Gallery by Gallery of Rose

Review by Scout Marie

June 22, 2026

A delightful mix of pop-punk classics, hardcore, and EDM pumped in through D.C.’s Union Stage speakers as I walked into the room on June 22nd. I knew I was in for a great night with Jhariah, and one of the coolest pairs of pants I’ve ever seen. 

By design, Jhariah’s music is impossible to place in one particular genre. Blending elements of pop-punk, emo, dance music, even ska and prog rock, Jhariah has created a unique style. 

The night started off with up and coming New York City-based artist Lora Mouna. Lora’s music immediately makes me picture the obligatory post-major-plot-point late night driving scene in an indie coming of age movie. She even treated the audience to an unreleased song titled “The Difference”, which was recently announced to be releasing on July 29th. She was a joy to watch with her guitars adorned in pink ribbons and a stage presence that I cannot wait to see in bigger rooms. 

Starting their set off with 2024 album TRUST CEREMONY’s opening track, “TOOTH PACT”, Jhariah and their band were a ball of energy on stage. The music is the kind of upbeat that’s impossible to keep still during, and the band matches that perfectly. My eye was immediately drawn to Jhariah himself. Even in a 450 person capacity room, he treats the show as if they were playing to a sold out stadium. None of this energy would be nearly as impactful if they weren’t supported by their band - made up of guitar player Eden, saxophone player Allan, bass player (and Baltimore native) Kirby, and drummer Bree. Helping to bring Jhariah’s “NO GENRE, ALL DRAMA” music to life, the way they play off of each other and have fun doing it is a testament to how much love and passion was on that stage. The standout song of the set for me was “MAYBE LATER DANCE”. Reminiscent of Panic! at the Disco’s earlier work during the verses with fast-talking lyrics and layered harmonies, switching seamlessly to a heightened pop-rock sound during the choruses, the track is a shining example of their genre-bending style.

The energy was not one sided, the crowd was returning it every step of the way. Mosh pits (being egged on by the band), multiple breaks in the set where fans threw bracelets on stage, even a Nerds Gummy Cluster exchange between Eden and an audience member, Jhariah’s fans show up and show out. They were rewarded in kind, too, with the playing of an unreleased song; “LEAD”. Trust me, check it out whenever it drops. 

Jhariah spoke several times about how difficult it is to remain creative and motivated in the current state of the world (aptly followed up by a cover of Paramore’s “Hard Times”), and how important it is to have spaces where we can come together and be ourselves unapologetically. Spaces like the room we were standing in. I saw people of all different walks of life, all different genders and sexualities and races. Never once did I feel like there was a divide amongst them. The room was filled with immense love and joy —both on stage and off — I couldn’t help but smile the entire show, even as a casual fan. One of the moments that exemplified this the most was Jhariah jumping off stage mid song and moshing with the crowd. Allowing for the barrier between artist and fan to be broken, even if just for a moment, speaks to the space they’ve made with their music. Jhariah has created a community where everyone is welcome and loved, no matter what, and that is perhaps one of the best gifts an artist can give us.