Tuesday night, Moose Blood, an up and coming emo/alternative/pop punk/rock band out of the UK, made a stop at Stubb’s Indoors for their 2017 North American tour.
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This is their first headlining tour since the release of their sophomore album, Blush, in August of 2016. Since the release of this album, their following has grown enormously! It’s now even encompassing fans that typically stick with other genres of music, which made the buzz around this tour full of anticipation and excitement. On the road with them are three bands of similar musical style and a shared fan base: A Will Away, Boston Manor, and Trophy Eyes.
As each opening act set up and played their amazing set, the crowd grew larger and more intrigued while patiently awaiting the arrival of the boys of Moose Blood to claim the stage. In typical Austin fashion, audience members not only consisted of the typical pop punk teens, but also of hipsters, dads reminiscing about the glory days, and you know normal people that just love being part of the local music scene. This potential interaction between cliques of individuals that usually do their best to avoid each other at all costs seemed disastrous. But to my surprise, the crowd was amazing. Every person in the tightly packed room poured their heart out, screaming every lyric to every song, creating a bond that could only be broken when the house lights turned on and the band abandoned the stage.
The boys of moose blood have an enchanting presence on stage that baffles me still, even after seeing them twice now. I still do not know how four normal lads from a small England town entice every crowd they perform in front of to become totally absorbed in the show. The members of the four-piece band do not have an exceptionally exciting stage presence, but their audiences never get bored.
Throughout their set they played hits from their first album, I’ll Keep You In Mind, From Time to Time, such as “Bukowski,” “Swim Down,” and “Boston” that cause the entire crowd to go wild. Everybody bobbed their heads in unison and threw their hands in the air to dance along with every chorus. The brave fans even threw themselves on top of the other attendees, seeing how far they could surf until they were dropped or pulled out of the chaos by a security guard. The crowd was even hype during their newer songs on the set, like “Glow” and “Knuckles”. During their heartbreak ballads, it seemed as if the crowd encompassed every emotion the band was attempting to portray.
I would HIGHLY recommend seeing Moose Blood when their tour comes to a city near you. Every pop-punk anthem, along with every heart-wrenching ballad they create is a true masterpiece. Even if you think you have outgrown your angsty, emo phase, the band will still bring about a feeling of nostalgia that is too good to pass up. Their sound is very evolved for the pop punk and emo scene, drawing in fans that have far outgrown their years of attending Vans Warped Tour, but is still true enough to the genre to win over a younger audience as well.
Their shows are full of excitement and loyal fans ready to welcome any new comers.