What is it about Australian bands who make it across the pond in the U.S.? INXS, Midnight Oil, Crowded House, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, The Church, Tame Impala, The Bee Gees, AC/DC, and so many more (there are just too many to list). Well, it’s time to add Vacations and Last Dinosaurs to Australian bands you should know (if you don’t already).
They each have their own sound, Vacations is more along the lines of dream pop with a little shoegaze, or as they self-describe themselves as woozy guitar pop while Last Dinosaurs turns things up a notch with faster, head-bopping, tush-swaying guitar hook-laden indie pop rock with a twist.
The bands, co-headlining this fall in the U.S. on their Tourzilla tour, landed in St. Louis at Delmar Hall on Oct. 4. On the third night of the tour, the two bands, including opener, Eliza McLamb, all seemed at ease on stage and appeared as if they’d been on tour for quite a while.
Brisbane, Queensland’s Last Dinosaurs, who’ve been together since 2007, took the final slot of the night for an hour set that started about 10 p.m. Fans were treated to fun, quirky, danceable grooves, Lachlan Caskey asking for anyone to bring him shots of tequila, and a medley of covers from the ’90s and early ’00s that included Daft Punk and Junior Senior. They also performed hits that included “Flying” and “Italo Disco.”
Vacations, who hail from Newcastle, New South Wales, and began in 2016, started their hour set at 8:30 p.m. to near-full house of mostly younger 20-somethings, with a handful dressed in costume. During the second song, they paused to ensure a fan who had momentarily passed out was okay and thanked everyone for looking out for one another. Although it was their first time in St. Louis, the room was full of avid fans who delighted in every song they performed which included a newer single, “Midwest” and ended with their breakout hit “Telephones.”
North Carolinian, singer-songwriter Eliza McLamb kicked the night off with a half-hour set of her heart-on-the-sleeve, sweet, catchy, sound with lyrics that cut straight to the point in songs such as “Mythologize Me” and “Anything You Want.” Already a hit on streaming platforms, keep this one on your radar.
This music-loving, concert-going fan was disappointed about one thing from an otherwise stellar night of solid music. The amount of people who left after Vacations’ set. Sean Caskey of Last Dinosaurs even commented that they feared there might not be anyone left for them to play to. A word of advice, go see all the bands when you go to a concert—you might be surprised to learn you like new-to-you music.
For all photos from the night visit https://bit.ly/Tourzilla23cz
Last Dinosaur
Vacations
Last Dinosaur
Last Dinosaur
Last Dinosaur
Vacations
Vacations
Vacations
Eliza McLamb
Eliza McLamb
In my work life, I help nonprofits and small businesses with media and public relations. In my what I love to do life, you can typically find me photographing either wild horses or concerts.
