Moving Out Tour
September 22, 2026
Watching the growth of a band that you find when they are playing house shows is remarkable. Not attending said house shows is not as fun, but having the opportunity to attend Edgehill’s third show of their first headline tour is like watching history in the making. Edgehill is a Nashville-based trio that began at Vanderbilt University and is made up of members Chris Kelly (lead vocals + guitar), Jake Zimmermann (lead guitar + vocals), Aidan Cunningham (drums), and a rotating array of (non-member) bassists; for their current tour, they have Leighton Weber.
Edgehill began their discography before meeting Aidan with Shooting Glances in 2022, an infectious single that immediately showcased their quality as an (at the time) underground band. After further successes with their following songs and EP Live at East Iris Studios, the band collectively decided to drop out of Vanderbilt and focus on their music careers, leading to their signing to Big Loud Rock / Severance Records in 2024. Following the increase in fans, they got right to work in 2024, recording their debut album at Pachyderm Studios (where Nirvana recorded In Utero). Then, in 2026, on April 18th, their single Double Take held the number one spot on Billboard’s major alternative airplay chart, putting Edgehill above other notable names like Weezer, Muse, and Twenty One Pilots. They went on to play music festivals such as Let’s Go! (Crownsville, MD), Summer Fest (Milwaukee, WI), and Iron Blossom (Richmond, VA). The band brought a revival to alternative music that listeners had been missing.
While in Washington, DC, for Alex Mac Live’s DC101 Yard Sale on May 30th, 2026, Edgehill played a set alongside other promising up-and-coming bands. One band that stood out to Edgehill was Edward!, a rock-and-roll band based in Maryland/DC, made up of Edward Houston (vocals + rhythm guitar), Marco Capoccia (lead guitar), Roberto Capoccia (drums), and Isaiah Rosser (bass). Edward! at the time had released NICE TO KISS YOU, the last single for their EP BROOKHAVEN that came out July 10th of this year. The bands found interest in each other, sparking a friendship. This led to Edgehill inviting Edward! to do a one-off opening set for their DC show at the Atlantis before their touring opener played.
Edgehill’s Moving Out Tour has three openers (four including Edward!). For their first eight shows of the tour, they have Palmer Hubbell (also known as Palmertrees), who also went to college in Nashville. Palmer was an easy choice for an opener for the Edgehill tour based on the band’s history with him. Palmer produces and mixes his own work, but early in Edgehill’s career, Palmer mixed some of their songs (such as Shooting Glances and Anemone). Palmer is truly a standout opener, with upbeat songs that make you move involuntarily and, at times, recall Jack Johnson. Palmer’s debut album, 3 foot 5, was released in 2025 and included tracks like Shampoo and Ms. Evergreen.
Leading up to the show at The Atlantis, I was able to catch Edgehill’s set at Iron Blossom, which felt like a preview to what I would get to experience two days later in DC. By the time I made it to the venue, it was four o’clock and rainy; no one was there except the workers and Edgehill inside preparing for the show later that night. I stood with my umbrella waiting for my chance to talk with band members and openers, until Palmer and his band pulled up and began unloading their gear. After they unpacked, I quickly chatted with him about how the tour had been going for him, and he genuinely seemed surprised that I had spoken to him. He stopped momentarily and shared his gratitude and excitement to be a part of the tour and to get to play all over the East Coast. Soon after, he went back inside to begin his own setup for the night. It was still raining, but slowly fans began to trickle up 9th Street. After chatting with a few of the fans, it became very apparent how dedicated Edgehill’s fanbase truly is; many of their listeners had traveled multiple hours to get to the show. One fan specifically had become well known by Edgehill for following them to multiple of their shows during the tour.
After a two-hour wait, the doors opened, and the forty or so fans that had arrived early walked into the venue, stopping to look at the merch stand or going straight for the barricade of the stage. While the venue was on the smaller side, it was charming and comfortably held all of the guests that entered that night. Before the first set began, I had another chance to talk with Palmer about his merch (which included a graphic T-shirt and a CD he personally burns). As the time ticked closer to Edward!’s set, everyone began to get antsy, awaiting an act most fans of Edgehill had never heard of before.
