The Gentleman Tour
On October 1st, 2026, Towa Bird hit the second to last stop of her Gentleman Tour in Washington D.C.! She performed at a small venue called The Atlantis and effortlessly rocked the stage with her vocals, guitar playing, and stage presence. It was her first headlining tour ever, and she crushed it.
I went to The Atlantis to see Wasia Project about two years ago, and then in the adjacent space, the 9:30 Club, I’ve seen mxmtoon twice! Both spaces are quite intimate and they honestly allow for a better concert experience with the artist you are there to see, and I mean it! Every show I have been to in one of these spaces I have made eye contact with the artist on stage!
I went to this concert with my girlfriend and I couldn’t imagine a better person to go with. We both decided to buy our tickets right as they went on sale as the concert venue was already small. Our tickets cost about $35 each, which I think is the cheapest I have ever paid for a concert!
I decided to go all out and wear a suit! I wanted to look my best for one of my favorite artists. I drove to D.C. (for the first time might I add) a bit early so we could have a better spot in line. We did not purchase VIP tickets (though now I wish we had). Even without our VIP tickets, we were very close to the stage.
The merch was limited, but still a good selection! I got a black and white tour t-shirt and a pack of stickers that I plan to junk journal! I was hoping she would have a poster that I could buy to decorate with but I was out of luck.
I absolutely loved the set! Her stage was simple, but the red curtains that were draped in the back and the haze pouring through the room provided the perfect atmosphere for her show. The stage was small, though I think intimacy can create a better concert environment.
The opener for the show was an artist called Mother Soki. I had never heard of her before, but that was no problem for me. I absolutely adore listening to new music and adding new artists to my arsenal of playlists. Her music kind of reminded me of Ethel Cane! It’s not something I would normally listen to but I enjoyed it nonetheless!
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Finally, the show was about to begin. Of course Towa Bird started the show backstage by introducing her band and making a few jokes. It wasn’t long until she came out to face the crowd. She was wearing a pinstripe suit and a red and black tie, just like the Gentleman album cover!
One of my favorite things about the show were the random sound effects that kept playing while she was trying to start a song or just talking to the audience. It honestly brought so much joy to the crowd. Additionally, watching her shred guitar live was life changing! I love live music, but there is something so cool about seeing someone in their element, excelling at their craft. Guitar is definitely that for Towa Bird.
She played 18 songs in total, one of them being a brand new song that she has yet to release. However, one of my favorite songs off of the album that she performed is called “Victoria.” It talks about her journey as a queer person, and trying to decide if she should hide who she is to fit everyone’s standard, or to just be who she was meant to be all along. She picked the latter.
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That song is incredibly important to me because I too have had the same internal debate. I have always been so anxious about my sexuality. Who will like me? Who will hate me? Will I still be loved? Questions like that have kept me up many nights. However, if you had told middle school me, pre-coming out, that in a few years I would be out to my parents, in a loving relationship with a wonderful partner, and seeing some of my favorite gay artists live, I would have NOT believed you!
Seeing Towa Bird, and so many other LGBTQ+ artists have helped me discover who I am and who I wish to become in terms of self-acceptance and confidence. The Gentleman tour was a concoction of queer joy and vulnerability. It was a beautiful place for queer people to come together, be in the moment, and just feel.