Gus Dapperton brings the energy to his hometown show in New Jersey

asbury park, new jersey - october 21, 2023

On Saturday night, Gus Dapperton wrapped up the first North American leg of his 2023 Henge tour in his home state, New Jersey. The venue was incredibly unique, posing a stage on one side, a bowling alley on the other, and a bar in the middle. Devoted fans packed in near the stage, trying to get as close as they could, and others hung around the bowling alley to just catch some live music while talking and sharing a drink with friends. It was evident that many of the people in the crowd were just discovering Gus Dapperton for the first time, and they were definitely not disappointed.

The show was opened by Abby Sage, whose incredibly enchanting sound can be comparable to the likes of Mitski or Björk. She captivated the audience with her unique vocals and stage presence, even stopping halfway through her set to demonstrate her ability to make bird calls, much to the amusement of the crowd. Shortly after her beautiful set came to an end, it was time for Gus to come out.

Gus’ band took the stage one by one, taking bows and garnering chants from the crowd, who seemingly knew all their names. They screamed the loudest for Ruby, his younger sister who supports him on the keyboard and with backing vocals, as she danced around the stage. Gus launched into his first song, Sunset, filling the room with energy. Throughout the set, he danced around the stage, jumping on and off chairs and bouncing around with Ruby.

Before beginning a crowd favorite, ‘My Favorite Fish’, Gus announced that he wrote the song 5 minutes away in his childhood bedroom in Long Branch, New Jersey, which drew immense cheers from the crowd. There is always something so special about an artist playing a hometown show, and the fans definitely feel that extra level of connection. He followed it up with some of his other hits, ‘Prune, You Talk Funny’ and ‘Gum, Toe, and Sole’ and the crowd danced along with him. The show was intimate but full of energy, and definitely a really interesting venue to experience a concert.