Dreamer Boy and the Lonestars play a glorious show at The Paper Tiger in San Antonio.
June 1, 2024. It may not technically be summer yet, but it sure feels like it. At San Antonio’s Paper Tiger, the sun sets and the garage door opens on the small, “indoor” venue. Instead of air conditioning, two large fans blow towards the stage.
Nitefire, the Los Angeles-based indie rock band, takes the stage first. They bring an energetic, early 2000s sound that properly warms up the crowd. Lead singer Nico Geyer leans forward with his mic stand off the front of the stage, then later brings the stand into the crowd and performs from there. After a great set, the crowd is ready for Dreamer Boy.
For those unfamiliar with Dreamer Boy (Zach Taylor), he sounds like Dominic Fike if he grew up in Texas. And the Texas vibes are strong: the band uses a soundboard set up on a portable grill. Taylor sits on a red and white cooler for slower songs and hands out water to his band, the Lonestars. Dreamer Boy wears a cowboy hat, cowboy boots, and rodeo clown face paint: white face, blue star eyes, and red nose and lips. When a few fans asked for the setlist, he replied “It’s on a paper plate, I hope that’s okay.”
Taylor started the set with “Summer in America,” the opening track from his new album, Lonestar. He played a few more tracks from that album before switching to past songs, like “Hues”. Since this is his first headline tour, it’s the first time fans can sing these songs with a crowd of other equally passionate people, and the first time Dreamer Boy can hear that passion in return. A few fans showed up in Taylor’s signature rodeo clown makeup while others wore red, white, and blue clothing to match his Texan aesthetic.
The energy was infectious. Halfway through the concert, Taylor stops between songs and says: “This might be my favorite show ever.” And while Dreamer Boy is a great performer, he also lets his band shine. The extended outros of his songs mean that there are stretches on stage where Taylor doesn’t sing, but instead hypes up the Lonestars. In one of the last songs of the night, each band member plays an extended solo as the audience cheers.
The show ends with the last song on Lonestar, “Harmony.” Both Dreamer Boy and his audience sing the line “My heart lives in a southern part of Texas” while in a southern part of Texas. That felt good.
I am an Austin, TX based filmmaker and photographer. I moved from Houston to attend the University of Texas at Austin, where I graduated in 2022. I'm a lifelong music lover and spend most of my weekends attending shows. Some recent favorites are K. Flay, Devon Again, and Farmer's Wife. Other than that, I enjoy reading, writing, playing volleyball, yoga, and gaming.
