Without a Fall Fest concert on campus this semester, students will need to head to venues across the District to get their music fix for the semester.
Program Board canceled its annual Fall Fest concert, which has brought a headlining artist to University Yard for at least the past 15 years. Instead, the organization will host comedian Hasan Minhaj in the Smith Center, but students will still be without a musical performance.
To supplement the lack of concert on campus, head to these shows around the District this semester:
Festivals to splurge on
Music festivals allow students to see multiple artists all in one place. Two festivals will roll into the District during the first few weeks of the semester and will fill the stage with top artists.
Trillectro Festival will make a comeback to Merriweather Post Pavilion on Sept. 22. The one-day fest is a 45-minute drive from campus, but promises to be a star-studded evening with the biggest names in R&B and hip-hop, including SZA, Young Thug and 2 Chainz. Tickets start at $79 for admission on the venue’s lawn, followed by $99 for general admission pavilion seats and $119 for the closest standing room tickets.
The All Things Go Fall Classic, a festival from the online music publication of the same name, will return this year to Union Market Oct. 6 and 7. The two-day concert has a Saturday lineup of all women artists, like singer-songwriter Billie Eilish, and a Sunday show with pop musicians Carly Rae Jepsen and BØRNS headlining. Two-day festival passes are $89, with one-day pass options for $59.
Floor seats to nosebleeds
At Capital One Arena this semester, you can catch the biggest names in the industry.
The arena at 601 F St. NW holds more than 18,000 people and may hit capacity when Canadian rapper Drake performs Sept. 12 and 13. Sing along to throwbacks like “Headlines” and “Take Care,” and recent hits like “In My Feelings,” which took the internet by storm this summer. The concert is one stop on his “Aubrey and the Three Amigos” tour, with rap trio Migos opening with songs from their newest album, “Culture II.”
Just one week later, rapper Childish Gambino will take the stage Sept. 19 for his “This is America” tour, named after the popular single he dropped in May. Join some friends and dance along to songs like “Redbone” and “3005.”
Intimate club shows
Attending a small-scale concert at popular D.C. venue the 9:30 Club is a way to add live music to weekend plans at the last minute.
Rock out to Car Seat Headrest, a rising star of indie rock from Virginia, on Sept. 19 and 20. What started out in 2010 as a solo project by Will Toledo, the band’s vocalist, transformed into a four-person band with alternative rock melodies and deadpan lyrics.
If you don’t have plans for fall break yet, stay on campus and grab tickets to see English electronic duo HONNE on Oct. 7. Fans of the duo and new listeners alike will vibe to funky tracks like “Warm on a Cold Night” and be introduced to singles like “Feels So Good” from their new album “Love Me / Love Me Not,” which was released Aug. 24.
Seats at a new venue
With its prime location on the waterfront and calendar filled with well-known artists across all genres, a show at The Anthem should be on any music fan’s itinerary.
See soul and R&B singer Leon Bridges belt out his latest hits on Oct. 3 at the District’s newest music venue. His latest tour, following the release of his album “Good Thing” in May, will take Bridges across the country and Europe, playing tunes like “Bad Bad News” and “River.”
If you can manage to snag tickets, the two nights Florence + The Machine play The Anthem are sure to be ethereal. Singer-songwriter Florence Welch will summon witchy vocals alongside her band’s baroque accompaniment, paired with some acoustic balladry from her latest record, “High as Hope.”
