Diving Into almost monday: Concert Review
Credit: Cole Ferguson
Indie pop-rock band almost monday brought the SoCal surf vibes to the Echoplex in Los Angeles on February 22nd for the last night of their North American tour leg. The tour promotes their first full-length album DIVE, which was released in September with eleven songs. Three more songs were added for a deluxe album released in January ahead of the North American tour dates. After opening for AJR’s Maybe Man tour, almost monday has risen on the alternative charts, with their song “can’t slow down” reaching #1 on alternative radio. They have played many sold-out shows across the US and the tour will continue through Europe and the UK.
The night at the Echoplex was high-energy. Adrian Lyles, a rising singer-songwriter known for his role in High School Musical: The Musical, The Series opened the night with jazz-inspired tunes and charismatic crowd interaction.
As the album lead, “dive,” rang in the night with laid-back vocals reminiscent of The Beach Boys, the crowd cheered. almost monday then took the stage, with members Colin Clisby on drums, Luke Fabry on bass, and Dawson Daugherty, in his signature sunglasses, on vocals. They began with a series of some of their most danceable songs, starting strong with the bouncy “is it too late?” Personal favorites of mine were the groovy “jupiter” and the swaying “coast to coast.” Each song merges retro beach vibes with modern indie instrumentation.
Hometown vibes were high, with LA close to the band’s original San Diego. Friends, family, and long-time fans cheered as the band played their early tracks “broken people” and “parking lot view.” They followed these slower songs with the simple but fun “sequoia.” The songs “you look so good” and “she likes sports” got the crowd dancing and singing along to the catchy choruses.
The night concluded appropriately with the loud but longing “life goes by.” Excitement was still high, and cries for an encore rang out. However, being a newer band with only one album and a handful of other singles released, they didn’t return for an extra song, probably for having exhausted most of their catalogue on the official ninety-minute show. Still, the night was a memorable one. The date being in the middle of winter didn’t diminish the “sweet feeling” (pun intended) of summer the band brought; perhaps it exacerbated it in longing for the season’s nostalgia or its anticipated return.
Both Lyles and almost monday were extra appreciative of the local and loyal California fans. The small Echoplex packed a sold-out crowd, making for an intimate but lively concert experience. I highly recommend listening to DIVE if you’re looking for some summery songs to carry you through the slog of winter, and catch the band live if you’re so inclined. They still have tour dates in Europe and the UK until the end of March, and will begin a festival run in May. See them in a smaller venue while you can, because almost monday’s success won’t be slowing down any time soon!