Whitney in Washington DC

About Whitney

Whitney is Julien Ehrlich and Max Kakacek, two musicians who met in Chicago and decided to make guitar-based rock that doesn't announce itself. Their self-titled debut in 2016 had people paying attention without much fanfare—it was just solid, meticulously arranged songs that rewarded repeated listening. Ehrlich's voice sits somewhere between conversational and distant, and the arrangements favor space over clutter. They've never been the kind of band to get bigger than their actual reach, which probably suits them fine. The music sits in that place where indie rock and art rock overlap, where a song can be both structurally interesting and genuinely emotionally affecting without making a big deal about either one. They came up through Chicago's DIY scene but made the kind of music that felt like it was always destined for a slightly wider audience, just not a massive one. Their songs have that quality where you can listen casually or you can dig into the production and arrangement and find something new each time.

Quiet intensity. Crowds tend to actually listen rather than socialize, which isn't common. They build songs slowly, and venues get genuinely still. The kind of show where you notice people's posture changing.

Known for Light on, No Woman, Giving Up, Malibu, Alone

Whitney + Washington DC

Whitney's relationship with Washington DC runs deeper than most bands passing through. They last played The Anthem in June 2025, a show that felt like a conversation between old friends. Opening with "Valleys (My Love)," they moved through a setlist that balanced the pretty and the haunting—"Golden Days" gleaming in the lights, "Dandelion" floating like something half-remembered. What stuck was their willingness to dig into the catalog: "Dave's Song" and "Back to the Wind" aren't the songs that get radio play, but they're the ones that make you understand why people keep showing up. They closed on "No Woman," which has that quality of a song that could end anything.

Whitney in Washington DC News

• Whitney Sudler-Smith Dishes on His Latest Career Moves, Including a Series with Shep Rose Bravo · Oct 4, 2025
• Whitney Cummings: Big Baby TheaterMania · Jul 8, 2025
• The Voice of Whitney: A Symphonic Celebration sets fall tour 97.9 WRMF · May 19, 2025
• What Is the ‘American Sublime’? Amy Sherald’s Biggest Museum Show Ever Has an Answer Artnet News · Jan 30, 2025
• ‘Whitney’ by Gay Men’s Chorus sparkled with harmony, fashion, and honesty DC Theater Arts · Mar 15, 2023

Live Music in Washington DC

DC's indie rock tradition runs through math-rock precision and art-school rigor—a lineage that shapes how bands move through the city. Whitney fits naturally into this landscape, their songs built on similar foundations of craft and restraint. The Anthem itself has become the kind of venue where artists can stretch out without pretense, which is exactly where Whitney sounds best: in rooms that value the quiet moments as much as the grand ones.

Washington DC road trip to see Whitney?

Stay in Georgetown or Capitol Hill, both walkable neighborhoods with excellent restaurants and bars. Book a table at Kinfolk in Capitol Hill for refined New American cooking, or head to Pineapple and Pearls for something more elaborate if you want to splurge. During the day, the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden offers world-class contemporary art without the crowds of the main Smithsonians. Walk the C&O Canal towpath if the weather cooperates. Hit up one of the city's serious record shops like Smash! Records before the show.