Dayglow at House of Blues, 11/18/22
The anticipation was building up as I approached House of Blues at Fenway. The line almost started to wrap around the block on this cold November night. As I walked towards the end of the line, it made me very happy to see the different people that Dayglow attracts to his shows: college students, high-schoolers, along with younger children accompanied by their parents to enjoy a night full of music from one of their favorite artists. All the people in the line were ecstatic to see him, singing his songs out loud while waiting, making waiting in line a pleasant experience despite the cold night.
Security finally opened the doors to the venue and the line started to move quickly after. I have been to the House of Blues many times before, but every time I walk through the halls of the venue, I can feel the magic (as cliché as it may sound) of the past musicians that have all performed there. There is so much history surrounding the venue, making it one of my favorite bigger venues in Boston. Although it is one of the larger venues in the city, it still feels more intimate than one would imagine. You can see the stage very well from anywhere you stand.
Around half an hour after entering the venue, Ritt Momney, solo project of Jack Rutter, took the stage. The band, composed of three high school best friends, was a perfect opener for Dayglow. They set the mood with their indie-pop hits, hyping up the crowd for what was to come. Jack’s energy and the connection he had with the crowd was special, really communicating with the audience through his music.
As soon as Ritt Momney left the stage, Dayglow’s crew took to setting the stage for him. I could feel the excitement coming from every single person in the room, which made me even more eager for Dayglow to start his set. After 30 minutes, the venue went dark and lively screams filled the space. Lights started flashing on the stage with music building up to Dayglow’s entrance, and with no hesitation, he started to play.
Everything about it was electric. The drums kept a steady beat which you couldn’t resist dancing to while the guitar and keyboard accompanied the rhythm with 80’s sounding melodies. Sloan Struble, the face of the project, was playing the bass while he sang, making the urge to dance even more so irresistible. The song they chose to start the night off with was “Radio” off of their most recent album “People In Motion.” It was the perfect song to kick off their set to as it was a mix of everything Dayglow has represented throughout his young career. When the song was over, Sloan switched to guitar for the rest of the night, although he would take it off every once in a while so he could dance along to the music. His moves made myself and the people around me so happy because we could tell that he enjoys doing this – performing for the people who love his music. It was impossible for the crowd to get tired of him performing. Hit after hit, he would keep us entertained with his eccentric dance moves and lively melodies.
He would talk and engage with the crowd almost every time between songs, making it an even more intimate experience for us. He spoke very genuinely – always thanking us, his fans, for helping him get to where he is. The show that night was completely sold out, and every time he would mention it the crowd applauded and cheered for him. I even heard many people yell to him, “Of course it is!!”
“I love you Boston… and I cannot wait to be back!” were the last words he said to us right before his last song, “Close to You”, a perfect choice to end the night with. As he ended the song, he thanked us all once more for coming out and supporting him. And just like that, the night was over, although I wished it wasn’t!