FONTAINES DC IN DC!
BY ELLA EDWARDS
On the night of October 18th, I left a sold-out Fontaines D.C. concert with a case of temporary tinnitus and a white T-shirt from their merch booth, reading “ROCK & ROLL DIED IN VAIN”. After watching Fontaines in action, it’s hard to argue with such a statement. The Irish group exudes rock and roll, with post-punk angst and infectious, head-banging energy, so much so that it’s honestly inspiring. As a newer Fontaines D.C. fan (thanks to my friend Sophie for being cool and in-the-know), in my mind, they have come to represent the wealth of great music that I am yet to hear about.
My theory about me being completely out-of-the-loop was confirmed heavily by the openers, Been Stellar, who were previously unknown to me and so incredible. Composed of New York City transplants, Skyler Knapp (guitar), Sam Slocum (vocals), Nando Dale (guitar), Nico Brunstein (bass), and Laila Wayans (drums) demonstrated that rock is in good hands with the next generation of musicians. Been Stellar kicked off their set at 10:30 in D.C.’s 9:30 Club, beginning with “Scream from New York, NY”, the title track off their June 21st debut album. Slocum’s throaty voice carried raw emotion as he sang through the track’s gritty, apocalyptic lyrics, leaning into the microphone with a sense of desperation. The group continued on with their 2022 single “Manhattan Youth”, followed by more tracks from ‘Scream’. Been Stellar proved to impress with Wayan’s imaginative drum patterns on tracks like “Sweet”, which reminded me of the percussionary creativity heard in Fontaines’ tunes, and Knapp’s grunge-like distorted power chords and captivating stage presence, rocking tumultuously back-and-forth as he played. To finish their set, they played their driving 2022 single “Kids 1995” and the lyrically urgent closing track on ‘Scream’, “I Have the Answer”. Listening to Been Stellar is kind of like listening to Billy Corgan compose music to a Frank O’Hara poem, all NYC and alternative rock, but with a young freshness that is genuinely exciting to witness.
PHOTO BY LEWIS EVANS
When Been Stellar left the stage, the energy in the room was through the roof; everyone was already having so much fun. Fontaines took the stage a little past 11:30, and the crowd lost their minds. Band members Conor Curley (guitar), Conor “Deego” Deegan III (bass), Carlos O’Connell (guitar), and Tom Coll (drums) entered first, playing the darkly ominous instrumentals of the title track “Romance” off of their August 23rd album. Vocalist Grian Chatten sauntered on a minute after the others began, singing with chilling feeling in his distinctly Dublin-accented baritone.
Fontaines D.C. then transitioned into “Jackie Down the Line”, a more upbeat, apparently anti-colonial track from the group’s 2022 album “Skinty Fia”. I was “doo-doo-doo”-ing and “la-la-la”-ing with the best of them as Chatten gesticulated with arms outstretched. They followed it with a number called “Televised Mind” off of the 2020 album, “A Hero’s Death”, which features reverberating guitar, an exhilarating, driving rhythm in the drums and bass, and critical lyrics that examine the impact of popular media. The band then played two darker, more hypnotic tracks off of “Skinty Fia”, titled “Roman Holiday” and “Big Shot”, describing issues of Irish identity and success, respectively.
“Death Kink”, off of “Romance”, was next on the set. Fontaines D.C. began to play through the tune’s bright guitar riffs and salacious, morbid lyrics, yet stopped the music following the second verse. Chatten cited a “technical thing” as the reason for their interruption. They left the stage, returning shortly to explain that O’Connell felt ill and the band would attempt to complete the show without his guitar talents.
