Watch who the teens are following, and you’ll instantly know what the next generation of music looks like.
Case in point: Sloan Struble, better known as Dayglow, selling out his first worldwide headlining tour that was cut short due to the pandemic. But after spending quarantine connecting with his fans on social media, Dayglow has made a triumphant return to the stage supporting this year’s Harmony House and 2019’s Fuzzybrain. And Gen Z is turning out in droves.
The Van Buren was already halfway full when Hovvdy opened the show, replacing the previously-announced Arlie on this tour. “We’re from Austin, Texas, so that’s why we’re called Hovvdy,” (pronounced like howdy) they explained. It didn’t take much for them to sell themselves to their audience, with their cozy indie tunes and familiarity. The front rows went wild with every swell in sound and bolstered the band’s confidence. Another successful set.
After some meticulous stage setup, Struble and his touring band emerged to a full roar from the sold-out crowd and smiled at each other, elated to be back in action. Instantly, hundreds of phones rose into the air to record any number of tracks—but rather than being a distraction, they simply supplemented the experience. (That more or less describes Gen Z as a whole, but that’s commentary for another time.) It certainly helped that Dayglow had vibrant lights and a stunning backdrop, but the music was key. These were the feel-good, fuzzy, piano-driven, mood boosting songs from TikTok, from picnics in the park, from a time where it was too easy to get yourself down. And Dayglow made sure that experiencing them would be a bit of modern day magic.
Check out more photos from the show!
Story and photos by Taylor Knauf
