We know D.C. Get our free newsletter to stay in the know.
At this point, another mid-’90s emo band reunion isn’t so much cause for celebration as it is cause for exhaustion. After the much-hyped but short-lived reunions of genre stalwarts like Cap’n Jazz, Texas Is The Reason, and the Promise Ring, the reunion of a once-beloved emo band seems so passé. Which is why the reunion of Kansas City’s Boys Life is something to get excited about; they missed the crest of the reunion wave, so this doesn’t come off as a half-assed reunion to make a quick buck. After all, emo—in its heyday—was never about being cool or fashionable, and Boys Life was never quite on the same pillar as the Promise Ring or Texas Is The Reason, anyway. Plus, the reunion isn’t going to be a permanent thing: The band is only doing a handful of shows to celebrate the vinyl reissue of its excellent second album, 1996’s Departures and Landfalls, which is a polarizing mix of wiry emo, math-rock, and post-rock. This is your last chance to catch the band, at least until ’90s nostalgia fetishization peaks again. Boys Life performs with Josh Berwanger Band and John Bustine at 7:30 p.m. at the Black Cat, 1811 14th St. NW. $18–$20. (202) 667-4490. blackcatdc.com.