Curley then asked the audience, “Do you know a song called ‘Boys in the Better Land’?” We screamed, which I believe sufficed as a “yes”. He continued on to say, “Does anyone know how to play it on guitar?” In a matter of seconds, fan Griffin Smalley had left the audience and held O’Connell’s guitar in his hands. It was so strange and truly awesome to see an audience member absolutely shredding it on stage with clear experience and confidence. He pitched back-and-forth, dancing to the song’s energetic beat, playing each chord with precision. Smalley even shared the microphone with Chatten for a moment, joining the vocalist in singing the chorus. As disappointed as I was to lose out on O’Connell’s performance, “Boys in the Better Land” was a pricelessly unique, the-show-must-go-on moment with a real-life, guitar-strumming, bleach-blonde hero. When I spoke with Smalley after the show, I asked if he was in a band and was not surprised to hear that, yes, he was. In fact, Smalley’s Richmond-based punk band ArtSchool is releasing new singles on October 27th. It goes without saying that the young guitarist is being hailed as a legend right now on Twitter, Reddit, and Instagram, with concert attendees buzzing over the impromptu performance.
PHOTO BY LEWIS EVANS
Following this act of improvisation, Chatten noted that October 18th was Coll’s birthday, prompting the audience to serenade him with a disorganized rendition of “Happy Birthday to You”. Chatten then dedicated the next song to Coll: the sentimental, dreamlike track “Favourite”, featured on “Romance”. During “Favourite”, Chatten played on an acoustic guitar, likely attempting to fill in for O’Connell’s part. O’Connell’s absence seemed to throw off an element of flow as Fontaines D.C. navigated their set, with the band members conferencing between numbers and Coll counting off each track with his sticks. Still, I’m a sucker for perseverance, and it sure takes some to go on playing without a band member.
Fontaines D.C. moved onto an older tune, “Big”, off of their 2019 album titled “Dogrel”. The rapid, steady drumbeat makes for an invigorating song to hear live, especially with the inspiring, forward-looking lyrics. During the song, Chatten stepped down from the stage and leaned over the barricade, with fans screaming along to the lyrics: “My childhood was small… but I’m gonna be big! But I’m gonna be big!” The band followed this with the equally exciting “Bug” from the new album, featuring guilty lyrics and a haunting, surreal melody.
Chatten then announced that they would play only a couple more songs. Coll took off playing the swinging drumbeat to “A Hero’s Death”, and Chatten began chanting the song’s comically hyper-optimistic lyrics. Man, I was so excited to hear that track. The whole room was. You could feel the energy in the place, high as ever. When it came time for their final song, I found myself to be really nervous, hoping that I would get to hear “I Love You”, the “Skinty Fia” track that put me on to this legendary group. As Coll counted off, I held my breath. I think I might’ve been praying.
When I heard Deego’s brooding baseline kick in, it was a big moment. I’ve done some fun things in my time, but few hold a candle to watching Chatten strut across the stage like a god, singing the rapid-fire, profoundly poetic, and deeply punk-rock verses of “I Love You”.
PHOTO BY Pooneh Ghana
Fontaines D.C. thanked the crowd following “I Love You” and vacated the stage, leaving many audience members expecting an encore; “Starburster” was a hit single off of “Romance”, which fans anticipated hearing in the set. I got a look at the intended set list after the show, which was cut short by several songs, namely “Here’s the Thing”, “Horseness Is the Whatness”, “Nabakov”, “A Lucid Dream”, “Too Real”, “In the Modern World”, and “Starbuster”. Additionally, the group had planned to do an encore for their final three songs. As a skilled reframer, to my bank account’s dismay, I’m taking this to mean that I will need to see Fontaines D.C. again soon to witness these missed tracks live. Still, I was very glad to hear that October 19th, Fontaines’ second night in Washington, D.C. went smoothly, as O’Connell presumably has recovered. On the 20th, the band played Philadelphia, PA before moving onto the European leg of their tour.
So, no, rock is not dead. But it does get sick sometimes (haha). Regardless, what a night. Fontaines D.C. pulled off a difficult show with class, immense talent, and so much coolness. If anybody is selling tickets for their upcoming shows in Dublin, you know who to call.
