On Tuesday, March 18th, Modern Color performed at Parish in Austin to a full house of heavy hearts.
Scars have settled and muscles have matured in Modern Color’s sound. The ever-evolving band is on a national tour that began last month in San Diego. Their 2024 album, “There Goes The Dream” is a love letter to their hometown, Redondo Beach, in the South Bay region of LA County. Modern Color is made of Fleming Valenzuela, Vince Nguyen, Chris Martinez and Chad Leaf who have all been friends since boyhood.
Austin is the third to last stop on the tour which ends at The Belasco in Los Angeles on the 22nd. Nineteen shows in about a month is a tight turnaround, but the bands have harnessed what seems like effortless efficiency between sets. Modern Color is touring with Webbed Wing, MILLY, and Garage Sale.
Vince Nguyen, drummer and vocalist for Modern Color shared that the band “wanted to move away from some of what we call ‘colder, thicker’ production and make it a lot warmer, a bit thinner and more in the room” (Behind the Vinyl Podcast Aug 2024). Corey Coffman has produced the band’s past two albums. He is the guitarist and vocalist for the band Gleemer out of Loveland, Colorado. He has also worked with trauma ray, MILLY, Garage Sale, Downward and many others.
Modern Color grew up influenced by the technical and hardcore scene coming out of South Bay at the time. This is especially true in their 2014 self-titled album. While their sound continues to evolve, their DIY ethics remain consistent.They hope to see the crowd share closeness at their shows, companionship is crucial.
Some fans arrived already friends, like Joselin and Brianna from San Antonio. Brianna shared that the two quickly bonded over music and that their tickets were a Christmas gift from Joselin. Others prefer to fly solo like MILLY fan Isa. “I’m really shy, but I like feeling the energy from the whole room, even if I come by myself.”
“There Goes The Dream” openly details the discomfort of growing even when armed with adaptability. The band’s courage to be vulnerable is what has created such a fresh album that resonates with fans old and new.
Garage Sale started the night with quiet confidence. The Melbourne group have recently opened for bands like Narrowhead, Mannequin Pussy, Soccer Mommy, Fleshwater and Julie on their Australian tours. Last month, they released two new singles, “Can’t You See” and “Not For Me”.
Next to the stage was MILLY who sounded the way film photos look; they make you forget what year you’re in. Currently, MILLY exists as Allison Berry, Yarden Erez, Nico Moreta and Brendan Dyer. The band began as Dyer’s solo project in 2018 and has consistently grown since. They released an album last year called “Your Own Becoming”.
Webbed Wing picked things up with their punky pace. They released their third album, “Vol.III”, last year and songs like “Further”, “Tortuga” and “Burn It Down” have quickly become fan favorites. The album celebrates themes of mediocrity, discomfort with growth, and the fear of failure with malicious compliance.
Eyes widened as Modern Color took stage, the weight of the crowd’s gaze was heavy with anticipation. Returning fans knew what to expect, but newer souls were in for a ride. Singer Fleming Valenzuela encouraged fans to throw their arms up for stage divers; the small efforts of individuals amounting to the larger bliss. One after the other, pairs of sneakers jumped off stage almost as fast as arms flew up.
“There Goes The Dream” feels like the last day of summer. Desire and contentment sitting beside each other watching the sunset. They are celebrating each other’s victories. Besides, there’s always next year right?
I am a student at Texas State studying Digital Media and Psychology. I am always carrying my camera with me, it feels like my true voice. Some of my favorite artists are Courtney Barnett, Tainy, Frank Ocean, Art Lown, Fleshwater, Turnover, SZA and Wynton Kelly. Central Texas always has talented people passing through and I try to catch as many shows I can. I really love fashion, part of the fun of going to a concert is seeing what the artists wear on stage and everyone's outfits in the crowd. I tend to use musical elements in my fashion photography, the two are so intertwined to me. I also love to read and run, but not always at the same time.
