Despite the sweltering heat outside the Howard Theatre on Tuesday, July 16h, the inside was kept cool by the chill tones of shoegaze and indie rock from bands Dutch Interior, Horse Jumper of Love, and DIIV (pronounced 'dive').

Dutch Interior, a six-piece band from Los Angeles, made their DC debut after the group faced a canceled show in Philadelphia the night prior. They opened the night with a 25-minute set filled with melodic noise and dynamic builds. The band's unique setup saw members Jack Nugent, Connor Reeves, and Davis Stewart swapping instruments and lead vocals, adding a fresh energy to their performance.

Following Dutch Interior, Horse Jumper of Love took the stage, epitomizing shoegaze with their delay-drenched drums and heavy, slow guitar and bass tones. Lead singer Dimitri Giannopoulos charmed the crowd with his humor, responding to a shout of "what tuning" with "high E," sparking laughter and lightening the atmosphere.  They were pleased to give the crowd a taste of their newest single “Today’s Iconoclast” that was released earlier in the day.

The transition from Horse Jumper of Love to DIIV was marked by loud ambient noise, flashing lights, and smoke that filled the magnificent high ceilings of the theater. A video featuring an older man in a suit set the tone, promising a transformative experience beyond a mere performance.  “The music you’ll experience is not just a melody to your ears, but a key to unlock the deeper potential within you” the video warned before welcoming the band onto the stage. The crowd quickly transformed from still and intense to erupting in hollers and applause as the 4 members took their places on stage. Bassist Colin Caulfield and lead singer/guitarist Zachary Smith framed the stage nicely with their instruments with guitarist Andrew Bailey and drummer Ben Newman aligned carefully under the large lit screen. The crowd's anticipation was rewarded as the band launched into a track from their latest album "In Amber," accompanied by a camcorder-style tour documentary that connected the lyrics to the band's tour life.

DIIV's first set ended with guitarist Andrew Bailey dancing and singing along to "Doused," before a humorous "you need a lawyer" style video directed the audience to the merch table, erupting the crowd into laughter. The second set featured high-pitched tones in "Somber of the Drums," with strobing lights accentuating drummer Newman's beats and cymbal movement. The second set ended with an eerie pause as the screen changed over to old war footage as “Raining On Your Pillow” was played, the vocal harmonies of the song matching the uneasy aura of the footage behind the bands. 

As the night began to wind down, DIIV treated the audience to yet another unique crowd interaction through visual effects. This time, an infomercial for a fake therapy company, Soul-Net, played as a nod to their song “Soul-Net.” The infomercial conveyed messages about combating political radicalism and encouraged the audience to resist while offering guidance for both personal and societal transformation to challenge capitalism. As “Soul-Net” played, a Zoom-video montage of the band singing from their homes synced with the live performance, featuring flashes of phrases like “Cycle is Karmic,” “Burn your money, live in peace” (referencing a t-shirt at the merch stand), and “Alchemy is Real.” The theme carried on with a satirical advertisement for band-created merchandise supporting political candidates in the 2024 presidential election, introducing their album-titled song “Frog in Boiling Water,” which critiques the slow, destructive impact of capitalism and our lack of urgency to escape it.

The evening concluded with the band expressing gratitude to their team, supporting acts, and the audience. They returned for an encore with "Everyone Out" and "Horsehead," leaving the crowd thoroughly satisfied and most definitely transformed. For more transformational experiences DIIV and both supporting acts will be traveling down the east coast in the months to follow on the second leg of the “Frog in Boiling Water” tour. 

All these bands left us sweltering on a steamy summer day in Washington, DC, and look forward to them warming us up when the weather gets frosty once again.