The Beaches @ Roadrunner 9/24

Photo credit: Meg Moon

Review by Sophie Maloney

Is there anything more vulnerable than saying too much? Is the discomfort of showing one’s cards worth the intimacy that may follow? This battle between relief and regret is the backdrop behind The Beaches’ new album “No Hard Feelings,” that they are currently touring. On Wednesday night at the glossy Roadrunner, they made their Boston stop, playing a sold-out show to old and new fans alike. They united everyone in the universal act of oversharing, emphasizing the empowerment that comes with standing behind the things one says, for better or worse.

The Beaches are a Canadian rock band, fronted by Jordan Miller, whose performance can only be described as lethal as she commanded the audience effortlessly through stage presence and raw vocals. Rounding out the band is Kylie Miller on guitar, Leandra Earl on guitar and keys, and Eliza Enman-McDaniel on drums, each a talented musician in their own right, with Kylie Miller and Leandra Earl entertaining the crowd with synchronized jumps and spins while playing, and Eliza Enman-McDaniel holding down the beat all night. The band’s chemistry as lifelong friends was palpable. Their bond made the performance feel like they were laying out intimate instances among friends in an effort to come from a place of understanding of both self and each other. They kicked off the night with “Last Girls at The Party,” which was just featured in the Disney film “Freakier Friday.” The energy was infectious and had the crowd dancing and singing along from the very first word. 

Throughout the show, they played voicemails from different band members introducing the next songs. In these voicemails, the audience was given a glimpse into conversations that inspired the music. One was a plea to keep exes blocked, another involved confronting a cheating past lover, and one was as simple as stating to “touch grass” when feeling unhinged. Special highlights included Kylie Miller thanking the audience and the city at large, noting, “Some of our most important shows are here in Boston,” and shouting out their 2023 Boston Calling set in particular. Miller also introduced “Can I Call You in the Morning,” a self-described crash-out song. The chorus acts as a word vomit, with the singer bursting at the seams to reveal their true emotions as they declare to the other person, “I hate your old friends, I hate your new friends, I hate that you’re just like them.”

Another poignant moment came from Earl, opening up about her coming out journey for the song “Lesbian of the Year,” a ballad about discovering her sexuality later in life that includes winks to queer culture by mentioning going to Tegan of lesbian pop duo Tegan and Sara for advice. Throughout the song, Earl reckons with two truths: feeling like she missed out by not understanding such a massive part of her identity up until now; and second, hopeful that one day she may be the person she needed to see while growing up. As an audience, it was a connecting moment, one that offered emotional release and solidarity. The Beaches got fans involved in getting things off their chests by asking the audience if there was a time that they might have “said too much.” People raised their hands high until Miller invited one fan onto the stage to share this moment with the audience. The fan said she told her now fiancée that she loved her on the second date, causing the audience to cheer, ruling it as her not saying too much. The band then hugged her and played their melancholy alt-rock song “Did I say too Much.” 

After playing songs off their new album like “Jocelyn” (inspired by Miller’s uneasiness about being a role model for young girls) and “Takes One to Know One,” as well as familiar fan favorites like “Edge of the Earth” and “Grow Up Tomorrow,” they ended the show with an electrifying rendition of their hit “Blame Brett,” an unapologetic anthem about being damaged after a bad breakup. It was completed with a call and response chant of “blame my ex” with Miller and the crowd. After leaving the stage, they returned after a few minutes for their encore which included “Sorry for Your Loss,” a guitar-heavy tune about the gratification of knowing an ex regrets ending things (or at least hoping they do). They ended the night with a “Last Girls at the Party” reprise, serving as a full-circle moment as the crowd was truly the last girls at the party, overstaying their welcome. However, in true The Beaches fashion, taking yourself and the rules too seriously is not encouraged. Instead, freely celebrating the messy moments of life, in good company is embraced, and that is exactly where they left the crowd.