Music & Concerts
FALL ARTS 2018 CONCERTS: Troye, Elton, Xtina and — Stop! — Miss Ross
Region simmering with fall concerts of all genres and ilks


The region’s fall pop/rock concerts feature gay artists such as Elton John, on left, and Troye Sivan, to legendary divas such as Diana Ross. (Photos courtesy Matt Baron/Sutterstock, Universal Music Group and the Strathmore respectively)
Pop icon Elton John brings his “Farewell Yellow Brick Road” tour to Capital One Arena (601 F St. N.W.) on Friday, Sept. 21-22 at 8 p.m. The three-year-long tour will be his last. Tickets range in price from $190-1,000 and can be purchased at ticketmaster.com.
Nineteen-year-old DJ and music producer prodigy Whethan (“Superlove,” “High”) performs Friday, Sept. 21 at the 9:30 Club (815 V St. N.W.) at 10 p.m. Filipino electronic artist Sweater Beats (“Glory Days,” “Faded Away”) and dance artist Andrew Luce (“Take Me,” “DIAMOND GIRL”) will also perform. Tickets are $25 at ticketfly.com, and parking passes for the 9th St. parking lot are $20.
Diana Ross plays the Strathmore Sept. 25-26. Tickets are $69-239. She’s played the region often in the last several years but this is her first Strathmore engagement since 2010.
Rock band The National (“I Need My Girl,” “The System Only Dreams in Total Darkness”) performs at Merriweather Post Pavilion (10475 Little Patuxent Pky., Columbia, Md.) on Friday, Sept. 28 at 7 p.m. Doors open at 5:30. Singer/songwriter Cat Power (“Sea of Love,” “Lived in Bars”), whose album “Wanderer” will be released in October; and folk rocker Phoebe Bridgers (“Motion Sickness,” “Scott Street”) will also perform. Tickets range from $46-76 and can be purchased at ticketfly.com.
Christina Aguilera performs her “Liberation” tour at The Theater at MGM National Harbor (101 MGM National Ave., Oxon Hill, Md.) on Sunday, Sept. 30 at 8 p.m. The tour follows the June release of her album, “Liberation.” Tickets range from $112-3,432.
Troye Sivan’s “Bloom” tour is coming to The Anthem (901 Wharf St. S.W.) on Thursday, Oct. 4 from 7:30 p.m.-midnight. He headlined at Capital Pride in June. The tour follows the August release of his album by the same name. Transgender pop princess Kim Petras (“Heart to Break,” “I Don’t Want It At All”) opens. Tickets range from $61-468.
English indie rock songstress Florence+the Machine comes to The Anthem (901 Wharf St. S.W.) on Saturday, Oct. 6 at 8 p.m. The doors open at 6:30 p.m. The tour follows the June release of her album, “High as Hope.” Synth-pop artist and former frontwoman of Gossip, Beth Ditto (“Fake Sugar,” “We Could Run”) will also perform. Tickets range from $104.50-179.50.
The versatile group Pink Martini (“Amado Mío,” “Let’s Never Stop Falling In Love”) performs at The Anthem (901 Wharf St. S.W.) on Sunday, Oct. 7 at 8 p.m. The band dabbles in classical, pop, Latin and jazz. They will be joined by frequent collaborator radio journalist Ari Shapiro, co-host of NPR’s “All Things Considered.” The show is open to all ages, and doors open at 6:30 p.m. Tickets range in price from $35-95.
British electropop group Years & Years, (“If You’re Over Me,” “King”) performs Thursday, Oct. 11 at the Lincoln Theatre (1215 U. St. N.W.). Their “Palo Santo” tour follows the July release of their sophomore album of the same name. The performance will also feature sets by pop singer/songwriter CYN (“Only With You,” “Believer”) and pop artist Tunde Olaniran (“I’m Here,” “KYBM”). The show is sold out.
Jake Shears, lead singer of the pop group Scissor Sisters, performs solo at the 9:30 Club (815 V St. N.W.) on Wednesday, Oct. 31 at 7 p.m. The performance follows the August release of his eponymous album. He is joined by the multimedia pop group Ssion (“At Least the Sky is Blue,” “Comeback”). Their album “O” was released in May. Tickets are $25.
Elle King (“Exes and Ohs,” “Shame”) brings her “Shake the Spirit” tour to the Lincoln Theatre (1215 U St. N.W.) on Friday, Nov. 2 at 8 p.m. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. The tour promotes her upcoming album’s release of the same name. Rock band Cordovas (“I’m the One Who Needs You Tonight,” “All I Found”) opens. Tickets are $30 and go on sale Friday, Sept. 14 at 10 a.m. Eastern time.
French synth-pop artist Christine and the Queens (“Tilted,” “Girlfriend”) perform at the 9:30 Club (815 V St. S.W.) on Sunday, Nov. 4 at 7:30 p.m.-10:30. The concert follows the Sept. 21 release of her new album, “Chris.” Doors open at 7 p.m. Tickets are $35 and parking passes for the back parking lot on 9th St. are $20.
City Winery D.C. (1350 Okie St. N.W.) hosts an Evening With Jennifer Knapp (“Undo Me,” “A Little More”) on Tuesday, Nov. 6 from 9-10 p.m. Doors open at 8. Knapp, a folk-rock, formerly gospel musician, has released six albums as well as a memoir. In 2017, Knapp released her latest album, “Love Comes Back Around.” The event will be held in the Wine Garden. Tickets are $15.
Multi-platinum singer/songwriter and Broadway actor Josh Groban comes to the Capital One Arena (601 F. St. N.W.) on Thursday, Nov. 15 at 8 p.m. His “Bridges” tour follows the Sept. 21 release of his album of the same name. Broadway icon Idina Menzel, known for her roles as Elphaba in “Wicked” and Elsa in “Frozen,” will join him. Tickets range from $49-1,432. With every online ticket purchase there is a choice of a free “Bridges” CD or digital download.
Music & Concerts
Red, White, and Beyoncé: Queen Bey takes Cowboy Carter to D.C. for the Fourth of July
The legendary music icon performed on July 4 and 7 to a nearly sold-out Northwest Stadium.

