Sunset Boulevard’s very own Hollywood Palladium hosted a memorable night of shoegaze and post-punk talent courtesy of NYC-based Been Stellar and Dublin darlings Fontaines D.C. Despite being the openers for the night’s festivities, Been Stellar drew a sizable crowd with more than half of the ballroom filled with eager concertgoers by the time the band took the stage. The audience was buzzing and as soon as the lights went down, cheers of anticipation erupted from the crowd.
A soft blue light set the stage for Been Stellar who kicked their set off with the title track from their impressive debut album Scream From New York, NY . The band’s first full-length record, which arrived back in June, shows immeasurable potential, with an ear for earworms and the top tier musicianship to back it up. The album’s confidence translates even more so in a live setting with each band member clearly enjoying and feeling the music in their bones. The title track’s catchy drumbeat blended well into the breathy, melodic lead vocals and the smoke drifting onto the stage mirrored the airiness of the performance, pairing well with the band’s dreamy shoegaze sound.
The group continued on with a passionate delivery of “Passing Judgement” which got heads bopping and feet tapping. Lead vocalist Sam Slocum took the time to pause in between the second and third song to introduce the band to the audience, thanking those in attendance as well as headliners Fontaines for taking them along on tour. After running through “Manhattan Youth” and “Pumpkin,” The band played “All In One” featuring mesmerizing backing vocals that added depth to the performance. The tambourine made an appearance on “Kids 1995” which added a crisp rhythm to the mix. Been Stellar concluded their set on a high note with frontman Slocum belting out “I Have The Answer.”
Been Stellar Setlist
1. Scream From New York, NY
2. Passing Judgement
3. Manhattan Youth
4. Pumpkin
5. All In One
6. Kids 1995
7. I Have The Answer
A medley of Smashing Pumpkins’ “Today” and “Tonight, Tonight” blared over the loudspeakers in between sets, setting the mood for the evening, an optimistic ode to dedicating oneself to enjoying the moment, living in the now before it fades away. The anticipation was palpable, the crowd growing impatient as the minutes ticked by. At around 9:15, Fontaines took to the stage. The focus of the night was on the band’s album of the year worthy release Romance which arrived back in August.
The performance kicked off with an extended rendition of the record’s noisy opening track, building suspense as neon green lights flickered with the reverb. The moment frontman Grian Chatten’s voice rung out over the microphone, the crowd burst into cheers. Despite just recovering from an illness which forced the band to cancel a pair of shows a couple of days prior to the night’s show, Chatten was on point, commanding both higher and lower registers with relative ease. He took to hyping up the crowd, skipping around the stage energetically, mic stand in tow. Towards the beginning of the set, Chatten hopped off stage and serenaded fans at the barricade for a brief moment before making his return.
A couple of highlights from Fontaines’ set included new fan-favorite “Favourite,” the tried and true “Jackie Down The Line” and “I Love You from 2022’s Skinty Fia and “Televised Mind” from 2020’s A Hero’s Death each of which had the audience singing along practically word for word, sometimes even competing with Chatten himself. Album colors dominated the stage lighting, a flood of pink and green washing over the theatre, creating a vibrant ambiance suitable for the music. The group finished off their initial set with the former, leaving the stage for a brief intermission while the crowd pleaded for their return.
Fontaines returned to the stage for an impassioned performance of the mellow “In The Modern World” which had attendees swaying steadily to the beat. In a 360 moment in terms of energy levels, the band finished off their set with the energetic “Starburster,” the crowd responded accordingly singing and dancing along while Chatten commanded on lead vocals, the last notes rung out over the mic to roars of applause and cheers of approval. It was crystal clear, Fontaines had won LA’s heart.
Fontaines D.C. Setlist
1. Romance
2. A Lucid Dream
3. Jackie Down The Line
4. Televised Mind
5. Roman Holiday
6. Big Shot
7. Death Kink
8. A Hero’s Death
9. Bug
10. Big
11. Sha Sha Sha
12. Sundowner
13. Here’s The Thing
14. Boys In The Better Land
15. Favourite
Encore
16. In The Modern World
17. I Love You
18. Starburster
Photo Credit: Stephen Hoffmeister
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