From its days as a defender of the DIY faith to its final glam-rock gasps, D.C.’s Shudder to Think was one of the most intriguing acts of the ’90s. Shudder eventually ditched Dischord for a major label, trading the proto-emo sound that won over local punks for awkward progressive rock. Their Epic debut, 1994’s Pony Express Record, was a true pit bull in lipstick, packed with guitar snarl but evincing a dandy demeanor that went gangbusters with the handful of rock chicks who bought it. Guitarist Nathan Larson’s muscular guitarwork embraced atonality, while frontman Craig Wedren’s oddball falsetto flitted from chord to chord like an errant hummingbird. Unsurprisingly, radio was allergic, and following some high-profile tours, Wedren’s bout with Hodgkin’s disease, and a couple of soundtrack appearances, the band called it quits—another casualty of an adventurous yet exploitative decade. Now they’re back for another go.

SHUDDER TO THINK PERFORMS WITH PATTERN IS MOVEMENT AT 6 P.M. AT THE 9:30 CLUB, 815 V ST. NW. $20. (202) 265-0930.