After their latest album release No Place Like Home, Vacations set on their USA and Mexico tour, playing an incredible show on their night in Dallas.
The evening began with opener Alex Lahey, who also played in Vacations’s set later that night. Just like Vacations, Lahey is from Australia, and made her way to North America for the tour. The Australian-based artist has an alternative-rock style and her dynamic performance built the excitement for the next two artists.
Next up was the LA-based band Soft Blue Shimmer, who gave a show to be remembered. Their stage presence was electrifying, specifically from drummer Kenzo Cardenas, who’s energy ignited the venue. Their music is on the alternative and indie/rock side, and their vocals and instrumentals picked up the pace of the night. The crowd recognized their incredible performance, as they made sure to ask the band when they would be back in Dallas again.
After the openers built the excitement and suspense of the night it was finally time for Vacations. The crowd was ecstatic all the way from the pit to the balcony. The first few songs were already a hit, but the audience was at their loudest for the song “Young.” The band told the crowd “I got a question for you. Do you like karaoke?” Met with cheering they asked, “Do you think you can sing? Do you think you can sing louder than San Antonio?” The cheering got even louder and lead singer Campbell Burns replied “This is a good Texas war. Texas is a big place.” The audience gave the song their all and the band concluded that Dallas was the louder out of the two shows, giving the crowd the answer they deserved.
The band played an array of songs with ones from their newest album, and some older ones as well. Vacations did a good job of interacting with the crowd and they had their fun once again with the song “Actors.” They questioned the fans asking “Do you guys know how to dance.” After the band saw the participation of the previous song Burns said “I know you guys know how to sing. I know you know how to yeehaw.” They then went into the song and both band members and fans lit up the venue with their dancing, clapping, and singing.
Besides the band’s incredible performance, their stage decor was something to be noted. Inspired by their album title No Place Like Home, they decorated the stage like a house. With a fluffy red rug on the floor, and a chair, table and lamp their unique display mimicked a home. They used their props to their advantage in the last few minutes of the night. With their encore they played their song “Telephones” and singer Burns picked up the telephone on the desk and sang into it for a majority of the song. Fans loved this and it was the perfect way to end the night.
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.
