effortlessly between soaring falsettos and melodic verses, pausing only to catch his breath. Throughout the night, the band took the audience through the winding journey to the Anthem that inspired their latest album, Burnout Days—from Fernandina Beach to Chicago to Asheville to San Antonio and eventually to Washington, DC. Exploring the feelings of thrilling highs and exhausting lows, it felt as though the crowd was on that road trip with flipturn and at the same time fully present in the room that night.

Flipturn seamlessly blended fan favorites like “Savannah” and “Glistening” with newer standouts such as “Right?” and “Playground,” each met with ecstatic sing-alongs from the crowd. The production was equally impressive: strobe lights cascaded across the room, confetti cannons burst mid-song, and in perhaps my favorite moment from the night, drummer Devin VonBalson played the opening notes of “Whales” with a drum over his head. It was the kind of acid-trip-summer-camp ecstasy that makes re-entering the real world feel like waking from a dream.

The best way to describe the encore is cathartic release. “Space Cowboy” melted seamlessly into “Churches,” “Chicago,” and finally “Nickel.” As a Chicagoan myself, I knew I would lose it when “Chicago” came on—but nothing could have prepared me for the overwhelming feeling of hearing that song in a packed room of strangers, all belting out every word like it was written just for them. It was a moment of transcendent community, where nostalgia and presence collided in a feverish haze.

By the time the final chords rang out over the roar of applause, it was clear: Flipturn’s ascent—from Florida house shows to headlining one of DC’s premier venues—is only just beginning. Their infectious enthusiasm, lyrical authenticity, and undeniable stage presence mark them not only as rising stars but as future icons of the indie rock scene.

Orla Gartland delivered a sensational performance on Saturday, April 26th at the 9:30 Club. The setlist included a mix of songs from her latest album Everybody Needs a Hero (2024), her Heartstopper hit “Why Am I Like This?,” and some of her early work. 

As the concert began, Gartland addressed the crowd to explain her song “Three Words Away.” In her own words, this is the “villain song on a hero album.” After this up-tempo song, Gartland ping-ponged between upbeat and sway-worthy songs, reaching the song “Why Am I Like This?” nearly halfway through the set. When gearing up to play this song – made popular by Netflix’s teen gay romance Heartstopper – Gartland took a moment to speak to the crowd from the heart. She acknowledged the political climate, stating that it’s a scary time to be a trans person in this country. Gartland went on to exclaim that everyone was welcome in this room. After this declaration, the song felt like a celebration of pride from the queer and trans people in the audience. 

For “Backseat Driver,” Gartland picked two of the best-dressed attendees and pulled them up to the stage. The superfans were overjoyed to be sharing the stage with Gartland and grew to play an integral role in the song’s performance. The lucky chosen two people were given signs – one reading “lalalalala” and the other reading “I wouldn’t trust me either” – made by Gartland’s team, which were to be used to hype up the crowd and initiate a call and response for those lines. Just like that, Gartland blurred the lines between the concert-goers and the band, as the two fans danced around joyously with Gartland and commanded the audience flawlessly. 

As Gartland neared the end of her time on stage, she joked with the crowd about engaging in “an age of show business tradition of lying.” In between laughs, she stated that “Late to the Party”  would be her last song. Of course, after resounding applause and fanfare from the audience, Gartland returned to the stage for an encore. The real last three songs of Gartland’s performance were “Mine,” the title track “Everybody Needs a Hero,” and “Little Chaos.”

For the very last song, “Little Chaos,” and to round out the show, Gartland switched places with her drummer. The drummer, Sarah Shaw, took to the mic to sing, engage the crowd in call-and-response, and thank everyone for attending. 

This mix of Gartland’s songs oozed angst, longing, and nostalgia. All in all, the set exuded cool and the band’s obvious tight bond brought concertgoers together. This cool factor makes Orla Gartland’s band the ultimate girl group. Don’t miss the opportunity to see Gartland on tour yourself, get your tickets for her upcoming dates here.