Buzz: it’s a word that perfectly encapsulates Canadian indie band The Beaches, whose meteoric rise has included a TikTok hit, a spot on the Spotify Viral 50 placement, and a largely sold-out tour. Extending that tour, in support of latest album Blame My Ex, The Beaches played two sold out nights at Brooklyn’s iconic Music Hall of Williamsburg: a venue triple the size of their last New York City show.

Buzz also sums up the vibe in the theater before the band’s set. Fans of the band didn’t let the heavy downpour of the evening kill their vibe, shaking off the rain and filling the concert floor.

Once they’re on stage, it’s clear to see why fans were so excited. The band is explosive and charismatic, hard to look away from (if you’d even want to). The members – lead singer and bassist Jordan Miller, guitarist Kylie Miller, guitarist and keyboardist Leandra Earl, and drummer Eliza Enman-McDaniel – have a tangible chemistry with one another, but also with the audience. There’s a sense of companionship, fans and band alike bonded over relationship woes, shitty exes, and queer love stories. Like close friends, lead singer Jordan took to commiserating with fans over ended relationships, while Leandra dove into the crowd to dance along to unreleased track “Kinkade.”

The setlist is a careful balance of both the light and the heavy, so that vulnerable moments like “Edge of the Earth” and “What Doesn’t Kill You Makes You Paranoid” provide some grounding, and others like “Grow Up Tomorrow” and the viral “Blame Brett” can turn the pit into a dance floor. 

While “Blame Brett” might have been the initial launch into virality for The Beaches, it’s their relatable lyrics, catchy hooks, and captivating on-stage personalities that will keep their upward momentum going

(The author would like to reluctantly admit that with the rain, she was, yes, planning on leaving early. Yet by the end of the night she found herself in the middle of the crowd, joining fans in cheering for the band to come back on stage for their encore, rain and missed train forgotten.)

Article and Photo Gallery by Niamh Murphy