Fall is a time of renewal, so it’s apt that it is also when D.C.’s concert scene springs into high gear. What better way to feel refreshed than by singing and dancing to your favorite songs? Our fall concert picks offer ample opportunities: pop queens, viral rock bands, classic rock revivals, country crossovers and the last vestiges of festival season.
Angine de Poitrine
Rock’s most interesting band of 2026 is also its most mysterious. Canadian duo Angine de Poitrine went viral with a video of them playing at Seattle radio station KEXP wearing polka dot costumes and papier-mâché clown masks while making experimental math rock. With abrasive, angular sounds, Angine de Poitrine might make you scratch your head. Take “Fabinek” from this year’s “Vol. II”: The rhythm is oft-kilter, and the lyrics are nonsensical, yet it’s weirdly danceable, decidedly addictive and technically impressive. It’s anti-AI music in a world where AI is everywhere. Known by pseudonyms, guitarist Khn and drummer Klek purport to be aliens who speak their own language. In reality, they’re fixtures on Quebec’s underground scene who found the cheat code to making art rock cool again. Sept. 15 at the Atlantis, 2047 Ninth St. NW. theatlantis.com. Sept. 17, Lincoln Theatre, 1215 U St. NW. thelincolndc.com.
Fall festivals at Merriweather
Fall brings two big fests on back-to-back weekends at Merriweather Post Pavilion. First up: All Things Go, an annual rite of passage that brings a female-forward lineup of pop and indie acts over three days. Mitski, Hayley Williams and Brandi Carlile headline alongside festival faves Ethel Cain, MUNA and Zara Larsson. But it’s the undercard of on-the-cusp acts that deserves your attention: Irish pop/country star CMAT, summer breakout Sienna Spiro and the confessional Jensen McRae. The following weekend, Rage Against the Machine’s Tom Morello hosts Power to the People. Billed as a day of “peace, love, justice, and music,” the political-action-minded festival features a stacked lineup: Foo Fighters, Bruce Springsteen, Joan Baez, Public Enemy and actor Jack Black. All Things Go, Sept. 25-27. Power to the People, Oct. 3. Merriweather Post Pavilion, 10475 Little Patuxent Pkwy., Columbia, Maryland. merriweathermusic.com.
Pop’s new arena queens
There’s a new class of female pop stars embracing rock and pop in equal measure, and fans can catch three of them the same week this fall. Charli XCX is the impossibly cool girl (David Cronenberg and John Cage features, acting roles in indie films, Letterboxd power user). Phoebe Bridgers has the most indie cred (collabs with Bright Eyes and her supergroup, Boygenius; a role in an A24 film) and rabid fans who tracked her every movement on a surprise tour of small clubs. Olivia Rodrigo has the biggest tent: She’s a pop star for Gen Z girlies and millennial moms with a flair for musical theater. All three have pivoted toward rock. Charli’s “Music, Fashion, Film,” the follow-up to her zeitgeist-defining “Brat,” led with the single “Rock Music.” Bridgers has always leaned more indie rock than pop, and “Lost Weekend” continues her sonic evolution. Rodrigo’s third album, “You Seem Pretty Sad for a Girl So in Love,” dives into 1980s alt rock with the song “The Cure” and a guest vocal from the Cure’s Robert Smith. Charli XCX, Sept. 28. Phoebe Bridgers, Sept. 29. Olivia Rodrigo, Oct. 3-4. Capital One Arena, 601 F St. NW. capitalonearena.com.
Shaboozey
In 2024, Shaboozey’s “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” was everywhere — and so was he. The rapper turned country crossover returned this summer with “The Outlaw Cherie Lee & Other Western Tales,” a concept album that follows a fictional outlaw woman out for revenge. A cast of actors and singers as eclectic as Shaboozey’s hip-hop-ified Americana helps bring the ambitious story to life, including Jamie Foxx, Gunna, Leon Bridges, Teyana Taylor, Sam Elliott and Orville Peck. The single “Cowgirl” aims to replicate the success of “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” — down to the stomp-clap beat and the line “Got another bar song for you and all your friends” — and it’s a hooky delight. Sept. 30, the Anthem, 901 Wharf St. SW. theanthemdc.com.
