Last weekend saw Teenage Dad’s ‘Midnight Driving’ tour kick off in Brisbane, and what a treat it was! The band, who are already known for their catchy, unique brand of indie-rock and electric live performances have continued to reach new heights this year, including a Like A Version performance and the release of their eagerly awaited Midnight Driving EP just the day before- the titular track has already been a crowd favourite for quite some time.
We headed to The Zoo for the later show on the 4th, which kicked off at 8:30. An all-ages performance was on earlier that arvo, but you’d have absolutely no idea it was the second show of the day from the energy brought by every single person that stepped onto that stage.
Hallie opened the night up with their trademark glittery pop goodness. I absolutely love Hallie’s live shows- they’re such an energetic and authentic presence, and that really shines through when they’re on stage. They’ve recently released an EP called This is Love, exploring the emotion and all it can mean in different contexts, and I think it's so clear that love is something they value highly- the way they talk about their music and the chemistry with their bandmates makes that so clear.
There was a huge crowd right from the very start, and Hallie delivered. They sang a bunch of favourites from the This is Love EP, like heartfelt 'Shift the Focus' and wonderfully sweet 'Love', as well as older singles like ‘Fairybread’ and 'Babysitter', giving the crowd a little explanation to the songs' meanings in between. We were also treated to a couple of unreleased songs- Hallie performed their heart out to 'Muscle Memory' and 'Cut it Off'.
Next up we had Noah Dillon step onto the stage. Hailing from Perth, I’m always so beyond happy when I’m able to catch one of Noah’s sets over here on the East Coast. Noah's got this really unique brand of indie pop/ rock that is so genuine and emotional, with some really confessional moments. Backed by an immensely talented band, his live sets command your attention immediately and pack a huge punch.
'Knievel Daredevil' was a highlight of the set for me- it's such an authentic, cathartic release of a song, I feel almost like I'm peering into Noah's diary as he sings of wanting to talk to his younger self, and tell him he doesn't have to strive to such great heights. The emotion builds so beautifully in this song, enhanced by bandmate Clancy Davidson's dreamy backing vocals, (in the studio version, it's Asha Jefferies who does an excellent job of it!). I also love the unabashedly real ‘That’s Just How I Feel’, and super fun 'I C. A. N. T.' - this song is just made for live performance, and I think it’s super fun how interactive it is with the crowd yelling the lyrics back- this song is just one example of the superb job Noah Dillon did of absolutely commanding that stage.
Finally, our highly anticipated headlining band Teenage Dads steps onto the stage. Right from the start, they get the crowd hyped and ready for a super fun, dance filled set. The first song of the night is ‘Come on Cowboy, Fire Your Gun!’, a super groovy, very interactive number- everyone is urged to fire their finger guns alongside the band as the ‘Bang bang!’ repeats throughout. They smoothly transition into 'Elevator', a super bouncy number with some really fun synth that keeps the vibe going.
‘Cheerleader’ is followed by a string of songs from the freshly released Midnight Driving EP- we get the previous single ‘Exit Sign’ as well as freshly released ‘3am’ and ‘Goodbye Goodbye again’. From front-person Jordy's animated expressions to the rest of the band's brimming smiles Teenage Dads bring an impossibly vigorous energy to the stage.
This whole time the crowd is absolutely loving it- there is so much energy and excitement throughout, even in the gentler moments of the set- they really shine on stage, and work super well together. Their Like a Version of ‘Video Killed the Radio Star’ is another massive hit. It really was such a perfect song choice for them, and it's super fun live- their version has a really great energetic build up, while maintaining the Teenage Dads sound.
The crowd gets super into dancing and jumping along to 'Hey Diego', and they wrap the set up nicely with 'Midnight Driving' and 'Piano Girl'.
"Definitely the last song" the band say tongue in cheek
The loudly requested encore could leave no one wanting, as they play their biggest hit ‘Sunburnt’ and finish it up with ‘Teddy’- another super fun one live!
The 'Midnight Driving' tour continues on this weekend, dates and deets are as follows:
10th March 2023 – The Prince Bandroom, Melbourne (18+)
11th March 2023 – Corner Hotel, Melbourne (Under 18)
11th March 2023 – Corner Hotel, Melbourne (Over 18) - SOLD OUT
18th March 2023 – The Metro Theatre, Sydney (All ages)* - SOLD OUT
19th March 2023 – Oxford Art Factory, Sydney (18+)
13th April 2023 – The Tuning Fork, Auckland, New Zealand (AA)
14th April 2023 – Meow, Wellington, New Zealand (18+)
15th April 2023 – The Loons Club, Christchurch, New Zealand (AA)
Check out the Midnight Driving EP here:
And if you haven't already, check out our LiveWireAU session of 'Teddy' here!