For an unforgettable experience, indie band Mom Jeans brought their infectious vibes to the audience at Emo’s in Austin, Texas.
The popular band first formed in 2014 while a few of the members were attending college at UC Berkeley. Mom Jeans is comprised of four members, Eric Butler (vocals/guitar), Austin Carango (drums), Bart Thompson (guitar/vocals), and Sam Kless (bass). Despite the band being from California, their sound would arguably fall into the category of Midwest emo. This sub-genre of emo music is characterized by its introspective lyrics and gloomy chord progressions. They draw influences from the indie rock and post-rock scene. Mom Jeans music has a nostalgic feeling to it; almost like it should only be listened to on a CD. In 2016, they released their first full-length album, Best Beds. Since then, they have released three more albums and a few EPs. Right now, the band is touring their latest album, Beer Market, which came out in November of 2023.
The headlining band had three openers. The first to start off the night was artist Slow Joy. Not far from home, the Dallas-based artist joined Mom Jeans for a few shows on their tour. While in Austin, Slow Joy, also known as Esteban Flores, showed off his raw powerful tone and reflective lyrics. Last year, he released his single, “I Don’t Hate You,” but has a few more things up his sleeve for the remainder of the year. On March 15th he will be releasing the single “Pulling Teeth” from his forthcoming EP Mi Amigo Slow Joy. During his show, he made sure to express how thankful he was for the opportunity to tour with Mom Jeans.
After Slow Joy, the band Hunny was up next. Hunny are Jason Yarger (vocals/guitar), Kevin Grimmett (vocals/guitar), and Olivier Cooper (drums). They played some of their older songs such as “Televised” and “Vowels. Like the other artists, Hunny also released some music last year. Their third studio album is titled new planet heaven. This particular night, they performed a few songs from their new grungy shoegaze-inspired album, like “solo.” Leading up to our headliner, the last opener of the night was Summer Salt. The band fled to Austin in 2012 to pursue music. Two years later, they dropped their first EP Driving to Hawaii. During their set, they made sure to shout out the neighborhood they lived in and told the crowd how Austin would always be special to them. At Emo’s, they brought their melodic guitar riffs and infectious hooks to life. The hint of surf rock separated their set from the rest and gave a sense of calm, happy-go-lucky energy. They played songs such as “Revvin’ my CJ7” and “Hocus Pocus.” The packed venue couldn’t contain their excitement when Mom Jeans took to the stage wearing matching cowboy hats, presumably to get into the Texas spirit. The guys kicked off their set with a burst of energy as their music filled the room. They started the night with “What’s Up,” a song from their 2022 release Sweet Tooth. Over the course of the night, they played songs such as “Hippo in the Water,” “*sobs quietly*,” and “Death Cup.” Their enthralling stage presence could make anyone a fan instantly. And good news, this tour is just getting started. No one will have an excuse to not see them while they are on this 20+ show tour. MOM JEANSWebsite Facebook X
