Boston keeps showing up for The Beaches! Since their breakout success in 2023, the Canadian alt rock band has been greeted by steadily growing audiences upon each return, selling out shows at the Crystal Ballroom and the Royale. On September 24, the Massachusetts stop of the No Hard Feelings tour, The Beaches added Roadrunner to their streak of sold-out shows.
Accompanying The Beaches for the September leg of the tour was Debbii Dawson, an up-and-comer who some might recognize from Season 17 of America’s Got Talent. She wowed the crowd with her stunning vocals during her 30 minute opening set.
Since their 2022 headline tour stop at Brighton Music Hall, The Beaches might have come physically less than a mile to Roadrunner, but to fans who have been following along, the band’s real progress was apparent from the first note. Beyond the obvious upgrade in lighting and stage production befitting a venue of Roadrunner’s size, the evolution could be noted with a glance at the setlist. No Hard Feelings, this year’s punchy follow up to 2023’s Juno Award winning Blame My Ex, was the feature of the evening, but the new era of The Beaches has moved on from many longtime tent-poles of their live shows. Several beloved fan favorite songs like “T-Shirt,” “Desdemona,” “Want What You Got,” and “Money” were absent and “Grow Up Tomorrow” was the only song outside of the newest two albums. That said, the streamlined focus on new material was an appropriate emphasis on the interplay between the break-up album Blame My Ex and the subsequent crash out album No Hard Feelings. From the first chants of their rebellious opening anthem “Last Girls At The Party,” to the stripped-down live adaptation of the vulnerable ballad “Lesbian Of The Year,” through to the cathartic main set closer “Blame My Ex,” the crowd was along for the ride.
Despite a relentless marathon of touring and festival appearances over the last couple of years, The Beaches remain in excellent form. Their live performance was electric as ever and the fans were determined to reciprocate accordingly. Guitarist Kylie Miller conveyed The Beaches’ thanks to Boston fans, and she recounted seeing the crowd at their 2023 Boston Calling Music Festival set as the first indication that the band had successfully broken into the US scene. They have maintained that same support and more as they continue their rise, and Boston will continue to welcome them even when they’re the last girls at the party.
