PHOTOS & REVIEW: Wavves and Beach Fossils at Union Transfer

Nov 5, 2018 Natalie Crane 0 Comments

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PHOTOS & WRITTEN BY: Jeremy Elvas

As part of their fall 2018 “I Love You Tour” across the U.S., Wavves and Beach Fossils joined forces to play one of the most vibrant shows at Union Transfer on November 1st. Opening up for them was Kevin Krauter, one of the members of indie band Hoops, who released his solo album Toss Up this past summer. Playing songs such as “Keep Falling in Love” and “Rollerskate,” Krauter performed a soulful set, mesmerizing the crowd with dream pop synths and Bossa Nova-like rhythms.

Wavves came on after, kicking off their set with “Idiot,” from 2010 album King of the Beach, driving the crowd into a frenzied mosh pit. Playing a variety of their most popular songs such as “Demon to Lean On” and their GTA V single “Nine is God,” the band’s energy began to pick up as lead singer and guitarist Nathan Williams moved about the stage, playing along to his bandmates’ enthusiastic headbanging. It was nostalgic to finally see Wavves live, after years of listening to their music. Ending their set with “Green Eyes,” Nathan led the crowd in singing along to the surf rock classic, which began with a slow guitar intro that transitioned into a faster-paced chorus that introduced heavy drums and bass.

Beach Fossils entered the stage to an SNL intro parody, introducing bassist Jack Doyle Smith, guitarist Tommy Davidson, and lead singer/guitarist Dustin Payseur. They began their set with the song “Sugar” from their 2017 album Somersault, bringing a wave of dream pop sounds echoing around the venue. As they played “Generational Synthetic” from 2013’s Clash the Truth, Tommy Davidson led his bandmates in the song’s guitar solo, turning to Dustin as they drew their instruments close and played off each other’s music. In a brief intermission as Smith and Davidson switched instruments, Dustin asked for the lights to be dimmed and told the crowd to turn on their phone flashlights and wave them along to their melancholic hit “Sleep Apnea.” In their live performances of this song, Beach Fossils blends a subtle drum rhythm in its chorus as the other instruments fade out, with Payseur singing “I won’t…” before the drums and when he continues onto “lie….” the guitars and bass return, creating a unique sound separate from their recorded version. For their encore, they played their first single from Somersault “This Year,” as the crowd began to dance along and pull their friends into the pit. Beach Fossils closed the show with “Daydream” from their first album Beach Fossils, encapsulating the band’s classic dream pop sound.

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