“Thank you for showing us why we call Boston home. This is where we feel most welcome. Thank you for giving us meaning to what we do. We love you so much.” — The Q-Tip Bandits at the end of their epic show at Paradise Rock Club.
The Q-Tip Bandits’ homecoming show at Paradise was a huge success, and I know I wasn’t the only one to lose my voice after singing along all night. Before I get into how and why I lost my voice, I have to shout out the two amazing openers: Maeko and Chance Emerson.
Maeko started the night strong with his catchy songs and even got the crowd involved for his original song, “Click Flash Polaroid” — we yelled “polaroid” whenever Maeko sang “click flash”. We definitely did him proud, because after the song, Maeko exclaimed that The Q-Tip Bandits have the nicest fans! It was a nostalgic moment for Maeko to be opening at Paradise, because he used to come there for music shows in high school. This was my first time seeing him perform, and I thoroughly enjoyed his electronic, rap, alternative feel. Also, I was in the second row and I’m quite short but Maeko made the most intense eye contact with all us fans. He also ran from one side of the stage to the other, making sure everyone was engaged with his songs, especially when he sang “Lila.” This song is about finding your community, which is evident from the lyrics “Everybody’s floating and wading, we’re just here to walk, walk each other home.” Maeko even made us say “what’s up” to the person next to us so we weren’t just random strangers standing next to each other, which felt a bit awkward to do but, in a weird way, comforting afterwards.
Next off, Chance Emerson came to the stage. When I saw his band members, I truly felt that I was at an all-ages show. A group of fangirls gushed excitedly about the band members playing with Chance. Their exact words were, “The keyboard player is so cute!” and they were definitely Gen Z (they were using Snapchat while I, a millennial, was using Instagram…sigh). Chance also has a history with Paradise — he went there for his first concert alone back in 2015 for Neon Trees! Chance came out ready to rock with his cowboy hat and one hell of a growl in his voice. He had a country-rock vibe, and seeing his set is how I found out I like that genre. Though Chance’s band members were young, they rocked the hell out and brought energy to his set. One of my favorite parts of his set was when he slowed it down for us in the middle of his rock set with his original song “The Raspberry Men,” switching from an electric to an acoustic guitar. The song revolves around when Chance was 18 and thought he knew everything about the world (he said he was happy — and that he was wrong). The other part of his set that is stuck in my head is the outro of his song “Angela,” which the audience yelled the lyrics of acapella — “I just wanna make out with a stranger, lose my mind and kiss until my face hurts.”
After meeting someone new during Maeko’s set and practicing our enthusiastic yelling during Chance Emerson’s set, we were finally ready for The Q-Tip Bandits’ performance. I’ve seen The Q-Tip Bandits at a lot of venues, but this was the first time they had their own intro song — they just keep moving up, they’ve made it in my eyes! In case anyone was wondering, they were color-coordinated — Leo, Claire, Hoyt, and Maclin were wearing some form of mustard yellow, and Dakota was wearing black and white to balance them out. The Q-Tip Bandits started their set with a bang with their original song “Chasing Cars,” which had everyone jumping around and singing along. The highlight of that song for me was Leo ducking to avoid getting hit by Hoyt’s trombone (I wish I had a video of it).
The second song was a new song, “Asking For A Friend,” which will be part of their upcoming EP. Leo’s favorite lyrics are from that song: “Can we dance into the silence and never forget we were golden in this moment? I’m asking for a friend.” Compared to their previous releases, this EP is more indie-pop. The project is about finding one’s way back to being hopeful. “This EP is a little bit of grief, a little bit of love, a little bit of loss, and a little bit of everything,” reflected the band.
To make sure we were in the right headspace for The Q-Tip Bandits’ set, Claire taught us the “baby bounce dance move.” She explained, “Babies just move their body and don’t care about what they look like and what anyone else thinks about them — we want you to feel like that too!”
