The Crystal Casino Band is Coming to Washington D.C.

Looking for a fun activity to help kick off the Spring semester? The Crystal Casino Band will debut their newest album, Maryland House, on Feb. 9 at the 9:30 Club, accompanied by opener Jeff Draco. The combination of Draco’s dreamy pop songs, reminis...

By Sydney Nauman

Looking for a fun activity to help kick off the Spring semester? The Crystal Casino Band will debut their newest album, Maryland House, on Feb. 9 at the 9:30 Club, accompanied by opener Jeff Draco. The combination of Draco’s dreamy pop songs, reminiscent of summertime drives to the beach, with The Crystal Casino Band’s lively, indie-rock sound is sure to have audiences smiling as they dance along.

The Crystal Casino Band is a locally based band formed in 2015 by a group of friends attending George Washington University. Now, celebrating the release of their sixth album, which serves as an homage to where they got their start, the group is revisiting their hometown of Washington D.C. for their first ever headlining performance at the 9:30 Club. Audience members can expect to hear a variety of songs spanning the band's discography with a heavy focus on work from their newest album.

“Maryland House” was released on Jan. 27 and demonstrates The Crystal Casino Band’s evolution over the years while maintaining their relatable lyrics and indie charm that fans fell in love with. The group’s newest work has a heavier rock influence compared to their 2019 album, Bound To Be Something Good, and their 2017 album One of a Kind, both of which had a more classic indie-pop sound. The release of their fifth album, Not About You, in 2021 started to draw more attention to the band’s rock side with heavier songs like “Kala,” “Bad Luck,” and the title track “Not About You.”

Unsuspecting listeners may think that “Maryland House” is just another head bopping, indie-rock creation by The Crystal Casino Band. However, beyond the catchy, upbeat, rock melody is frontman Pete Stevens’ vocals aching with a deeper sense of emotion. Accompanied by meaningful lyrics, the songs of this album are meant to target the feelings of twenty-somethings across the country.

The band’s sixth album is centered around the minds of their audience members with topics like navigating socio-political issues, relationships and other challenges young adults face while growing up today. The album’s opening track, “Curfew,” puts listeners into the perspective of an individual as they experience the riots that occurred at The Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. With lyrics like, “I wish my wide eyes wouldn’t see while my brain is still developing,” the group draws attention to the mental and emotional effects that experiencing these conflicts has on a young person.

The album ends on a lighter note with “Getting Closer,” which has an acoustic backing complete with a ukulele. This sunshine-soaked track reminds listeners not to be too hard on themselves and to check in with their inner child every once in a while. The laid back vocals include lyrics like, “Don't forget your carefree mind, you’ve got bills to pay throw them down the line. They'll still be there when your hair is gray, so this ain’t the time,” urging listeners to not take life so seriously all of the time.

Despite this album having a more prominent rock influence, listeners of all genres of music can enjoy The Crystal Casino Band’s upbeat, catchy melodies and the meaningful lyrics they disguise. With the addition of The Crystal Casino Band’s previous work to the set list and Draco’s serotonin inducing, beach-rock sound, the performance on Feb. 9 is sure to leave audiences feeling fulfilled and moved.

Ticket information can be found here.