Ariel Smith Photo
Beach Fossils.
Beach Fossils swung by the Space Ballroom on Monday night for a show that was packed from start to finish and a crowd that showed equal enthusiasm for New Haven’s Laundry Day, Philly’s ARTHUR, and finally, the Brooklyn-based headliners.
Laundry Day brought rock to a quickly filling room, moving more than one group in the back to start dancing and eliciting laughs with an explanation of the title of their 2018 EP It Kinda Sucks. ARTHUR was up next, crouching down to greet a friend in the front row before launching into 2018’s “Woof Woof.” Many of his songs are short, and they often meander; for fans of the scrappy Philly DIY scene, it’s all one’s heart desires. However, the music’s experimental nature frustrated at least one concertgoer who, upon beginning to clap loudly at what he thought was the song’s end, shoved his hands back in his pockets at the revelation that it was purely a lull.
Arthur.
“If you could buy some of our shirts,” Arthur Shea implored the crowd, “that would be great. We don’t have a van, we just have two cars, and we could really use some space.”
“It would be nice to be able to move my arms,” the bassist muttered.
By the time Beach Fossils arrived, it was 10 p.m., and glimpses of the band’s ambitiously long setlist — 16 tracks, including the encore — made it clear we’d be cut short by curfew. The band headed onstage to the sounds of a drumroll and an announcement of the members’ names, setting a lighthearted tone for the spirited hour that followed: the first few songs were punctuated with lively conversation, jokes about April Fool’s, and a name drop of Pepe’s Pizza. At one point, lead guitarist and vocalist Dustin Payseur whipped out his phone and held it to the mic to show us a video of his friend eating two Tide pods.
“Oh god, no,” yelled a desperate voice on the recording; the crowd winced collectively.
“We’ve talked too much, it’s time for some music,” Payseur eventually decided, taking us through fan favorites such as “Sleep Apnea,” “What a Pleasure,” and “Down the Line.” As curfew loomed, the show transformed from peaceful and chatty to focused and energetic. The band started to use the stage, jumping around with the crowd and a newfound urgency. In the end, the group found time for an encore, loping back onstage after a brief break.
“If you like music,” said Payseur, grabbing the mic, “I swear, we’ve got a treat for you.”
