On May 22nd, Yot Club brings his “Rufus” tour to Austin with a sold-out show at Antone’s Nightclub.
John Ryan Kaiser’s solo project, Yot Club, first found success when his song “YKWIM?” went viral, and he has since amassed over 7.7 million monthly listeners on Spotify. While typically classified as indie pop/rock, Kaiser’s work also appears heavily influenced by surf rock and lofi making for a particularly unique sound. His discography pairs the feeling of youthful freedom with the innermost reflections and contemplations. In light of his most recent album “Rufus,” which dropped on March 29th of this year, the Mississippi-born singer-songwriter announced his nationwide tour on February 5th. The highly anticipated tour was followed by an excited Instagram comment section and most dates quickly selling out.
About a month into the tour, Kaiser made a special stop in Austin, Texas. He was welcomed by a packed Antone’s Nightclub, where people filled every inch of the dark and cozy venue. There were people of all ages looking to see the “YKWIM?” singer perform his dreamy songs on stage, making it clear that he had a diverse audience. Yot Club kicked off the show with “Stuntman,” the opening track on Rufus, sending fans into elated cheering.
Throughout their set, Kaiser and his band performed some of Yot Club’s most popular songs such as “japan” and “Fly Out West,” to which the audience happily sang along and danced under Antone’s disco ball. The setlist included songs from Yot Club’s newest album, as well as older tracks from “Bipolar” and “off the grid.” This diverse mix kept the entire crowd satisfied, as both new and old listeners and casual and die-hard fans had something to enjoy. The set swept the crowd into a little indie dream world, yielding feelings ranging from nostalgia to sorrow to hopefulness. Kaiser and his band gave a passionate and energetic performance that kept everyone in the audience captivated all through the night.
I am a photographer and live music lover based in Austin and raised in Houston. I recently graduated from The University of Texas at Austin, where I studied Marketing and co-led the photo team at Afterglow ATX. I feel most at home where people are moshing, thrifting, or sipping coffee. My favorite artists include The Maine, Pierce The Veil, 5SOS (+ Luke's solo work), Waterparks, MCR, Taylor Swift, and Harry Styles.
