Review: Declan McKenna concludes U.S. leg of ‘Zeros’ tour with a bang — literally
Rating: ★★★★½
What I anticipated to be a concert full of unfamiliar fans — myself included (though I hate to admit it) — ended up being quite the opposite. “Brazil” singer Declan McKenna made his final stop on the U.S. leg of his “Zeroes” tour this past Thursday at Warehouse Live here in Houston. The night began with confused fans packed into a separate part of the venue because “soundcheck was taking longer than expected,” and concluded with fans cheering as McKenna completely demolished his guitar on stage during the final song in his set, “British Bombs.”
McKenna’s opening act was originally announced as Annie Dirusso, but she was not the opening act for the Houston show. Instead, a band by the name of Casino AM stumbled onto the Warehouse Live stage last minute and played their set — a compilation of songs which I do not recall (and which I’m pretty confident were primarily covers). Casino AM, at least according to their Spotify page, is a relatively new band “fresh out of Austin, Texas.” As for their set, I found it relatively unamusing; there was nothing particularly exciting or “fresh” about their style, but hopefully their future projects contradict that. After all, they only have three songs.
After much anticipation, McKenna finally took the stage at around 9:30 p.m. He began his set from behind the stage, with a brief cover of The Beatles’ “With a Little Help From My Friends,” (a pleasant surprise for fans). Finally, McKenna walked out and jumped straight into the first song of his sophomore album, “You Better Believe!!!” — an energetic and wonderfully fitting first tune to mark the tour’s end. He proceeded to sing “Zeroes,” the album after which the tour was named, in its entirety as he’d promised via his Instagram story earlier that day.
As someone who (shamefully so) had only listened to the first six tracks two days before the show, hearing “Zeroes” live and in its entirety was incredibly exhilarating. The audience was crammed together like sardines in a can, but the experience was borderline religious — partially because of how lovely the energy was, and partially because people had their hands outstretched in the air like they were worshiping McKenna. I guess they were.
The most chilling moment (in the best possible way) of the night was definitely hearing the opening chords to “Brazil.” Yes, this is McKenna’s most popular song — on TikTok and in general — but nevertheless, hearing the song live made for a wonderful full-circle moment for fans both new and old.
All in all, McKenna put on an unforgettable show with palpable energy from the singer and the crowd. If this is him tired, as he claimed in an Instagram post earlier that day, I cannot imagine what kind of performance we would’ve witnessed if he’d been well-rested. To redeem myself for not being familiar with his music, I am now in the process of exploring the ins and outs of a terribly slept-on discography.
Oh, and I also had the incredible opportunity of meeting him after the show. I hope that, per my suggestion, he got to try Whataburger: he deserves it.
More from The Rice Thresher
Study Abroad Photo Contest spotlights global experiences
For the first time since the Covid-19 pandemic, students gathered in the Ley Student Center to celebrate global experiences through photography.
Review: "The Crux" Should Redefine Djo
Joe Keery’s work has been boiled down to Steve Harrington from “Stranger Things,” but this label shouldn’t define his 10 years in the entertainment industry. Keery, under his stage name “Djo", is the voice behind the TikTok hit “End of Beginning,” which was released with his album “DECIDE” in 2022 and climbed the charts for the first time in 2024. With “The Crux”, Keery’s third album, he tries to separate his work as Djo and an actor, evidenced by the album’s visual of Keery escaping a building.
Review: “Lonely People With Power” merges blackgaze fury with dreamy introspection
Fifteen years into a storied career that’s crisscrossed the boundaries of black metal and shoegaze, Deafheaven has found a way to once again outdo themselves. “Lonely People With Power” feels like a triumphant return to the band’s blackgaze roots, fusing massive walls of guitar-driven sound with whispery dream-pop interludes, recalling their classic album trio of the 2010s (“Sunbather,” “New Bermuda” and “Ordinary Corrupt Human Love”). It also bears the learned refinements of “Infinite Granite,” the 2021 album where they dabbled more boldly in cleaner vocals and atmospheric passages.
Please note All comments are eligible for publication by The Rice Thresher.