Beach Fossils @ House of Blues Chicago

Veteran New York-based band Beach Fossils take on House of Blues Chicago on a cold, rainy day. Dedicated fans of all ages camped out for a good spot and it was well worth it.

The warmth of their music canceled out the cold, something much needed for any Chicagoan. Reminiscent of sounds from fellow New Yorkers, the Strokes but also more surf-rock. It was a sweet escape to a laid-back paradise for every concert-goer that night.

Of 15 years, Beach Fossils, Dustin Paysur (lead singer), Tommy Davidson (guitar), Jack Doyle Smith (bass) and Anton Hochheim (drums)  has released several albums with loads of hits, so their performance was jam-packed with the best of the best. Tapping into their experience of touring for years, the band looked at home as they performed at House of Blues Chicago as they bantered with each other and played without breaking a sweat.

There wasn’t any bullshit, the simplicity in their setup– being dressed in street clothes, lack of crazy lighting and sets– highlighted their talents even more, knowing they don’t need anything more than their tight-knit crew, guitars and microphones.

They opened with ‘Sleeping On My Own’ from their most recent album ‘Bunny’ and playing around with their setlist, going through their hits from every album including ‘Fall Right In’ from ‘What A Pleasure’, ‘Sleep Apnea’ from ‘Clash the Truth’, ‘Sugar’ from ‘Somersault’ and ‘Daydream’ from their debut album, ‘Beach Fossils’ as a part of their encore.

When talking about touring and how demanding, but rewarding, shouting out the crowd and addressing that their support is why they do what they do song called ‘May 1’. Everyone in the pit swayed around, but in the back, people were dancing around the bar and walkways. Their fans are truly unique as there is no specific age range, it was one of the few shows with everyone, young and old, connecting to the music.