Los Angeles’s Nu Gaze trio, Julie, comes to Houston with openers Lowertown.
It’s a hot and sticky summer night in Houston while fans of the LA Nu Gaze band, Julie, line up in anticipation for the night. Before the show, a line wrapped around the building and eager fans packed themselves against the page.
Soon, opener of the night takes the stage, Atlanta singer-songwriter duo Lowerton. The venue is nearly completely full, with the crowd’s cheers filling the room as Lowertown starts their first song. Armed with only two acoustic guitars, a harmonica, and a flute, Lowertown’s set is simple and heartfelt. The group has been dubbed by the internet as “Gen Z’s Simon and Garfunkel” and they live up to that title with songs that strike the perfect balance between elegant instrumentals and emotionally visceral lyrics.
The venue is nearly full as Lowertown exits the stage, the audience packing in tighter and tighter in anticipation for Julie. The tone of the room shifts darker as ominous, classical opera music blast over the speakers, and suddenly Julie appears, tearing right into their first song. Big, fuzzy guitars, crunchy basslines, and aggressive drum beats soak the crowd, who waste no time responding accordingly with push pits and crowd surfing.
Julie is as dark and grungy as it is soft and beautiful, taking classic shoegaze and atmospheric dream pop and blending it into something that’s completely their own. Despite being a fairly new band, the impression they’ve made on their listeners is obvious. The audience knows every word, screaming along while the entire crowd gets rowdy, opening up into a giant inescapable pit.
As Julie exits the stage, the energy from the electrified night can still be felt in the room. Begrudgingly, the crowd disperses, recounting their favorite parts of the evening to each other as they wait for merch and their rides outside.
I’m a photographer born and raised in Houston. Music has been a huge part of my life since I was a teenager, I love attending local shows and supporting the Houston music scene. If I’m not at a show I’m probably making my own music, hanging out with my cat, or binge watching RuPaul’s Drag Race.
