Beach Bunny @ House of Blues 4/27
Photography by Holly Gustavsen
Review by Caterina Terrizzi
I stepped into the indie-pop world of Beach Bunny on their 2025 “Tunnel Vision” Tour this past Sunday, where I felt transported back to my indie-kid-teenage-angst era of 2020. This Chicago-based band began releasing EPs and singles in 2015, and broke through in 2020 on TikTok with hits such as “Prom Queen,” “Sports,” and “Cloud 9.” The band’s sound is characterized by musically upbeat yet lyrically downbeat characteristics, where Lili Trifilio, the lead singer, translates teenage angst and disappointment into relatable hits, accompanied by drummer Jon Alvarado and guitarist Anthony Vaccaro.
The whole show, I felt like I was looking through a pair of pink-tinted heart sunglasses, which were available for sale at the merch table in the back. The audience was filled with a sea of these heart sunglasses, pink tennis skirts, and, of course, bunny ears. Across the stage everything was pink and pastel, from the set to Trifilio’s outfit and pink bedazzled guitar (a personal favorite). These visual details solidified the band’s commitment to a soft-indie aesthetic, which can be seen across their album artwork and merchandise consistently. This gave the whole show a melodic feel, where fans could nod along with the music, almost as if being in a trance.
Despite the melodic feel and indie tunes, this show had a surprising amount of moshing and crowd surfing. This may have been accounted for by Trifilio’s shirt, which read “Pit Mommy,” and the fact that in nearly every song, she encouraged the floor section to split apart and create a mosh pit. I joined the mosh pit for only a couple songs, and it was one of the most memorable experiences I’ve had being in general admission. The demographic of people moshing ranged a variety of ages, from teenagers to middle-aged adults. There even seemed to be some parents in the mix, as there were plenty of younger fans attending the show with their whole family. While it did become a little chaotic, it was really fun and I can understand Trifilio’s enthusiasm for it. In addition to this, there were many in the pit attempting to crowd surf, despite the venue’s security constantly pulling them down. These different elements added excitement to the show, as concert-goers could stand off to the side and enjoy the music or join in on the mosh excitement.
Although this particular tour was for their newest album, “Tunnel Vision,” their setlist covered fan favorites across their whole discography. They opened their show with “Cloud 9,” a feel-good track describing the feeling of being loved by someone. This one was a crowd pleaser, as it’s one of their most popular songs, and nearly everyone in the audience was singing along. Following this, they sang a mix of songs from “Honeymoon,” “Emotional Creature,” and “Tunnel Vision.”
Out of the twenty one songs on the setlist, nine were from their newest album, which came out two days before the show. This made it more difficult for audience members to sing along to these particular songs. However, the new songs highlighted Trfiilio’s voice, as well as Alvarado and Vaccaro’s musical skills. The show ended with “Prom Queen,” where almost every audience member was singing along. In all, this show twisted together indie-pop hits, soft pastels, and moshing in a truly unique display. While some attended the show to bring back their 2020 “indie kid” days, others came to mosh and just have a good time. As the band wraps up the East Coast portion of their tour, they continue on to the Midwest and West Coast, spreading their indie-pop hits throughout the US.