Beginning in May, 2024, the San Francisco based indie band set off on their Summer Release Tour for their third album Benzene, which was released on June 7th.
The first to start off the night was Andrew St James, a member of French Cassettes. James introduced the audience to his solo songs just as the crowd was beginning to form. His music also leans towards the alternative/side, highlighted in his third song “Slow Dive.” “Are y’all excited for the French Cassettes?” he teased before going into the song “Olivia, Can You Hear Me Now?” He played a short, but powerful set before the band New Avenues took the stage.
Dallas based band New Avenues is an alternative indie group influenced by artists like Dayglow, Hippo Campus and Beach Fossils. Their soothing yet captivating beats illuminated the venue as the crowd swayed along to the music. The band opened their set with “Dallas Traffic” before moving on to songs from their newest album Flourish. “This next song…is about sharing your feelings and stuff like that,” they told the crowd before getting into their third song, “Reticent.” The lyrics “Anticipate another let down” or “The silence hurts,” resonates with themes of emotions and vulnerability. As they moved on through their set they said “We’re gonna try a few new songs for you guys.” They started with “If only” and then “Turnover,” which is currently available to pre-save on their Instagram. Closing their set with “The Last Cowabunga,” anticipation grew for French Cassettes’ upcoming performance.
As soon as French Cassettes stepped on stage, they greeted the crowd with, “How are y’all doing?” A voice from the audience echoed the question, prompting the band to respond, “Very good” before jumping into their first song. A majority of the band’s set list came from their recently released album, Benzene. The title of the album comes from band member Scott Huerta’s childhood nickname “Benz.” The ten-track album features a wide array of songs filled with experimentation and funky instrumentals.
Talking to the audience again, the band shared, “This is our first time in Dallas. Thank you so much for having us!” They proceeded to perform their latest track, “Baseball Bat.” The audience reached their peak during their performance of “City Kitty,” a track from their earlier album Rolodex released in 2020. Despite the lyrics repeating “Don’t take me dancing,” the crowd did the opposite, dancing and singing along enthusiastically with their friends.
As they approached the end of their set, the band joked, “This song is for anyone who’s ever been on a bus,” before launching into “Megabus.” After finishing the song, they asked, “Did we just transport you to a bus?” Before playing a few more newer songs the band completed their set on an older one called “Utah.” The good vibes of the band continued through the night as they stepped off the stage to pass out merch, converse with the crowd and take photos with fans.
I am a Dallas-based photographer who has an appreciation for both the arts and music! Besides photographing concerts, I also enjoy doing creative portraits and working in Photoshop. I spend my free time either playing the cello, guitar, or piano or collecting CDs and vinyls. I would say my top three favorite artists are Peter McPoland, The Beatles, and Harry Styles! I’m currently a senior in high school, but I plan to major in graphic design and one day turn concert photography into a career.
