The last time Cymbals Eat Guitars played DC9, they were between records, having concluded several years of touring in support of 2011’s Lenses Alien and testing out material for this year’s more straightforward Lose. Though admittedly less imaginative—the band has occasionally admitted to being exhausted by the difficult technical aspects of Lenses Alien—the new songs were nonetheless granted the full CEG treatment: a solid steep in the late-’90s American indie-rock tradition, kicked into high gear by bandleader Joseph D’Agostino’s energetic, urgent delivery. Melodically, the band’s anthemic choruses and soaring guitar riffs suit the grandiosity of a large venue, as when Cymbals Eat Guitars opened for Hüsker Dü’s Bob Mould earlier this year at the 9:30 Club. But D’Agostino’s intimate, soul-baring lyrics betray any arena-sized ambitions. His impassioned, full-throated singing and kinetic guitar-playing fill the stage while his subjects sit alone at bus stops or ride in the backseats of cars on empty highways. Cymbals Eat Guitars performs with Alex G and Ricky Eat Acid at 8:30 p.m. at DC9, 1940 9th St. NW. $12–$14. (202) 483-5000. dcnine.com.