Photo by Lewis Evans
Inhaler performed their largest DMV show to date on Friday, drawing a massive crowd at The Anthem. The Dublin-based rockers are on tour promoting their new album Open Wide, which they released a month before the show. The Open Wide World Tour began last month in the UK and will continue through the summer. Been Stellar opened
for the tour’s first leg, traveling the Northeast with the band. California rock group Benches will join Inhaler on the second leg of the US tour.
Been Stellar kicked off the show with a standout set. The New York indie rock group formed in 2017 and released their sophomore album “Scream From New York, NY” last year. Their setlist featured a mix of picks across their discography. Reminiscent of Radiohead, their music created a dreamy, nostalgic atmosphere with the use of reverb
and effect pedals. Having toured with similar artists including The 1975 and Fontaines D.C., Been Stellar’s set was the perfect warm up for Inhaler. They played a short set of about 10 songs, wrapping up with “I Have the Answer” off their new album.
The Irish rockers took the stage after Been Stellar. Frontman Eli Hewson, son of U2’s Bono formed the band with classmates Robert Keating, Josh Bartholomew Jenkinson and Ryan McMahon in 2012. Their debut album was released nine years later in 2021 and the band have released two subsequent albums including their latest, Open Wide. Having opened for high-profile acts including Noel Gallagher, Pearl Jam, and Harry Styles, the group have amassed a loyal fan base that showed up for their DC show. Labelling their visit to the District “our favourite show of this run” in an Instagram post, the crowd’s energy was through the roof throughout the show.
Inhaler was last in the DC area in 2023, where they sold out the 9:30 Club. Drawing a much larger crowd this time around, the audience was composed of fans of all ages, with several families in attendance. They played 18 songs, with the majority from their newest album. While they didn’t play any covers, they did tease the intro to ABBA’s “Gimme Gimme Gimme” before launching into “X-Ray”. While acknowledging they were in the nation’s capital, they showcased their Irish pride with a display of the Irish flag projected on stage behind them at one point during the set. They ended the night with an extended encore before taking off for their next tour stop.
Inhaler will be on tour in the United States through March 19th, where they’ll wrap up in Dallas. Inhaler will get a few weeks off before hopping back over the pond for a series of shows running from April through June.
Final Grade: A
About The Author
