Hamilton Leithauser and Rostam Return Home to the 9:30 Club

Ten years after releasing their collaborative album I Had a Dream That You Were Mine, Hamilton Leithauser and Rostam returned to their Washington, D.C. roots Thursday night to open their first full tour together at the 9:30 Club. The reunion brought two longtime friends back to a city that helped shape their musical identities and it also introduced the audience to an up and coming band from Ireland that was playing just their second show in the States.

The room appeared roughly three-quarters full, creating a comfortable atmosphere without the congestion of a sold-out show. The audience was attentive throughout the night, though the energy changed considerably as three very different acts took the stage.

Philadelphia siblings Sam and Louise Sullivan opened with a gentle, largely acoustic set built around Louise's vocals and Sam's guitar playing. Moving between acoustic and electric guitar, Sam accompanied his sister through songs that frequently explored love and relationships, a recurring theme the pair acknowledged with good humor.

Their easygoing stage presence and obvious affection for each other made the performance feel intimate and unpretentious. The audience responded warmly and while their music rarely ventured into particularly dramatic territory, the brother and sister duo proved engaging performers whose understated approach provided a pleasant beginning to the evening.

Madra Salach was the second band of the evening, a six-piece band from Dublin that delivered the night's biggest surprise, combining traditional Irish folk influences with experimental arrangements, commanding vocals and an extraordinary sense of musical tension. Their songs often began quietly, introducing melodies and rhythms that gradually accumulated layers before erupting into powerful crescendos.

It was music that demanded attention, not because the musicians were especially animated onstage, but because the arrangements were so compelling. Most of the band remained seated or relatively stationary throughout the performance, allowing vocalist Paul Banks to provide much of the physical movement. He leaned forward into the microphone, gestured toward the audience and threw himself into the music as the musicians behind him built increasingly intense arrangements.

Most of the band appeared understated in their movements, yet the music they produced was anything but restrained. Guitar, bass and drums were joined by Maxime Arnold's harmonium, a hand-pumped reed organ whose sustained, droning notes added an almost hypnotic quality to the music. It was a great combination of instruments, capable of moving from delicate, atmospheric passages to enormous walls of sound.

There was something particularly impressive about the patience of these performances. Rather than rushing toward a chorus or obvious payoff, Madra Salach allowed their songs to develop naturally, building anticipation before delivering moments of remarkable intensity. Their closing number, "The Man Who Seeks Pleasure," brought that approach to a fitting conclusion.

The one unfortunate element was the lighting. For much of the set, the musicians performed beneath an almost uninterrupted wash of deep red, with the band's name projected behind them. Occasional bursts of brighter light briefly revealed faces and expressions, but the stage frequently returned to that same overpowering red.

It was a frustrating visual presentation for a performance with so much musical variety. Madra Salach arrived as an unfamiliar opening act to many in the room and left as a band well worth seeking out again. When the band members returned to the stage to clear their equipment and instruments, some members of the audience mistakenly thought they were coming back for an encore. Heady stuff for an opening band, but it demonstrated just how thoroughly they had won over a crowd largely unfamiliar with their music.

By the time Hamilton Leithauser and Rostam hit the stage, the audience was ready for the evening's headliner.

Their backing musicians began with a brief instrumental introduction before the pair emerged to an enthusiastic reception. Leithauser took up his guitar while Rostam settled behind a piano, opening with "The Morning Stars" and "Sick as a Dog," two songs from the album whose anniversary had brought them back together.

Leithauser, best known as the frontman of The Walkmen, was a commanding presence throughout the performance. His powerful vocals and animated stage manner provided much of the evening's physical energy. One moment he was playing his Rickenbacker guitar, the next gripping a microphone with both hands, leaning into a chorus or striding across the stage.

Rostam, whose work with Vampire Weekend helped establish his reputation as a songwriter and producer, provided an effective counterweight. Moving between piano and guitar, he brought a quieter but equally important presence to the stage. Where Leithauser seemed inclined to attack a song physically, Rostam often appeared absorbed in the details of the music itself.

Their differences were central to the appeal of the performance. Neither musician needed to imitate the other and the arrangements gave both room to express their distinct personalities.

The 20-song set drew heavily from their collaborative album while making room for material from both musicians' individual careers. Rostam took the spotlight for songs including "Bike Dream" and "4Runner," while Leithauser's solo work was represented by selections such as "Fist of Flowers" and "This Side of the Island."

One particularly memorable song came during Rostam's "In a River," when Leithauser briefly stepped away from the stage. The song took on an almost country-influenced character, with Ben Carbone on pedal steel guitar lending the arrangement a distinctly different texture. It was a welcome change of pace and another example of the musical range the pair brought to the stage.

Between songs, Leithauser and Rostam spoke about growing up in the Washington area, their shared history and the experience of making music together. Their exchanges were relaxed and humorous, carrying the easy familiarity of people whose friendship extends well beyond their professional collaboration.

That relationship gave the concert much of its personality. Despite the carefully constructed arrangements and accomplished backing musicians, the evening never felt like a mechanical recreation of a decade-old record. Instead, the two appeared genuinely happy to be sharing a stage again especially in a city that holds personal significance for both.

The main set concluded with two of their best-known collaborations, "In a Black Out" and "A 1000 Times," before the pair returned for an encore featuring "I Retired" and "1959."

Thursday's concert offered two very different examples of what makes live music memorable. Madra Salach demonstrated how carefully constructed songs and exceptional musicianship can create enormous intensity without elaborate staging. Leithauser and Rostam showed how a longstanding friendship and contrasting musical personalities can give familiar material renewed life.

### Sam and Louise Sullivan — Setlist 9:30 Club | November 5, 2026 1. Maybe It's Love 2. Down on Love 3. Hang a Right 4. Ms. Mercedes 5. Love & Devotion 6. Irish Goodbye 7. Avalon 8. Africando 95

### Madra Salach — Setlist 9:30 Club | November 5, 2026 1. The Tunnel Tigers 2. Ribbon Factory 3. BOLG 4. Cranes 5. Searrach 6. The Man Who Seeks Pleasure

### Hamilton Leithauser and Rostam — Setlist 9:30 Club | November 5, 2026 1. The Morning Stars 2. Sick as a Dog 3. When the Truth Is... 4. Peaceful Morning 5. You Ain't That Young Kid 6. In a River 7. The Bride's Dad 8. Alexandra 9. Knockin' Heart 10. Rough Going (I Won't Let Up) 11. Bike Dream 12. 4Runner 13. Come Apart 14. Fist of Flowers 15. Ocean Roar 16. This Side of the Island 17. In a Black Out 18. A 1000 Times Encore 19. I Retired 20. 1959