Saturday 7/19
DJ Pee .Wee
While the name DJ Pee .Wee might not ring any bells, I’m sure you are familiar with the man behind the pseudonym, Anderson .Paak, of both solo fame and duos like Silk Sonic (with Bruno Mars) and NxWorries (with Knxwledge). Now, one thing about me is that I absolutely cannot stand Bruno Mars, so naturally, I steered clear of Silk Sonic’s Grammy-winning An Evening with Silk Sonic. However, I recently discovered that the duo covers one of the best songs of all time on the album, Con Funk Shun’s “Love’s Train.” This is all to say that despite sometimes making embarrassing music, Anderson .Paak clearly has great taste. Don’t miss his headlining set, which, according to Redditors, promises a dance party with back-to-back bangers (Gwen Stefani’s “Hollaback Girl” and Kylie Minogue’s “Can’t Get You Out of My Head” have been played in the past), sing-alongs of his songs, and potentially live drum solos. AUDREY VANN
Dora Jar
California-based rising star Dora Jarkowski, better known by her stage name Dora Jar, burst onto the indie scene with the release of her debut EP Digital Meadow in 2021, which combined dreamy bedroom pop with confessional lyrics and garnered comparisons to Faye Webster and St. Vincent. Since then, she’s opened for artists like the Neighborhood and Billie Eilish. Most recently, she’s been in the news due to a particularly whiny subset of Gracie Abrams fans petitioning to oust her as the opener for Abrams’s tour, which seems more like a ringing endorsement than a drawback if you ask me. If you were a theater kid in another life, secretly still believe in fairies, are nostalgic for the ethereal vocals of pre-Elon Grimes, and/or enjoy the whimsical storytelling of artists like Laufey and Conan Gray, you’ll be into this. JULIANNE BELL
Slayyyter
Once likened to “Charli XCX on whippets” by The Fader, internet pop princess Slayyyter rose to fame via SoundCloud and sounds like an amalgam of Y2K icons like Britney Spears, Paris Hilton, and Lindsay Lohan in the best way possible. With songs like “Daddy AF” and “I Love Hollywood!,” her music is the aural equivalent of a bedazzled magenta Motorola Razr. She frequently collaborates with electronic artist Ayesha Erotica and was recently featured on Kesha’s pulsating new club banger “ATTENTION!” along with up-and-coming English singer-songwriter Rose Gray. I predict the crowd at her set will be populated by girls, gays, and theys dressed in leather and rhinestones. JULIANNE BELL
Thundercat
Thundercat’s music is weird, groovy, and kind of brilliant. It’s funk, jazz, R&B, and anime energy all smashed together by one of the best bass players alive. One minute he’s singing about his Dragon Ball durag, the next he’s shredding a solo that sounds like it came from another planet, and somehow it all works. His live shows are loose and unpredictable, but that’s what makes them fun. You’ll get jokes, you’ll get feelings, and you’ll definitely get a lot of bass. If you like music that’s funny, emotional, and groovy all at the same time, don’t skip this set. And if you see someone in the crowd dressed as Sayaman with a Dragon Ball durag trailing on the ground like a cape, just let them vibe. That’s me. Mind your business. CHRISTIAN PARROCO
Sunday 7/20
100 gecs
The unhinged hyperpop of 100 gecs, one of the internet’s favorite bands, has been praised as propelling the genre forward, with the New Yorker calling their sound “an impressively precise maximalist exercise with no rules.” Since their critically acclaimed 2019 debut 1000 gecs, their sound has grown exponentially, with fewer vocal filters and more guitar solos. If you look back at 2010s artists like 3OH!3, Sleigh Bells, Kreayshawn, Metro Station, and Skrillex without cringing, I think you will appreciate this music. 100 gecs are at once sincere yet ironic, hooky yet avant-garde, and terrible yet completely brilliant. AUDREY VANN
Lemon Boy
Lemon Boy’s “Guitar Center (Sucks)” is one of the greatest fuck-yous to know-it-all guitar bros that I’ve ever heard. Not only does the band express their annoyance through an extremely catchy hard rock jam (à la the Runaways’ “Cherry Bomb”), they also showcase their musicianship with a medley of popular guitar riffs that you can hear played at Guitar Center at any given time (“Smoke on the Water,” “Seven Nation Army,” and “Crazy Train”). The “sour punk” band will make their CHBP debut with tracks from their first album, Eat. Skate. Die. AUDREY VANN
Maude Latour
Much like teen-stars-turned-experimental-pop-artists Rebecca Black and Addison Rae, Swedish singer-songwriter Maude Latour is leaning into sexier lyrics and unconventional beats on her debut album Sugar Water. On the album’s title track, Latour asks, “Can you spit sugar water straight into my mouth?” atop a trance-like drum machine and sparkling electronics—the result is dreamy, fun, and danceable. Her newest single, “Miss America,” is a wordy queer love song that details her experience of touring the US with her partner last year. The track brings to mind reigning pop queens like Chappell Roan and Olivia Rodrigo with diaristic lyrics and punchy pop vocals. Latour is clearly at the very beginning of something huge, so be sure to see her set this weekend before she inevitably headlines arenas. AUDREY VANN
n8vboy
n8vboy is a rising force in Seattle’s EDM scene, melding bold rhythms, cultural depth, and community uplift. He’s bringing his genre-warping sound to Neumos, and if you miss it, that’s on you. n8vboy’s sound blends moombahton, trap, and dance-pop with a deep, bass-heavy pulse, making his set feel like a party and a prayer at the same time. What makes it unique is the way he works in sonic elements from his Yakama Nation roots. His latest project, EPOCH, builds around earthy percussion and haunting aural textures that cut through the mix. It’s not just a blend of styles, it’s something entirely his own. Pull up. CHRISTIAN PARROCO
Porter Robinson
It would be no exaggeration to say that Porter Robinson’s music helped save me during a very dark period of my timeline. There’s something about lyrics that acknowledge all the things that can make life suck, juxtaposed with positive messages about persevering, set to a synthy electronic anime-intro-type instrumental that really hits home with me. And it’s not just me—the crowd at Porter is sure to be full of teary-eyed fans yelling very similar stories about life-saving soundtracks. Current-day Porter has moved away from the full electronic world, with his latest album sporting a live band with a hyperpop sound. But if his set is anything like the rest of the tour, you’ll get a crash course in all the stages of Porter Robinson over the last ten years that still keep him relevant on my playlists today. CHRISTIAN PARROCO
Yaeji
Is there anyone cooler out there than Yaeji? The genre-bending singer, DJ, and producer, who’s known for mixing English and Korean lyrics, first cut her teeth in the nightlife scene by spinning at the legendary Pittsburgh electronic music dance party Hot Mass as a college student. Later, she moved on to making her own music with Ableton and blew up after her first Boiler Room set in 2017 went viral. She simultaneously pokes fun at herself and evokes the spirit of a sweaty dance floor in the quirky hit “Raingurl,” then muses on mundane everyday moments with “Drink I’m Sippin’ On.” Anyone who’s ever longed to party behind the booth while Yaeji works her magic is in luck: She’s slated for a DJ set, which will likely include her own vocals and visual elements and is sure to get even the most staid Seattleites moving. JULIANNE BELL
