New York’s Beach Fossils took the stage Sunday night and performed for fans at Stubbs Bar-B-Q located in Austin. The backyard, laidback venue hosted a crowd of packed festival goers staying warm in the chilly weather.

Opening with “Don’t Fade Away” from their latest album, Bunny, listeners were given a taste of some long awaited dream pop magic. The band’s frontman, Dustin Payseur, along with guitarist Tommy Davidson and bass guitarist Jack Doyle Smith made dynamic use of space on stage as they delivered upbeat riffs in turn. The air was cold, and it took some time for the guitars to warm up. There were even some technical difficulties as the band adjusted to the less-than-ideal playing conditions.

But all that tension melted away as they launched into “Sugar” from their acclaimed 2017 album, Somersault.

“One, two, three…”

The crowd was instantly hooked back in with dazzling visuals and familiar melancholic chord progressions. They exploded in applause after the final note was struck and it was safe to say that both the band and the audience were warmed up.

They continued to play a diverse and dreamy setlist with tracks such as “What a Pleasure”, “Shallow”, and “This Year”. Dustin took time between songs to express gratitude to the audience for their patience and support, “We couldn’t do this without, I love each and every one of you.” It was an emotional atmosphere, as themes of love, loneliness, and bad habits were conjured through the music.

Beach Fossils came back out to raucous applause for a 3-song encore. Starting with “Down the Line” and finishing with a heartfelt “Daydream”. Despite the hardships and the inclement weather, Beach Fossils were able to bring listeners on a memorable and melancholic journey through time.

Review & Photos by: Chris Murphy

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