One of the benefits of going to school in Washington, D.C. is the live music that can be found all around the city. Have a favorite artist going on tour? There’s a good chance that they’ll be making a stop at one of the many venues the city has to offer. D.C. has a vibrant─and severely underrated─music scene, so make sure to take advantage of it whenever you get the chance. While there are plenty of venues to choose from, The Eagle found the ones worth the Metro trip.
9:30 Club
Officially opened to the public in 1980, the 9:30 Club was located on F Street and had a mere 200 person capacity. Despite its unimpressive interior, the club would come to be known as D.C.’s “home for alternative music” and played a vital role in showcasing up-and-coming performers that have gone on to become international successes. Today, thousands of fans flock to the club every year to support local bands, as well as big-name acts. Tickets for shows typically range between $10 and $40. Well-known headliners will often make two-night-in-a-row appearances, so don’t lose hope if a show you’re dying to see sells out quick! Artists performing here soon: Glass Animals (Oct. 8 and 9), Beach Fossils (Oct. 24) and Bad Suns (Oct. 29).
Where: 815 V St., N.W.
Metro: Green Line, U St./African American Civil War Memorial/Cardozo station
Capital One Arena
If a hugely popular artist you follow is going on a stadium tour, they’ll likely make their D.C. stop at the Capital One Arena, formerly known as the Verizon Center. The multipurpose arena has a capacity of 18,000 and frequently hosts sold-out shows for some of the biggest names in popular music, such as J. Cole, Kendrick Lamar and The Weeknd. You can almost always find affordable tickets in the upper levels, but floor seats can cost hundreds depending on who’s performing. Artists performing here soon: Arcade Fire (Sept. 16), Katy Perry (Sept. 25) and Bruno Mars (Sept. 29 and 30).
Where: 601 F St., N.W.
Metro: Red line, Gallery Place/Chinatown station
Echostage
Echostage has welcomed an array of artists across several genres since it opened in 2012, but the venue is especially well known for bringing the biggest and best EDM musicians to D.C. The Echostage website proudly boasts that, in its few years of operation, it has already attracted “industry heavyweights” like Tiesto, Calvin Harris and Avicii. Tickets generally start at $25, but depend entirely on the popularity of the artist. Echostage is probably the least Metro accessible out of all D.C. music venues, however, a free shuttle runs from the NoMa-Gallaudet U stop directly to the venue at scheduled times. Artists performing here soon: Jon Bellion (Sept. 10), 21 Savage (Oct. 20) and Krewella (Oct. 27).
Where: 2135 Queens Chapel Rd., N.E.
Metro: Red line, NoMa-Gallaudet station
Black Cat
This venue is the place to go to hear your new favorite indie band or musician. Black Cat continuously brings in acts that have just barely broken into the mainstream, or still have yet to do so. The 23-year-old venue consists of two concert rooms: the mainstage and the backstage. While both rooms provide an intimate experience that you won’t receive from larger D.C. venues, the latter holds just 200 people. Because the venue hosts some unconventional acts, tickets are affordable and rarely surpass $25. Artists performing here soon: Japanese Breakfast (Sept. 07), Frankie Cosmos (Sept. 22) and Wolf Parade (Oct. 22).
Where: 1811 14th St., N.W.
Metro: Green Line, U St./African American Civil War Memorial/Cardozo station
The Anthem
D.C.’s newest venue is currently under construction by I.M.P., the same company behind the 9:30 Club; the Anthem is set to officially open its doors October 12. The Foo Fighters will be headlining the first sold-out show of this highly anticipated project. A movable stage will supposedly allow the venue to hold between 2,500 and 6,000 fans, depending on each show’s demand. Tickets are on the pricier side─at this point, they’re ranging from $35 to $200. The venue is located in the prominent Southwest waterfront neighborhood known as “The Wharf.” Artists performing here soon: Phoenix (Oct. 16), The Killers (Jan. 10) and Lorde (March 8).
Where: 901 Wharf Street., S.W.
Metro: Green line, Waterfront station
