Cavetown, Mother Mother, Meet Me @ The Altar

South Side Ballroom, Dallas, TX

June 25, 2024

Review and Gallery by: Grace Forrester

As their tour nears its halfway point, musical powerhouses Cavetown and Mother Mother brought the heat with their joint summer tour while performing in Dallas last week at the iconic Southside Ballroom. Bringing along pop-punk rising stars Meet Me @ The Altar, there was definitely a little something for everyone to enjoy. With both Mother Mother and Cavetown having multiple viral songs under their belts, especially with Mother Mother having a couple of Juno Awards and Grammy nominations, the night was stacked with incredible performances all around. 

Starting off the night was Meet Me @ The Altar with their hit “Say It To My Face”. Although the normal trio was down to two, lead singer Edith Victoria and drummer Ada Juarez brought their ever-infectious energy to the max. Self-describing themselves as “music for the gays” drew loud cheers from the crowd as many were waving pride flags of all types. Although their set was short, it was clear they left a lasting impression on those new to them, playing other songs such as “Try”, “T.M.I.”, and ending with some serious crowd participation with “Kool”.

Opening with one of their newer tracks “Nobody Escapes”, Mother Mother started their set with a bang, the intense reds and purples of the stage lights meshing together with their explosive energy. Their performance and presence felt theatrical in nature, getting up close and personal as possible with the fans lining the barricade. This didn’t stop the more sincere moments however, with their vocalist Ryan Guldemond opening up about how grateful they are about being in a band together and sharing the stage with their sister Molly, along with claiming the room was filled with positive vibrations and telling the crowd that they all “deserve a life we’ve been dreaming of”. Their setlist was filled with hit after hit, including their largest to date “Hayloft” and “Hayloft II”, along with others like “Arms Tonite”, “Verbatim”, “Oh Ana” and “Burning Pile”. Ending the set with a mashup of Lana Del Rey’s “Video Games” and “Hayloft”, fans were thoroughly ready for the main event of the night.

Adorned with moss and inflatable mushrooms, along with a tree stump directly in the middle as a pedestal, Cavetown took the stage with “let them know they’re on your mind”. Although a striking difference to the bands before him, frontman Robbie Skinner was able to still bring a rock-styled edge to his traditional indie-pop style. One minute he’d have the crowd chant for one of his touring staff dressed up in a frog costume, and then the next he’d be pouring his heart out over songs like “Green” or “Juliet”. It was clear to see just how personal these songs felt to the crowd as a lot of Cavetown’s discography touches on serious topics such his struggle with gender and sexual identity, mental health, and navigating love while on the aromantic and asexual spectrum. Closing out the show with “Boys Will Be Bugs” and an encore of “888” and “Devil Town”, it was hard to find a dry eye in the house as Robbie wrapped himself in a transgender flag gifted by a fan and giving his all one last time.

The US leg of this joint tour continues on this summer until July 13th, while picking back up in the UK and Europe early next year. Remaining tickets for select dates can be found here, you do not want to miss this incredible lineup!