During one of my favorite songs of theirs, “Tip Toe,” everyone yelled along — clearly, we had some shit to get out of our systems. “Tip Toe” highlights all the band members’ talents so well, and everyone gets their moment — Claire’s harmonies throughout the song and her electric bass with the catchy hook, Dakota’s beats, Maclin’s smooth trumpet lines, and Hoyt’s trombone shining through. The song explores the theme that everyone needs a friend, and it becomes a song about unlikely connections. The highlight of the performance for me was Leo’s vocal solo for the lyrics, “In a tale of ever after, he’ll love you like one of his own.” After the bridge, the whole band crouches down with the electric guitar and bass melodies of the hook. The visual ties into the act of tip-toeing out of the house to go somewhere.
We got to hear some of the songs from the new EP, including “July” and “Olivia,” and they were so good! Fun fact, The Q-Tip Bandits are in LA right now recording the new EP. Stay tuned for their announcements on its release (sometime next year)! In addition to the EP leaning more pop, Maclin is also playing keyboard more and, for some songs, even playing the keyboard AND trumpet simultaneously. I’m very excited to hear the full project! If you wanna catch some of their new songs, The Q-Tip Bandits have a few more shows left, in LA on October 8th and New York on October 20th.
The Q-Tip Bandits are known for doing their version of MGMT’s song, “Kids,” because it has this added level of energy that I’m obsessed with. Maclin started off the cover with a trumpet solo as Hoyt added in some beautiful chords on the keyboard. While we were dancing to the cover, these daisy balloons came out of nowhere, which we lightly bounced as they came near us. This was also a subtle nod to The Q-Tip Bandits’ song “Daisy” from their album Melancholy Flowers.
As we approached the end of the show (cry), The Q-Tip Bandits did one of their saddest songs (another one of my favorites), titled “Happy.” “This song was written in a messy room with a messy heart. As a reminder, the only relationship you have is the one with yourself,” prefaced Claire before starting the song. She was the lead vocalist on it, and the lyrics resonate with me so much. It’s one of those songs that you close your eyes and sing like no one’s next to you. Claire’s favorite lyrics are from this song: “Are you happy? And would you tell me if not? We were so happy, but I think you forgot. But if you’re happy, I’ll be happy for you.” There was a magical moment during this song where the audience sang the lyrics back to Claire.
The “last” song that The Q-Tips Bandits sang was “Willow,” which they put out in 2019. After doing their iconic huddle with the drums, they kicked it off. Maclin used a banana shaker to add some more percussion and successfully threw a second (!) banana shaker to Claire across the stage so they could both use it! This song has some of my favorite coordinated and synchronized dancing with the “Willow Wiggle,” as Dakota calls it. Hoyt and Maclin gave us our moment to shine and counted us in to do the swirly dance along with them, matching the guitar and horn lines.
After the last song, we of course shouted for an encore. So they came back on stage and did a stripped-down song, “Shiver,” that featured Leo on electric guitar with the rest of the band adding pretty harmonies and snaps. The line that stood out to me the most was “Somehow we’ll flow,” which fits with the growth mentality of the band as they continue their musical journey.
Some local artists that The Q-Tip Bandits would like to collaborate with are Couch, who they played their first post-pandemic show with. “They are great musicians and great people,” gushed Claire. Leo said that he’d like to collaborate with Noah Kahan (he lives in Watertown, so I guess technically he’s local), as well as Ripe and Layzi! For the format of their shows, the band has been inspired by a range of artists. Claire has been inspired by 21 Pilots’ live shows, as they try to involve the audience to make the show an experience. Leo, on the other hand, has been inspired by the rhythm section of Red Hot Chili Peppers, as they bring their best selves to the stage. From the local music scene, the band has been influenced by Post Sex Nachos, The Doozers, and Moxie in terms of their sound and the direction the band wants to grow in.
Good news for us Boston fans, The Q-Tip Bandits are playing the House of Blues on December 30th with Pigeons Playing Ping Pong. If you can’t make it to that show, you can support The Q-Tip Bandits by buying their merch, like their very warm flower crew necks, beanies, and octopus t-shirts!