More Than Momentary Blissness: Fontaines D.C. Rock San Diego’s SOMA
Photo by Tallulah Totten
Written by Eli Nava
There is always a spark—rare, yet beckoning and brilliant—at a show when I feel an overwhelming sense that I am witnessing something truly special. It’s like watching a lightning strike or getting a glimpse of a star beaming through the night. I can safely say that San Diego’s SOMA was home to this vibrant energy, as Been Stellar and Fontaines D.C. created a world of shoegaze-y sounds and post-punk madness.
The night begins with New York based Been Stellar stepping on the stage, submerged in soft blue light. The band has an easy edge to them—lead singer Sam Slocum has a raw, gritty voice that matches the band’s intense mix of grunge, post-punk, shoegaze influences. They begin with “Scream From New York, NY” and make their way through various tracks from their debut album of the same title. The band amps up the nostalgia with “Kids 1995” as the crowd sways along with the fast, yet atmospheric distorted guitar and heartfelt vocals. It is a memorable set for the audience, and it leaves a lingering sense of what is to come for Been Stellar as they continue to prove they are a band to stay tuned into.
Between sets, a mix of upbeat electronic dance music blasts through the speakers as the audience’s anticipation heightens minutes before Fontaines D.C.—composed of Dublin-grown Grian Chatten (vocals), Conor Curley (guitar), Conor Deegan III (bass), Tom Coll (guitar), and Carlos O’Connell (drums)—hit the stage. The lights dim as “Swingin Party” by The Replacements comes on, flowing into “Unsatisfied.” The audience sings along to the tune up until the track cuts off and the stage is enveloped in a cloak of darkness. The intro track to the band’s latest album, Romance, echoes through the venue—haunting, eerie, and utterly doused in suspense—frontman Grian Chatten’s vocals creep into the tantalizing instrumentals. The scene is cinematic: the band concealed by pulsing neon-green lights as the audience comes to life with the Frankenstein-like song growing in urgency and sound. I couldn’t tear my eyes away from the stage even if I tried. Neither could anyone else.
After the booming start, Fontaines transitions to beloved “Jackie Down The Line.” Chatten has a way with commanding a crowd as he slinks across the stage, twirling his mic and dangling it as he steps up and down from the speakers, stopping to get close to the barricade of eager fans who sing the lyrics back to him with equal passion. The band plays through a few more songs from A Hero’s Death and Skinty Fia, which amplifies the energy and keeps the crowd dancing and head-banging.
Photo by Tallulah Totten
Transitioning to “Death Kink” and “Bug,” the stage lights alternate between a bright fuschia pink and that noteable green—both thematic colors of their new record—and in a strange way, it’s like watching a symphony. Chatten acts as the conductor throughout the night—controlling the crowd by raising his arms and motioning along during the parts where he needs the most energy. It’s symbiotic. The way in which the crowd listens and feeds off the frontman has my head turning between the audience and musicians on stage.
This sentiment grows more hectic as the band ushers into “Big” (to which Fontaines take the time to thank and dedicate to Been Stellar) and “Sha Sha Sha” from their debut album, Dogrel. I watch as the mosh pit near the center-heart of SOMA intensifies. It’s all push-pull tension and the band meets the fans all the way there. It’s a beautiful energy created by band and fan connection, really. At this point in the night the venue is already burning hot and there’s still more to come. I feel sweat-soaked and eternally thankful that I hadn’t stupidly decided to wear a sweater like I had planned.
After the “Boys in the Better Land” pit, the band plays the warm-hug of a song “Favourite,” all of them bathed in soft orange light that makes the stage appear illuminated like a sunset. A few couples in the pit begin to hold each other, some kiss. Two girls jump around and sing the lyrics to each other. In the corner, a kid that has been standing on the ledge for the entirety of the show going word-for-word with Chatten recites the lyrics to the song by heart. The frontman has his hands in his pockets and looks up during the song, seemingly lost in the music and the moment. The song is over too soon, and of course, the second the band begins to walk off stage, the crowd doesn’t waste a second before chanting for more.
Fontaines return for an encore with three songs, beginning with “In The Modern World.” One day, this song will soundtrack a film. Witnessing it performed live was nothing short of cinema for the ears. The crowd ebbs and flows along with the melodic tone, and “I Love You” is next. This performance surprises me most. Chatten stands on the speakers, raises a hand, and belts out the only verse of the song—it’s like a symphonic rap or slam poetry—and it’s the perfect prelude to the closing anthem, “Starburster.” It’s an amalgamation of the night, as Chatten hops around the stage in circles as the band’s experimental track bursts through the venue. There is a final moment of jumping and head banging and loud gasps between lyrics. Everyone has their hands in the air, as if to capture and cling onto every last second of the magic that Fontaines D.C. has conjured on stage. The night ends—but the feeling of “blissness” remains.
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Listen to their new album Romance