Republican Hair at DC9 August 15, 2018 with Dot Dash

I LOVE Republican Hair. The music is catchy and fun to sing along to, and the stage show is great live. I haven't danced that enthusiastically at a concert in ages. I waited way too long to write this, but what I clearly recall is that the front man/songwriter Luke Dick (for real, that's his name)  has a very compelling presence. He's huge and blond. I remember thinking that he could pull off a superhero Thor if he hit the gym. The rest of the band clearly were having a good time, but I was surprised by how many of them there were up on stage. You don't see many bands that size these days. It would be hard to keep me away from their next concert.  The opener was Dot Dash - I am pretty sure they are a local group of 40-something dads, because their teen sons acted as roadies. Their live show was not good, but Eric took pity on them and bought the CD and says they are better recorded than live. 

Hayley Kiyoko June 1, 2018 at the Fillmore in Silver Spring, MD

My friend Dana scored free tickets to see Hayley Kiyoko aka "Lesbian Jesus" at the Fillmore in Silver Spring. Neither of us knew anything about her act, but why not give it a try? We were surprised that the entire show was sold out! (Actually, that also surprised the band - they had sold out a smaller venue and moved the show to the Fillmore, then sold out the Fillmore. It's their largest show to date.)   The singer had a ton of personality and danced a lot on stage.  Her moves reminded me of K-pop bands.  Her banter seemed spontaneous and was engaging. And the audience was game  - swinging arms in unison, lighting up cell phones. These ladies were not self-conscious. It was a good time, and I hadn't ever heard of the act until that morning.