It came time for Edward! to begin, and out walked a clearly defined band. Frontman Edward Houston reached the microphone, and the first thing I noticed was his short mohawk with a slit that created the resemblance of an exclamation mark. The band began to play, and instantly the pit understood the objective, with mass headbanging and jumping, leading to the floor of the venue shaking constantly as people landed and bounced back up. The punk-forward rock band played songs such as ELMWOOD, PHONE POLICE, and notably ONETASTE, a track that is mainly made up of four words: “I WISH YOU WOULD.” This made the song easily repeatable by the crowd, which Houston had asked the fans to do before starting the song, stating that “You are all in the band now.” Edward!’s stage presence was captivating, as the band moved around playing both elegantly and loudly, while frontman Houston hopped down off the stage and climbed the barricade to put the mic stand in the crowd to hear them yell “I WISH YOU WOULD.” Immediately following the set, I turned to the fan on my left, saying, “I did not expect that, but I am happily surprised,” leading her to say roughly the same thing. Honestly, I keep returning to their music days later.
Frontman of Edward!, Edward Houston
After a brief intermission, Palmer and his backing band came out to the stage and began their set. Immediately, the vibe was drastically different from the previous exuberance of energy that had held the same stage captive minutes before. Palmer captured the audience’s attention quickly, due to the juxtaposition between his and Edward!’s music. Palmer had his backing band, including guitar, keys, bass, and drums, which allowed him to recreate his studio-recorded tracks effortlessly. Songs from his set included BFK (Boyfriend Killer), Okay Cool, and Shampoo, an ode to redheaded girls. During Okay Cool, every “okay” from Palmer prompted the crowd to shout “cool.” He took time to talk between certain songs about his involvement in early Edgehill songs, and about his merch stand right across from the stage. The audience seemed to love Palmer’s set. For me, it was the personal lyrics that made his music so easy to connect with.
Palmer preparing to begin his set
Minutes before 9:10 (the time of Edgehill’s set), the small Atlantis had filled up, and the fans were eager to see and hear them play. When the band came out to set up their equipment, the crowd erupted in cheers, shouting the members’ names. After setting up, they headed backstage to build suspense, and then out of nowhere a text-to-speech announcement came over the speakers. It was from Chris, stating that he had been feeling under the weather, but that he was going to perform despite being sick and asked the audience to give him some grace that night. Once again, they came out to the stage and just like before, the audience clapped and cheered.
Edgehill played a variety of tracks ranging from early singles like Lookaround to tracks off of their debut album Ode to the Greyhouse (including my favorite track, Drone Song), and even two unexpected covers of Radiohead’s Body Snatchers and Pavement’s Harness Your Hopes. Across the set, I was thoroughly impressed by the vocal performance even with Chris being sick. At the start of I Can Be Your Dog, Chris had a telephone-shaped microphone that made him sound like he was on the phone. Around halfway through the set, the band walked backstage, leaving lead vocalist Chris Kelly alone on the stage with the lights shining outwards so he could see all of his dedicated fans. Chris was emotional and thanked everyone who had been coming out to the shows and described how much headlining a tour meant to him and the band. Chris went on to play the title track of their new album, accompanied only by his acoustic guitar. Following the song’s end, the band returned to the stage, and they continued to play their notable tracks before hinting at being back in writing mode, followed by playing a brand new untitled track. As the show ended, fans screamed, asking for setlists, picks, and a chance to talk to the band that had just showcased their artistry on the stage.
Edgehill frontman Chris Kelly alongside lead guitarist Jake Zimmermann
For once, rather than rushing out the door to get back home from a show, I just sat amidst the chaos of the fans screaming and band members disassembling their equipment. My mind was quiet; I was just smiling. I waited until Leighton was finished with his conversation with fans before beginning to talk to him about sets that he caught at Iron Blossom after their set wrapped up. We briefly talked about the Geese set that was the same night and how incredible it was. I congratulated him on such a great show and began heading out of the venue.
Being able to experience Edgehill, Palmer, and Edward! all the same night is something that I know will stick with me. All three groups of musicians are on the cusp of reaching a wider audience and gaining the recognition that they deserve. If you are looking for a concert to attend this fall, I highly recommend Edgehill’s Moving Out Tour.
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