American Aquarium

American Aquarium brings their rowdy, resilient brand of alt-country and rock & roll to Union Stage in Washington, DC, on August 16, 2026. The show is part of the band's ongoing touring in support of their album *New Ways to Lose*, and they are joined by opening act Joelton Mayfield. The evening promises the band's famously high-energy live performance, described by frontman BJ Barham as "90 minutes of kicking your throat in," alongside a catalog built over two decades and more than 4,000 shows.

The event page delves deeply into *New Ways to Lose*, which marks the band's twentieth year and twentieth record. Produced by multi-time Grammy winner Shooter Jennings, the album was recorded in Los Angeles over a ten-day session, with much of it tracked live to capture spontaneity and immediacy, then embellished with three-part harmonies and horn arrangements. Barham describes the record as both a musical and personal milestone, writing from a place of hard-won maturity as a husband, father, and bandleader. The title comes from a quip by NC State announcer Gary Hahn—"and NC State finds a new way to lose today"—which Barham embraces as a metaphor for the music industry and his own fiercely independent career. The album was released through Barham's own Losing Side Records, and the band continues to operate without major label support.

Musically, the record channels the energy of American Aquarium's live shows, with towering choruses, piano-driven arrangements, hook-heavy riffs, and E Street Band-worthy brass. Song titles mentioned include "Out There in the Dark," "Whatever Helps You Sleep at Night," and "Bad Habits." Barham also points to "Twin Flames," a love song written for his wife, as one of the most vulnerable songs of his career. The album's broader themes touch on the decline of small-town America, longing for connection, political and economic frustrations, and the grief of losing a pet, all balanced with tenderness and gratitude. The band has previously headlined venues like the Ryman Auditorium and Red Rocks, and launched their own festival, Road to Raleigh, all on their own terms.

When: August 16, 2026
Venue: Union Stage, 740 Water Street SW, Washington, DC 20024
Admission: Free
Lineup: American Aquarium with opener Joelton Mayfield
Album: *New Ways to Lose*, produced by Shooter Jennings, recorded live in Los Angeles over ten days, released independently on Losing Side Records
Music style: Alt-country and heartland rock with anthemic choruses, horns, piano, and screaming guitars, influenced by Bruce Springsteen, Tom Petty, and Neil Young
Background: American Aquarium formed in 2006 in Raleigh, North Carolina, and have built an international following through relentless touring and a fiercely independent, do-it-yourself ethos
Live show: High-energy, 90-minute rock & roll performance that the band says is representative of the sound of *New Ways to Lose*
Note: The band describes their career as built on resilience and reinvention, and the show is part of their annual tradition of "showing up to your town once a year to play a rock & roll show"