Polaris Hall Presents

An Evening with Ida & Tsunami

Polaris Hall

April 19, 2025 8:00 PM

Doors Open: 7:00 PM

TICKET PRICES CURRENTLY AVAILABLE
GENERAL ADMISSION 21+: $30.00

TICKET SALE DATES
GENERAL ADMISSION 21+ Public Onsale: November 20, 2024 9:50 AM to April 19, 2025 10:00 PM

Please note, when selecting the Print at Home or Mobile Delivery method, you will not have access to view your tickets until 14 days prior to the performance

MOVED FROM MISSISSIPPI STUDIOS TO POLARIS HALL. TICKETS PURCHASED FOR MISSISSIPPI STUDIOS WILL BE HONORED AT POLARIS HALL.

In the mid-1990s, the musical lives of DC-based Tsunami and the NYC-based Ida were intertwined. In addition to sharing many bills and tours together, Tsunami’s label, Simple Machines Records, released Ida’s first three albums, and the band members frequently collaborated on other musical projects. Now, 25 years later, both bands are celebrating the reissue of their 1990s releases by The Numero Group with the Coin Toss tour in March and April 2025.

In a nod to equity, whimsy, and jamming econo, the two bands plan to share equipment and van space, as well as determining each night’s stage order by a flip of the coin. The audience is encouraged to join the bands for the entire evening as Ida and Tsunami fuse their sets together. Special guests – representing the bands’ wide network of musical friends and heroes – are expected to join them on stage at most shows, to lend a crazy guitar part, or guest vocals, or one of their own songs. There will be sewn-on patches, swag, and participation prizes, and a joyful noise.

Ida

In the 1990’s and 2000’s, Ida’s live shows were widely considered ground zero for indie rock first dates and heartbreak. Their air-tight, three-part vocal harmonies, lo-fi, post-punk aesthetics and humor, coupled with the vulnerability at the core of their songs, earned the band an international audience and a special place on many, many mix tapes. The band got its start in 1992 in Elizabeth Mitchell and Daniel Littleton’s Brooklyn apartment. Mitchell’s folk instincts and unusual open tunings became the basis for their early songs; Littleton, a veteran of the 80’s Maryland punk scene, added distortion and feedback to their shared poetic observations of everyday life. Friends Jenny Toomey and Kristin Thomson of Simple Machines encouraged the duo to record, and the band released their debut album Tales of Brave Ida in 1994. Daniel’s brother, Michael “Miggy” Littleton, joined on drums for the band’s first tour, opening for Tsunami. After the 1996 release of the critically acclaimed I Know About You, Beekeeper’s Karla Schickele joined as bassist, vocalist, and contributing songwriter, establishing Ida’s most recognizable and enduring lineup.

Tsunami

Self-sufficient and quick-witted, Tsunami were among the most inventive and resourceful bands to emerge from the American independent scene of the 1990s. Founded in Arlington, VA in late 1990 on the intertwined guitars, sharp-tongued lyrics, and forceful vocals of frontwomen Jenny Toomey and Kristin Thomson, co-owners of the highly regarded Simple Machines record label, Tsunami were equally noted for their music and their unwavering commitment to D.I.Y. principles, which established them among the most respected voices in the alternative community. Throughout the 1990s, Tsunami wrote and recorded prolifically, releasing three full-length albums and over a dozen seven-inch singles and EPs, most on their own Simple Machines label.

ALL SALES ARE FINAL. PLEASE, DOUBLE CHECK YOUR ORDER BEFORE PURCHASING. NO REFUNDS.

MOSTLY STANDING / LIMITED SEATING

21 & OVER

VALID US OR CANADA ID REQUIRED FOR ENTRY. GUESTS TRAVELING FROM OUTSIDE US/CA MUST PRESENT A VALID PASSPORT.

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Number of Tickets

Limit 6 tickets per order.

General Admission 21+: $30.00 *

* Does not include convenience or handling fees.