At the Drive In announces new music, tour stop in DC

by | Jan 21, 2016 | MUSIC

OH man… oh man… oh man. I’m still freaking out here.

The legendary indie/prog/post-hardcore band At the Drive In has announced new music and a world wide tour with a stop at DC’s 930 club.


OH man… oh man… oh man. I’m still freaking out here.

The legendary indie/prog/post-hardcore band At the Drive In has announced new music and a world wide tour with a stop at DC’s 930 club.

I could write a lot about ATDI, I could write even more about The Mars Volta… I could even write a few hundred words about the failed AntiMosque project (which I actually enjoyed despite being an arena rock album.)

But first, here’s a snip of the new track –

It’s sadly only 30 seconds, but it does harken back to the days of vocalist Cedric Bixler, guitarists Jim Ward and Omar Rodríguez, bassist Paul Hinojos, and drummer Tony Hajjar, at their finest.

While a world-wide tour is scheduled, they’ve got a DC show set for the 9:30 club on 6/14 (tickets aren’t on sale yet sadly)

It’s been 15 years since ATDI released their most successful album, Relationship of Command, but the band’s roots stretch way back to 1993 when Ward and Bixler met in high school.

The final product, playing out over multiple releases and some of the most epic live shows in history, spanned genres and made room for some of the best tunes in the last 30 years.

Often covering powerful and personal topics, At the Drive In mixed great instrumentation with deep messages.

The band split in March, 2001 after a car accident shook band members to their core. Bixler, who would become known for nearly-unstable reactions to crowds not observing safety rules, had several on-stage freak outs which didn’t help the band’s image either.

A small reunion happened in 2009 with a few small shows around Texas, and the band began released their old albums on vinyl as re-releases, but there was little to confirm as far as new dates or records.

Either way, I am beyond excited to have these guys come so close to RVA – it’ll be well worth the trip (if I can score tickets!)

Check out some of my favorite tracks below and we’ll let folks know when tickets go on sale –

Brad Kutner

Brad Kutner

Brad Kutner is the former editor of GayRVA and RVAMag from 2013 - 2017. He’s now the Richmond Bureau Chief for Radio IQ, a state-wide NPR outlet based in Roanoke. You can reach him at BradKutnerNPR@gmail.com




more in music

Fourth of July 2026 in Richmond: Fireworks, Festivals, and More

The best Fourth of July celebration in Richmond probably isn't the one with the biggest fireworks. It's the one where someone forgot the hot dog buns, the cooler is running low on ice, kids are chasing each other through sprinklers, and somebody insists they know a...

IllumiNATION Tells America’s Story on a Monumental Scale

Editor’s Note: RVA Magazine is partnering with the Virginia Museum of History & Culture on coverage related to America’s 250th anniversary, including Richmond SailFest and IllumiNation. It's hard to impress people with just a building. Yet standing in front of the...

Blöthar: “GWAR Didn’t Change. The World Freakin Changed.”

Richmond metal band GWAR says the Secret Service contacted the group following a recent performance at the Vans Warped Tour in Washington, D.C., that featured the mock execution of a Donald Trump effigy. Video of the performance, which showed band members...

Kelli Strawbridge Re-Releases Kings And Returns To The Camel

Ten years ago, Richmond drummer, bandleader, and all-around musical utility player Kelli Strawbridge released Kings, a collaborative soul and funk record built alongside producer and keyboardist DJ Harrison of Butcher Brown. The album arrived at a moment when...

The Last Ride of The Golden Pony

Every good music scene has a few rooms that become bigger than themselves. They rarely make headlines while they're open, but their importance becomes obvious when they disappear. For Harrisonburg, The Golden Pony was one of those places. After eleven years of hosting...

Stay Hungry pt. 1 | Band on the Road

Editor's Note: Writer's Block is a space for Virginia writers to share personal essays, fiction, memoir, and works that fall somewhere in between. In Stay Hungry, Richmond local Eric Kalata looks back on a cross-country tour and the restless optimism of...