We knew about Beach Bunny from Rae, when her teen musical tastes were forming and going in different directions, then she arrived at a band approximating rock without my direct influence, and I could support that. This show came up when we were in some degree of lock-down during the pandemic (the first one, at least), and we had hopes that we would eventually come out of it and go to a show again. As it was, after not knowing a show in autumn 2019 was going to be our last before getting 2020 totally knocked out (from pretty much doing anything outside of the house, much less a concert), it was rolling the dice that any show would even happen (and maybe that we would all be alive and able to go). But we would take that chance (as well as the crap-shoot of even getting our money back if the show got canceled), and well enough in advance to be able to plan (as much as we could) for what might happen. Maybe a hope that the tickets would be cheaper for the uncertainty, but they were full price (a portent of the rising cost of tickets that would eventually price us out (for the most part)). So along with Carla we had three of us going, then Dylan and/or Maira happened to casually drop in a conversation elsewhere that they were fans, so we got them too, and it would have been crappy to leave out Rae’s roommate Naomi (especially since she was going through a rough time, even over everything else going on with everyone). So we had our team, and a pretty good one for a weekday night at the all-ages venue. The Observatory was also where I had my last show two years before, and in that time it also became our (most) local venue after we moved to Orange County. It didn't provide any extra safety, but it worked. Also a great place to see an indie band, who had a bit of recognition, with tunes that carried a little better for being poppier than just turning up volume, generations after pop-punk meant anything more than having a rhythm guitarist, and relying on songs rather than a cute lead singer (though that worked as a bonus, even when she served to be more relatable than lust-baiting for the boys). It wasn’t all kids for the show, though enough to inject some energy when we’re used to solemn adults standing around and, at most, nodding along arhythmically. Even a light-hearted approach, to match the poppiness of the songs, though staying tuneful instead of being goofy on stage. They stuck to some solid tunes and it worked well enough for them to pull off a club show (before playing bigger places but opening). They even threw in the Katy Perry during the encore, being recognizable on its own, even more than their own stuff, but fitting, and a treat for the fans who already knew everything else inside and out (though an equal bonus for those who didn’t know any of it). A decent show, as a welcome return to live concerts again (for as long as those might last, and if they came back in the form we knew. If this was the last show ever it would have had to be good enough. At least we were together). We weren't so out of practice that we couldn't have gotten there just as the band we wanted to see went on, but we were cautious just in case, not wanting to miss any of it if we were wrong (also being the guides for our kids who weren't as concert-honed), so we got there plenty early, enough to see Miloe as opener. They didn't have anything to be more significant than the headliners or to ever headline their own show in a comparable place (and all boys), but it was good to let the kids experience an opening act that would largely be dismissable but could prime them for checking out ones in the future to discover a great, new band ahead of the curve.
Beach Bunny’s set-list:
”Prom Queen”
”Love Sick”
”Cuffing Season”
”Oxygen”
”Promises”
”Good Girls (Don't Get Used)”
”April”
”Rearview”
”Entropy”
”6 Weeks”
”Dream Boy”
”Nice Guys”
”Colorblind”
”February”
”Sports”
”Blame Game”
”Boys”
”Cloud 9”
”Hot n Cold” (Katy Perry cover)
”Painkiller”