Just in time for Independence Day, Beyoncé lit up Landover’s Commanders Field (formerly FedEx Field) with fireworks and fiery patriotism, bringing her deeply moving and genre-defying “Cowboy Carter” tour to the Washington, D.C. area.
The tour, which takes the global icon across nine cities in support of her chart-topping and Grammy-winning country album “Cowboy Carter,” landed in Prince George’s County, Maryland, over the Fourth of July weekend. From the moment Beyoncé stepped on stage, it was clear this was more than just a concert — it was a reclamation.
Drawing from classic Americana, sharp political commentary, and a reimagined vision of country music, the show served as a powerful reminder of how Black Americans — especially Black women — have long been overlooked in spaces they helped create. “Cowboy Carter” released in March 2024, is the second act in Beyoncé’s genre-traversing trilogy. With it, she became the first Black woman to win a Grammy for Best Country Album and also took home the coveted Album of the Year.
The record examines the Black American experience through the lens of country music, grappling with the tension between the mythology of the American Dream and the lived realities of those historically excluded from it. That theme comes alive in the show’s opening number, “American Requiem,” where Beyoncé sings:
“Said I wouldn’t saddle up, but
If that ain’t country, tell me, what is?
Plant my bare feet on solid ground for years
They don’t, don’t know how hard I had to fight for this
When I sing my song…”
Throughout the performance, Beyoncé incorporated arresting visuals: Black cowboys on horseback, vintage American iconography, and Fox News clips criticizing her genre shift — all woven together with voiceovers from country legends like Dolly Parton and Willie Nelson. The result was a multimedia masterclass in storytelling and subversion.
The “Cowboy Carter” tour has been a social media sensation for weeks, with fans scrambling for tickets, curating elaborate “cowboy couture” outfits, and tailgating under the summer sun. At Commanders Field, thousands waited in long lines for exclusive merch and even longer ones to enter the stadium — a pilgrimage that, for many, felt more like attending church than a concert.
One group out in full force for the concert was Black queer men — some rocking “denim on denim on denim on denim,” while others opted for more polished Cowboy Couture looks. The celebration of Black identity within Americana was ever-present, making the concert feel like the world’s biggest gay country-western club.
A standout moment of the night was the appearance of Beyoncé’s 13-year-old daughter, Blue Ivy Carter. Commanding the stage with poise and power, she matched the intensity and choreography of her mother and the professional dancers — a remarkable feat for someone her age and a clear sign that the Carter legacy continues to shine.
It’s been nearly two decades since Beyoncé and Destiny’s Child parted ways, and since then, she’s more than lived up to her title as the voice of a generation. With “Cowboy Carter,” she’s not just making music — she’s rewriting history and reclaiming the space Black artists have always deserved in the country canon.
Music & Concerts
Berkshire Choral to commemorate Matthew Shepard’s life
Concert held at Washington National Cathedral

Berkshire Choral International will present a concert performance of composer Craig Hella Johnson’s fusion oratorio “Considering Matthew Shepard” on Friday, July 11, 2025 at 7:30 p.m. at the Washington National Cathedral.
The program will be guest conducted by Dr. Jeffrey Benson, a native of the DMV who currently serves as Director of Choral Activities at San José State University. The concert is a partial benefit for the Matthew Shepard Foundation. Notably, Matthew’s remains are interred at the National Cathedral and his parents, Dennis and Judy, will give opening remarks at the performance.
Tickets are $20 – $65, and 50% of ticket proceeds will be donated to the Matthew Shepard Foundation. Tickets are only available online at berkshirechoral.org.
Music & Concerts
Indigo Girls coming to Capital One Hall
Stars take center stage alongside Fairfax Symphony

Capital One Center will host “The Indigo Girls with the Fairfax Symphony Orchestra” on Thursday, June 19 and Friday, June 20 at 8 p.m. at Capital One Hall.
The Grammy Award-winning folk and pop stars will take center stage alongside the Fairfax Symphony, conducted by Jason Seber. The concerts feature orchestrations of iconic hits such as “Power of Two,” “Get Out The Map,” “Least Complicated,” “Ghost,” “Kid Fears,” “Galileo,” “Closer to Fine,” and many more.
Tickets are available on Ticketmaster or in person at Capital One Hall the nights of the concerts.
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