Fresh off their Sea.Hear.Now Festival appearance along the Asbury Park oceanfront this past Sunday, Irish post-punk rockers from Dublin City (hence their name Fontaines D.C.) were greeted by Brooklyn’s majestic Kings Theatre for a special “one-off” show on the last day of summer, September 21.
Formed in 2014, Fontaines D.C. are comprised of Grian Chatten (vocals), Conor Curley (guitar), Conor “Deego” Deegan (bass), Tom Coll (drums), and Carlos O’Connell (guitar). Shortly after the release of their debut single (“Liberty Belle”) in 2017, the band gained a huge local following with music initially painting a picture of romantic love and raw heartbreak inspired by street life on The Emerald Isle. As the band matured, so has their music, with lyrics exploring themes of Irish nationalism, politics, and religion in the digital age.
In support of their highly anticipated fifth studio album, Dopamine Chamber (XL Recordings), scheduled to drop on October 16, loyal fans queued along Flatbush Avenue well in advance of the 7:00 pm doors to be some of the first to hear live tracks taken from the new album! The audience would soon be gifted four numbers from said album, including the live debut of “Tongue” and “Marianne,” the lead single that has already been cemented as an instant classic.
A GA line that wrapped around the historic venue originally built as a movie palace in 1929, I learned that the first dozen or so fans arrived by noon. The line leaders were a small group of friends who arrived well before 9:00 am! Using his cell phone, I also snapped a picture of Aaron in front of the grand marquee, a hand-painted, vintage-style sign featuring 812 individual light bulbs! He told me that he traveled all the way from Wisconsin to attend what would be an epic gig!
Invited by Fontaines D.C. to join them on this night was Rew (a.k.a. Andrew Fusca), an alternative indie artist based in Delaware who writes, records, and mixes his own material. An authentic sound shaped by emo, grunge, and bedroom pop influences, Rew has released six albums since 2017, his most recent being Rewin in 2024 (Born Loser Records). Promptly taking the stage at 7:55 pm, Rew was greeted warmly by the steady influx of fans into the elaborately decorated and ornate auditorium. A 30-minute set that featured Brian Bruce-Willis pounding the skins, a show supporting Fontaines D.C. later this week will showcase another drummer’s talents in sunny California . . . but more on that later. Fans of Rew’s music can also look forward to his seventh album, which according to his Instagram account, is “otw.”
A few ticks after 9:00 pm, the stage had been turned over and was now ready for our headliner. The lights suddenly went dark as the quintet of Chatten, Curley, Deegan, Coll, and O’Connell sauntered across the stage, accompanied by touring musician Alexander “Chilli” Jesson (multi-instrumentalist). The crowd already in a frenzy, Fontaine D.C.’s 90-minute set kicked off with “Boys in the Better Land,” featured on their 2019 debut studio album Dogrel.
Aligned against the backdrop of their unmistakable logo, the stage production was simple, yet elegant. The set design allowed the audience to focus directly on each of their heroes, without distracting LED screens or excessive visual effects. As always, the lighting at Kings Theatre was spectacular, showcasing the cavernous interior in all its glory, complete with walnut paneling, moulded plasterwork, and gold leaf accents.
An amazing collection of nineteen songs were played Monday night, and aside from “Too Real” (Dogrel), just about all my favorites made the cut. Nineteen in total, Fontaine D.C.’s career-spanning live collection included “Televised Mind” (A Hero’s Death, 2020), “Jackie Down The Line” (Skinty Fia, 2022), as well as a trio from their critically-acclaimed studio album Romance (2024), including “Bug,” “Favourite,” and “Starburster.” The latter, which was also the show’s closer, was inspired by frontman Chatten’s experience with a severe panic attack, and how he processed it through music and lyrics.
After conquering Brooklyn, Fontaines D.C. will embark on a cross-country trek to the west coast for a second feature gig at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery in Los Angeles on Friday, September 25. Two days later, the Irish lads are on the Ohana Festival bill in Dana Point, California, an annual event founded by Eddie Vedder a decade ago.
Nearly a month later, a European and UK arena run will launch in Portugal on October 21. The tour leg culminates at The O2 in London on November 27, before which the band will play to sold-out audiences in Spain, Italy, Serbia, Czechia, Poland, Germany, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Netherlands, Belgium, and France.
2027 is already shaping up to be a blockbuster year for the band, with the first show being Lollapalooza India in Mumbai on January 23, followed by high-profile summer festival appearances and outdoor shows such as Rock In Roma, I-Days Festival in Milan, two hometown gigs at Slane Castle, and additional dates across the UK and Germany. You can find the full tour schedule here.
Setlist: Boys in the Better Land > Here’s the Thing > Nabokov > Marianne > Jackie Down the Line > It’s Amazing to Be Young > Televised Mind > Roman Holiday > Before You I Just Forget > Big > Bug > Tongue > Happy for You > Big Shot > Favourite > In the Modern World > Six Shot Morning > I Love You > Starburster (“In Heaven” interlude)
REW
FONTAINES D.C.
