I’m Crying (Tears of Joy) on the Dancefloor: Dayglow at the Paradise Rock Club

By Izzy Desmarais

Indie pop sensation Dayglow made his Boston debut this past Saturday night with a sold out show at the Paradise Rock Club. After riding a few stops on the Green Line and a quick bus ride, my friend and I arrived at the venue at around 6:30pm. We encountered a much shorter line than we expected since it was only a half hour before doors opened. However, our dreams of getting into the show were quickly crushed by a man who directed us away from this shorter line, strictly for VIPs, to the general admission line that wrapped around the block.

An hour later of regretting my outfit choice (I was wearing a tank top in anticipation of the buckets of sweat I would surely release during the concert), getting too invested in the loud conversation the girls behind us were having (high school drama will still captivate me to this day), and pretending to ice skate on whatever slippery substance was gracing the streets of Boston that night, we had finally gotten into the venue. Much to my surprise, we were able to secure a spot just a few rows from the barricade. The room filled in quickly and hummed with excitement, overpowering the soft, vibey music they were playing in the meantime. 

By 8:00pm, opening act Hovvdy was on stage. I had never listened to Hovvdy prior to the show, but I have read Milk Crate writer David Shird’s amazing review of their newest release, True Love, which made me super excited to see them live. They definitely did not disappoint. Both Will Taylor and Charlie Martin were great frontmen, as they still managed to electrify the audience with their soft rock sound. Martin was especially impressive as a lead singer with his naturally daydreamy and ethereal sounding voice. I would be remiss to not mention Hovvdy’s touring bassist, Ben Littleton, whose driving pulse held the entire ensemble together like glue. Hovvdy’s sound made me nostalgic for a time I didn’t even know existed. They were the perfect vibe for an opening act, and I can’t wait to listen to more of their music.

The anticipation for Dayglow grew immensely after Hovvdy’s performance. The audience joined together in a sing along of the classic ‘80s hits they were playing between sets, including Blondie’s “Heart of Glass” and Whitney Houston’s “I Wanna Dance With Somebody.” Suddenly, it was time for Dayglow to take the stage. 

Sloan Struble, frontman of and mastermind behind Dayglow, was nothing short of amazing. His energy remained high throughout the entire set, even during some of his slower songs. With an effortlessly cool presence on stage and infectious smile, there wasn’t a moment where I stopped dancing. Struble performed songs off his newest album, Harmony House, and his debut record, Fuzzybrain. Following “Can I Call You Tonight?,” his biggest single to date, the crowd cheered for at least five minutes straight. The entire band was absolutely gobsmacked, staring back at their audience with wide eyes and the biggest grins imaginable. Struble responded to such an overwhelming display of appreciation with simply, “Boston, I can’t wait to be back.” 

I feel like I say this after every concert I go to, but I genuinely mean it when I declare that this is one of the best shows I have ever seen. Struble is an incredible songwriter, being unapologetically honest as his songs detail the anxieties of first love, devastation of heartbreak, and importance of moving forward in life. This combined with his excellent stage presence made it an absolutely captivating performance. To put it bluntly, I was having a terrible week when I walked through the doors of the Paradise. Going to see Dayglow completely melted away the stress of the past few days and left me feeling refreshed. If you ever have the opportunity to see either of these acts, I implore you to buy tickets; you will not regret it.