The Aces Light Up 9:30 Club
- Alder Boutin
- Nov 20
- 2 min read
Updated: Nov 24
The Aces brought dazzle and glamour to Washington, D.C.’s 9:30 Club on their Gold Star Baby World Tour last Saturday. Singer Cristal Ramirez’s raspy vocals blended with higher harmonies from drummer Alisa Ramirez, guitarist Katie Hendy, and bassist McKenna Petty. Gold Star Baby, the band’s recent album, is a modern, polished take on disco pop.
They engaged with the crowd easily, bringing a particularly sparkly fan onstage to receive the title of best-dressed – along with a pink feather boa. Later, the band referenced their Aces Space podcast with a “Tea Of The Week” segment, during which they encouraged fans to share gossip. Two told two first date horror stories, while a third shouted, “My grandma has three baby daddies!” Alisa segued, “We have some tea! We just put out ‘Square One’ a couple days ago.” The meandering breakup song laments, I thought I was past the feelings I had / One look and I’m back to square one.
Gold Star Baby marks a foray away from pure pop rock for The Aces, yet it feels wholly cohesive with the rest of their catalogue. Alisa introduced one Gold Star Baby song, “The Magic,” by saying, “This is a song about sex appeal…. If you’re under the age of 25, you might call it rizz. If you’re over the age of 40, you might call it mojo. Here, we call it ‘The Magic.’” The Aces finished the night with older fan favorites like “Volcanic Love” and “Stuck.”
Supporting act Lydia Night was a pop of pink bubblegum. She warmed up to the stage immediately, her years as The Regrettes’ frontwoman transferring easily to her current endeavor as solo pop star. Night’s songs are earworms – catchy with creative production. Her throaty, full tone is a sultry contrast to her light, upbeat speaking voice.
She encouraged the audience to “take the hint, respectfully” and dance to the addictive layered chorus of “Art Sucks”: Let’s get freaky / Let’s burn it to the ground. Night also played a brief cover of Justin Bieber’s “Baby” before one of her final songs, “The Bomb.” “You can be louder, we’re not in an airport,” she nudged the crowd.
Catch The Aces on the remainder of their Gold Star Baby World Tour through February 2026, including U.S. dates with Lydia Night through December 2025.