‘Reckoning’ with the Dead
Grateful Dead cover bands are a dime a dozen, but with the death of Bob Weir in January, there has been a void in the still-thriving Deadhead community for the first time since Jerry Garcia passed in 1995. This year marks 45 years since “Reckoning,” an acoustic live album culled from Dead concerts in 1980, and two acts are staging tribute tours. Americana luminaries Gillian Welch and David Rawlings strip the Dead’s songs to their core. There are still jams and incendiary acoustic guitar solos, but they present such classics as “Ripple” and “Brokedown Palace” as sing-alongs, and ballads including “To Lay Me Down” and “China Doll” in a new light. Fans looking to get transported to 1980 can see enduring cover band Dark Star Orchestra, which has played more shows than the Dead. DSO will re-create a full concert from the “Reckoning” era. Gillian Welch & David Rawlings, Oct. 18, Warner Theatre, 513 13th St. NW. warnertheatredc.com. Dark Star Orchestra, Nov. 21, the Anthem, 901 Wharf St. SW. theanthemdc.com.
Rush
When superhuman drummer Neil Peart died in 2020, it seemed like the end for Canadian prog rock trio Rush. So it was a shock when guitarist Alex Lifeson and bassist-vocalist Geddy Lee announced that the band would return for the Fifty Something tour. With new drummer Anika Nilles, Rush’s reunion has been heralded as a revitalization. The band is changing up the sets nightly, often playing suites from such albums as “2112″ and “Moving Pictures” alongside crossover hits “Tom Sawyer,” “Limelight” and “YYZ.” Oct. 25 and 27, Capital One Arena, 601 F St. NW. capitalonearena.com.
Boy Harsher
Darkwave duo Boy Harsher’s forthcoming “Get Mean,” out this month, marks a new era. It’s their first with a major label and the first since Jae Matthews and Augustus Muller ended their romantic relationship. If the upbeat, gothy lead singles “Jeans” and “Hard Beat” are any indication, the transition from couple to co-worker has rejuvenated their working relationship. Oct. 30, Howard Theatre, 620 T St. NW. unionstagepresents.com/the-howard/shows.
Billy Strings
The biggest name in bluegrass is 33-year-old guitarist Billy Strings, who has collaborated with living legends (Willie Nelson, Bob Dylan), pop stars (Kacey Musgraves, Post Malone) and jam band giants (Phish, Widespread Panic). The Grammy winner’s latest album, “So Much for Goodbyes,” is his most personal yet: It’s a grief-filled tribute to his mother, who died last year and whose artwork serves as the album art. For the past two years, Strings has hosted a Halloween party in Baltimore. These elaborate productions feature special guest performers and one-off covers based on a theme. Last year, it was monster movies (“Monster Mash,” Edgar Winter’s “Frankenstein”), and in 2024 it was “O, Brother Where Art Thou?” Oct. 30-31, CFG Bank Arena, 201 W. Baltimore St., Baltimore. cfgbankarena.com.
Geese
Reports of indie rock’s death have been greatly exaggerated, thanks in part to Gen Z New Yorkers Geese. Led by enigmatic front man Cameron Winter, Geese had a breakout moment last year with third album “Getting Killed” (despite controversy surrounding manufactured bot armies). Geese has a knack for remixing the classic and indie rock canons, filtering familiar sounds (the Rolling Stones, Radiohead, the Strokes) through its warped POV. Choruses erupt out of nowhere and guitar solos crescendo, while Winter’s obtuse lyrics warble in and out. In concert, there’s a raw energy reflected in the young crowd, which starts mosh pits during the punky “Trinidad” when Winter screams, “There’s a bomb in my car!” Nov. 6 and 13, the Anthem, 901 Wharf St. SW. theanthemdc.com.
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