LOS ANGELES, CA- The Troubadour holds a special place in my heart for the same reason it holds a special place in Los Angeles; it acts as a time capsule as much as it acts as a concert venue. Those walls have been listening for decades, front row to the biggest names in music since the 60s. And if they could sing, I’m sure it’d be a song that’d capture everyone.
Walking in for Dexter and the Moonrocks, already sold out and humming, with people pressed wall to wall, the air had that familiar “charge” to it. The “charge” that builds with the anticipation of screaming your favorite song along with 900 other fans, live with the band just feet away. It built and built until Girl Tones descended onto the stage like a thunderstorm.
They came out like they were here to headline, and by God we were obliged to agree. Their energy was immediate. Nonstop movement. Nonstop power. They were an unstoppable force. Cheeky as ever, they dared us to participate. Challenged us to meet them at their level. At one point they demanded that we jump for the entire song. No polite bouncing, no swaying back and forth. But real jumping, hair flying, and everyone moving nearly as one. From their energy alone, you’d swear they were the main act.
Kenzie Schultz, married to Daniel Schultz, the younger brother of Matt and Brad Schultz of Cage the Elephant, had so much electricity she couldn’t stay contained to the stage. It must be a requirement to be in the Schultz family. Climbing onto the speakers that flank the front and launching herself back onto the stage, jumping into the crowd (praying for the moment she crowd surfs while delivering a blistering solo) more than once. Between songs, they kept telling us to dance and party it up; they wanted the sold-out sign to mean something physical.
The crew at the Troubadour, ever professional, kept all the energy high between sets. A number of times, their playlist kept the heat on, particularly with Sublime’s hit “Santeria,” which got everyone singing along. One of those little moments of connection that show how wide-reaching music is.
Dexter and the Moonrocks, the main act, must be aware of the connection themselves. Before they even hit the stage, I caught a quiet moment through one of the windows into the upstairs green room, the band huddled together, heads tilted, arms around each other’s shoulders. What must feel like a somber last bit of peace before the night really begins.
Their crowd work was constant and sharp. Early in their set they laid out a rule, “If you stop clapping, we’ll stop the music—and you don’t want that, do you?” I don’t think anyone tested that the rest of the night. Everyone was clapping in rhythm, building that percussive roar in the gaps between beats. Hands stayed up, louder and louder, until it felt like the room had a second drum kit made out of palms.
Midway through their set, Fox, the drummer, tipped his cowboy hat toward a few particularly lucky ladies on stage left, a tiny gesture that lands huge in a room this size. Further showcasing his charm and what has helped them flourish on social media. Later, between songs, he led the entire crowd into an adorable “Happy Birthday” for his dad, Eric, who came out with cake and candles like it was a living room instead of one of L.A.’s most hallowed stages.
They also debuted an unreleased song that is a future highlight on their next album, which I’m sure is coming soon. It was a first-listen crowd pleaser: hooky, confident, built to be shouted back. The room latched onto it instantly. After that, they cracked the room open even wider with a cover of Green Day’s “Basket Case.” You could feel everything loosen up as soon as it started, like the band and the crowd met each other at the same exact frequency.
Their blend of alternative rock and sad-country storytelling has built a loyal fan base, and for good reason. A combination that hits two different nerves at once: the gut-punch honesty of country writing and the loud, physical release of rock. One minute you’re catching a lyric that feels a little too specific, the next you’re being shoved into motion by a chorus that begs for your attention. That push and pull is what makes it feel like they’ve got something for everyone. Even in a room as packed as the Troubadour, their songs found space to breathe.
The crowd wasn’t shy about wanting more. When the set ended, people didn’t immediately turn toward the exits or start checking their phones. They stayed planted, cheering and shouting for an encore, like the night was still unfinished.
At the Troubadour, where the room is small enough to feel every reaction in real time, you could hear how badly people wanted the band to come back out: one more song, one more moment, one more reason to keep the walls singing.
At the end of the evening, it felt like a co-bill: two bands adding heat in different ways, back to back, no dips. Walking out into the night, I kept thinking about those Troubadour walls; tonight, Girl Tones and Dexter and the Moonrocks added their voices to the echoes from a room that’s been singing for decades.
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Dexter and the Moonrocks and Girl Tones Light Up The Troubadour in Sold-Out Los Angeles Show
