Phantogram killed at Fillmore Silver Spring on 2/4/25 (Photo Credit: Tim Saccenti)
In 2025, I witnessed 40 concerts (or 93 sets) across 17 local venues, including lots of local bands.
My most visited concert venue was the 9:30 Club with nine concerts, followed by Pie Shop (8), The Atlantis (4), and The Anthem (3).
Note: I forgot to post this earlier. The world keeps turning.
Counting down the top 15 concerts:
15. The Swell Season @ Wolf Trap (7/11/25) – Beautiful harmonies in a beautiful setting.
14. Of Monsters and Men @ The Anthem (11/3/25) – Great to see OMAM return to DC after 6 years away. They also have a new album called All Is Love and Pain in the Mouse Parade. It’s hard to say, but you don’t have to, just listen!
13. Sharon Van Etten & The Attachment Theory @ 9:30 Club (4/28/25) – Sharon usually creates music herself, but this time collaborated with her band for her seventh album, and all signs point to a successful strategy. The new songs sounded great.
12. The Beaches @ 9:30 Club (9/26/25) – Canadian rock bands rock! They performed all 11 songs from their new album, No Hard Feelings. No regrets or hard feelings.
11. New Constellations @ Pearl Street Warehouse (6/18/25) – I love their single “Hot Blooded” and you cannot stop me from sharing it and playing it right now.
10. The Aces @ 9:30 Club (11/15/25) – Here’s my review.
9. Dropkick Murphys @ The Anthem (2/27/25) – I forget how much energy they bring to their shows, and after seeing them live I always make a promise to listen to them more. Plus they were raging against the machine in a respectful way that I admire and need to learn from.
8. Silversun Pickups @ 9:30 Club (8/24/25) – I seen them live eight times and counting. And this is the fourth time I’ve seen them at the 9:30 Club. They’ll certainly be back, and so will I.
7. Purity Ring @ 9:30 Club (10/29/25) – Megan James (lead vocalist) performed atop a high platform guarded by an army of fans with huge blades. It wasn’t until the music started and a collective ‘ooohhh’ from the crowd, that you realized lights would reflect off the fans to display mind-bendingly cool shapes and colors.
6. Sunday (1994) @ The Atlantis (5/10/25) – Their album Devotion was released the day before this show, but I had been listening to their songs since the beginning of the year and was excited to see them live, their first trip to DC. They convinced me to do a crime.
5. Larkin Poe @ 9:30 Club (5/9/25) – Here’s my review.
4. Deep Sea Diver @ The Atlantis (5/3/25) – I’ve seen this Seattle rock band now five times, but the last time was four years ago. It was time for them to return to DC. This was also their second headlining tour through DC, and they keep getting better.
3. Phantogram @ The Fillmore Silver Spring (2/4/25) – Here’s my review.
2. Wolf Alice @ 9:30 Club (9/12/25) – Wolf Alice has now made my best concerts of the year list three times, coming in on top in 2018. So maybe I like them.
1. Heart @ Wolf Trap (6/1/25) – Heart has always been among my favorites, both for their 1970’s rock songs and for their 1980’s super pop ballads. But I had never seen them live, so it was a pleasure to finally get the chance. They sounded great and Wolf Trap is always a great atmosphere. Winning.
Honorable Mentions
Trousdale @ 9:30 Club (5/16/25) – Here’s my review.
The Ivy @ Pie Shop (4/15/25) – Here’s my review.
Lauren Mayberry @ 9:30 Club (2/18/25) – Here’s my review.
Jordana @ Union Stage (1/24/25)
Billy Idol @ Merriweather Post Pavilion (8/22/25)
A DC Journey 