Note: This blog contains reference to a song title containing profane language. Reader discretion is advised.
On June 11, 2026, Underscores performed in Washington, D.C., at the 9:30 Club as the midway point of her U.S. “Galleria” tour. The show was opened by electronic DJ Umru. I’m very fortunate to say that I (along with DJs Cashmere Woods and Paruko) got to see this incredible show and enjoy it to its fullest, despite the long drive and the long night.
The show was packed, and the line to get in was long, but I got to see it in the end. I have a lot of thoughts on the concert that I’d like to cover, but as a quick summary, it was by far the most fun I’ve ever had a concert, in part from the crowd, the sounds at play, and Underscores herself.
Who is Underscores?
Underscores is the hyperpop project of April Harper Grey. The artist herself is a part of several projects (Milkfish, Six Impala, Papaya and Friends, and a few others), but likely her most well-known and notable is Underscores. Her first EP under the label was “Skin Purifying Treatment” in 2018, and in 2021 she released “Fishmonger” to massive success. She later released “Boneyard A.K.A. Fearmonger” later in 2021, then “Wallsocket” in 2023 alongside the extended release of the same album (dubbed “Wallsocket (Director’s Cut)”) in 2024.
In 2026, Underscores released “U,” her third unique LP. Since “U” released, she’s gained some popularity beyond what she gained with “Fishmonger” and “Wallsocket,” and several of her concerts on her current “Galleria” tour have sold out (including the show at the 9:30 Club which I saw).
The concert, and why I enjoyed it so much
In my time as a listener of music, I’ve been to quite a few concerts. My first ever concert was a battle of the bands years ago at NC State, and I’ve seen quite a few incredible artists since then, like Babe Haven, Pinkshift, Fleshwater, and many more. If I have to be honest, as exciting as these events were, I think they were all topped by Underscores, which was by far the most exciting concert I’ve ever seen.
While I’ve been to other incredible concerts (Babe Haven and Fleshwater/Julie were super fun, along with all of the others I’ve seen), they’re not always places where I feel comfortable getting excited or where I get much more excited than just tapping my foot and moving a little with the beat, but this show had me jumping up and down and singing and just generally enjoying my full time.
Maybe it’s just a me thing, but I’m not usually in my element at concerts, whether it be because the crowd is rowdy (which I enjoy, to an extent) or something else. This is a surprising point for me to admit to, though, as I take a lot of concert trips and have enjoyed everything I’ve seen, and I’m even more excited for the shows I’m seeing this year. Something about this show with Underscores, though, hit me differently and just allowed me to enjoy it more.
I think maybe it was the general vibe as compared to other shows. With rock, there’s a lot of moshing and anyone who’s outside of the moshpit just sort of stands; but it seems like, maybe, for a pop show like this, you can just get up and dance, and that felt so much more accepted. Perhaps, too, it was the vibe that Underscores herself gave off. She was always up on stage moving around and having fun with her songs, which happens at rock concerts but something is just different between the two.
Moving on from feelings, though, the setlist was also pretty great. There were 19 tracks played, opening with a Soundcloud exclusive “Point A” and including most of the tracks from “U,” ending with “Wish U Well.” Every track had a background video projected onto the wall behind her, and the sound was mostly done with digital tracks, with a few tracks featuring guitar or piano played by Underscores. There was one unreleased track, titled “Unlimited Love,” which seems to be a current tour exclusive, and may appear on streaming later.
The last part of the show featured an encore after request from the fans, which was pretty incredible. When “Wish U Well” finished I moved immediately to the merch line (I wanted to get a shirt and CD), but as I was waiting in line the crowd began to shout “One more!” repeatedly, which prompted an encore. The encore included “1-800-F*CKOFF” by Kimj and “Music” from the album “U.”
Closing notes
I don’t usually give ratings to shows I see, but I’m going to end this blog by assigning a rating to this show. The Underscores “Galleria” show in Washington, D.C. at the 9:30 Club was an incredible experience that I will be sure to not forget anytime soon. Just today I decided to create a playlist of the whole set that I will be sure to listen back to over and over again as I spend my time in the world. I happily give this show 5 stars out of 5 total. When Underscores comes around on another tour I will be sure to buy a ticket as soon as I can.
That’s all I’ve got.
Good luck,
dj starburst
