A Shrewdness Of Apes Live At Transmission

Love your local underground band night: Four bands. One night. A full taste of the DC underground live music. From the prog-rock songs by headliner A Shrewdness of Apes, to the punk chaos of BUKO BUKO, spacey metalcore of Unity for the Outcasts, to the psychedelic indie sounds of Hays Dowdy, this lineup delivers a genre-bending snapshot of the DMV’s thriving music scene. Come discover new favorites and experience the energy of DC and Baltimore’s local scene: A Shrewdness of Apes (ASOA) is DC prog, an ambitious three-piece inspired by the likes of Tool, Queens of the Stone Age, Yes, and Alice in Chains. Their palate ranges from heavy effects-saturated riffs to intricate odd meter acoustic melodies. Protest songs, history, evolution, societal issues are just some of the lyrical topics covered in their repertoire. ASOA formed in 2013, and since then have relocated from Richmond and have released 5 EPs and 2 full-length albums. With A Shrewdness of Apes, expect the musically unexpected. BUKO BUKO is a DC-based happy punk band born out of boredom from sad, soggy, serious punk music and fueled by Riot Grrrl and mean mommy energy. BUKO BUKO live shows are an experience to laugh, dance, and mosh. They don bright colors and cheap wigs, feed fans gummy worms, and get the crowd moshing to songs like “Spaghetti Time.” BUKO BUKO’s debut album, titled All You Can Eat, was released last year as a labor of love (literally) to "bring feral joy to the mosh pit," as Washington Post writes. BUKO BUKO means “young coconut” in Tagalog and is a nod to the singer’s half-Filipino heritage. Unity for the Outcasts is a cyberpunk girl metal band from Washington DC blending together elements of pop, electronic, and metalcore to create a unique spacey soundspace. The band writes music to give a voice to those unheard, striving to bring people together. featuring members of Hispanic and South Asian descent, Unity for the Outcasts aims to bring diversity and representation to the underrepresented communities in the rock scene. Hays Dowdy is a Baltimore-based alternative indie artist and multi-instrumentalist defined by intricate lead guitar work and baroque lyricism. Fronting a high-energy live band, Hays explores a psychedelic fusion of classically inspired pop-punk and agile, rhythmic grooves. With the success of his standout single "Voodoo Doll (feat. Abby Sevcik)", Hays continues to expand his sonic footprint following the January 2025 release of his debut album, "Dreaming in Seven Senses".