Hiroe/Tone
Live Music For Your Soul
After having been stuck in the house all week because of snow, I managed to get away Saturday night to see Hiroe and Tone in DC. The show was at DC9, a club I had not been to since 2014 when I was on stage with East Ghost. DC9 has always been a great place to see shows and I was excited to be back!
Hiroe has previously been to DC since they released Wield but I had yet to make it out to a show. So when I saw the tour announcement for these East Coast dates that included a stop in DC, I knew I had to be there!.
Wield was one of my favorite records of 2025 and getting to see the band perform those songs live was magical. The contrast between the two bands worked really well, with Hiroe taking up the heavy, crushing post rock sound and Tone more in the atmospheric, cinematic realm of the genre. Wield works because the songs move from technically and catchy to bone crushing riffs and tender soft moments and live that helped create a wonderful atmosphere. On top of that, you could see the joy the band had playing these songs live and I think that joy from the stage is electric.
Tone is a legendary DC post rock band. Their guitar player Ryan Brogan is a long time friend of mine and a former podcast guest! Tone released M E C H A N I S M S last year, another album I adored, and I was excited to hear those songs live and see my friend play again. Like I said above, where Hiroe was crushing and joyful, Tone is calculated and building, creating these wonderful moving pieces. The night was a reminder (not that I needed one) that I love post rock and it’s a genre I continue to connect with.
Enjoy a few photos from the night!
