Bishop Allen / Mates of State

General Admission Standing Room Only

BISHOP ALLEN

A defining band of the early-aughts blog era, Bishop Allen released the beloved indie albums Charm School and The Broken String, as well as two other records and a collection of 12 EPs, before going on hiatus in 2014. They've reformed for a limited series of shows featuring their favorite songs from across their catalog.

The band's hooks, energy, and clever lyrics first drew attention in 2003 when an effusive feature on NPR's "Weekend Edition" won them a national fanbase. Their self-recorded, self-released debut, Charm School, shot to #2 on Amazon’s charts, and Bishop Allen spent the next several years touring behind it. In 2006, the band released a 4-song EP each month of the year, to the acclaim of the indie blogosphere at its peak, and they became the first-ever signing of now-seminal indie label, Dead Oceans. The Broken String was released on Dead Oceans in 2007, followed by Grrr in 2009 and Lights Out in 2014.

Bishop Allen's founding members, Christian Rudder and Justin Rice, are back together, making music again, and they’ve assembled a band of favorite collaborators for a brief run of shows in early 2026.

Links: Official Website | Facebook | Instagram | Spotify

MATES OF STATE

Kori Gardner is one of the best female singers in modern music (and husband Jason is also no slouch). Their style is iconic – the effortless way their voices harmonize and volley back and forth, the movements within the song, the way they move from upbeat to pastoral so fluidly that you don't perceive it happening. Their instruments and voices all move as one piece, inseparable. Through the years, the textures have become more intricate, deeper. They've begun throwing in the occasional trumpet or guitar, but it is still stunning how much they can do with just keyboards and drums. They move so far within the limitations of the two-piece format that you can't even call it a limitation. It feels as natural as the standard rock-and-roll four-piece.

Mates garnered a rabid following beginning in 1998 and toured nearly non-stop for 15 years, performing all over the world including runs with NPR’s This American Life, The Postal Service, The Strokes, Jimmy Eat World, Santigold and Death Cab for Cutie. They’ve also been seen on David Letterman, Coachella, Lollapalooza, Conan O’Brien, and Yo Gabba Gabba.

Mates’ have released 7 full length albums (on labels including Barsuk and Polyvinyl) while simultaneously starting a family of 3 daughters(!) who travelled the world with them on tour. The Mates’ paused touring from 2019-2024 to “give their girls a bit of an anchor through their teenage years”, while continuing to write and explore to find their next musical phase. Then, in the summertime of 2024, they resumed full-on with a 17-date tour (in 17 days!). A new album will follow in 2025.

Links: Official Website | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Spotify