The Fonda Theatre in Hollywood, CA — March 5, 2024

On Tuesday night, the crowd hummed with eager anticipation to celebrate the return of The Paper Kites on their newest tour, “The Paper Kites and The Road House Band.” Every detail, from the lights and backdrop to the band ensemble and acoustic choices, beckoned the crowd into a sweet and serene haven. The setlist included countless songs from their newest album, At The Roadhouse, inspired by their time crafting and building this album during an unadvertised part-time residence gigging at a small bar in Campbell Creek, Australia. Songs from their newest album, such as “Hurts so Good” and “Till The Flame Turns Blue” replicate that intimate feeling of stumbling into dive bars with friends or brushing hands with your crush. Every song was a display of The Paper Kite’s incredible musicality and spectacular unity. Their setlist also included high-energy moments with “June’s Stolen Car,” honey-sweet moments with their cover of Adrianne Lenker’s “Anything,” and callbacks to classics such as “Paint.” At a few portions throughout the night, the seven-part band would abandon their instruments and crowd around a singular microphone to sing harmonies alongside an acoustic guitar and entrance the entire auditorium. As they sang fan-favorite, “Bloom” in this acoustic form, you could have heard a pin drop in the sold-out Fonda Theatre. Witnessing the crowd’s quiet engagement and then the soft choir of voices all singing, “can I be close to you,” can only be described as cathartic. The Paper Kites have the special ability to craft an atmosphere sacred to live music and falling in love. Couples and friends and strangers swayed and sang along all night, arm and arm, and entrapped in the present moment. The night crescendoed in energy with a two-part encore, ending on “Electric Indigo” and solidifying The Paper Kites as a must-see band.

Words & Photography: Victoria Alexis