t's official, autumn is here and trailing all the cascading leaves that float to the earth is an avalanche of amazing tours from equally amazing bands. After rummaging through all my many tickets to upcoming concerts (it was hard to do given that I am holding tickets to six different Pixies shows), I successfully made it to the 9:30 Club, where a sparse crowd was checking out local band Phaser. I had missed them on a separate occasion, but this time I was lucky enough to see what has to be one of DC's best bands put on a stirring performance. Heavy on the UK shoegazing/spacerock sound, Phaser's comparisons to the Verve, Mercury Rev, and Spiritualized are all fair. But to credit Phaser, they also stand on their own and not just as hipster-wannabes. Building up to mind-bending crescendos, their music crashes like a giant wave only to repeat the cycle. At moments gentle, at other times potent, the mighty Phaser a band to keep a close eye on.

Hot on the heels of a September 28th release, England's Supergrass is a mighty young band to be celebrating 10 years together. Supergrass is 10 (Capitol) holds its own as a jam-packed singles package and Washington was fortunate to get a stop on the band's very brief US tour. But on this particular night, Supergrass wasn't around to convert the unfamiliar. Instead, they were here to renew the faith of those who might have forgotten just what an amazing band they really are.

Lead singer/guitarist Gaz Coombes (who has a set of rock'n'roll's finest sideburns) learned at a young age what it means to be a fine songwriter. Combing through influences as far back as early Who, moving along to the pop-punk of the Buzzcocks and the Jam, Supergrass have abandoned a bit of their manic energy and taken the tempo down about half a notch. Though full of energy, their focus is on letting melodies and not speed carry the songs. On the evening's second song, "Lose It", Coombes sneered a little bit while bass player Mickey Quinn thundered along and helped Coombes with his falsetto backing vocals. Drummer Danny Goffey looked an awful lot like Paul McCartney from his Hamburg 1962 days (when he was still cool), riding his high hat cymbal and carrying along the beats as if his life depended on it.

The first portion of the show was enjoyable but the best things come to those who wait. After building up the pace, Goffey left the stage while Coombes, brother Rob (on keyboards) and Quinn performed a few songs acoustic. It was here that the band's songs came entirely to life and Coombes' voice finally emerged. "Late in the Day", one of the band's finest songs, worked especially well in this arrangement. The guitar solo on "Seen the Light" surpassed that of the studio version. A surprise was to hear "Caught by the Fuzz", a rollicking and manic song, in acoustic form. Once again, the band knew what they were doing. Melodies emerged that were once buried by tempo and volume, and yet the song's youthful spirit remained fully intact. After 10 years, it was hard to imagine "Caught by the Fuzz" sounding so vital and standing up this well. Hardly a novelty band, Supergrass have instead emerged with an arsenal of singles that few bands since the Smiths have been able to craft.

Drummer Goffey came back out for the rest of the show, and the band performed a string of classics that included the rocking "Richard III" and the playful "Mansize Rooster". One of the other highlights included "Time", a song from the band's first LP I Should Coco (Capitol). With a driving guitar line and melody that recalls the Beatles circa Rubber Soul, the evening had turned into a birthday party of Supergrass' finest moments from the last decade. A bit unlike previous outings, this time Supergrass were having fun and enjoying the fact that after all this time they still are able to say something with their music and say it well. Never quite the atypical 90's Brit-pop band, their sound has instead been a blend of 60's pop and 70's punk. Though not breaking any new ground, the strength of Supergrass is in their songwriting and execution. Those of us lucky enough to see this tour are anxiously awaiting the next visit from one of England's premier bands.