Review: INOHA @ Brighton Music Hall 11/8

Photo credit: Jacob Glombowski

Review by Maaya O’Flaherty

Boston’s Brighton Music Hall shook under the weight of explosive enthusiasm as INOHA took the stage Saturday night. The San Antonio-based band, whose name is an acronym for In Need of Her Affection, may be early in its career, but from the first guitar riff, it was clear they already knew how to drive a crowd’s energy up. Formed in 2023, INOHA blends pop-punk, indie rock, and surf rock into a sound that feels both nostalgic and new. The band is composed of lead singer and rhythm guitarist Keanu Bicol, bassist and vocalist Christian Young, drummer Ricky Juarez, and lead guitarist and vocalist Gavin Gonzalez. They stopped in Boston on their first U.S. headlining tour, following a U.K. run two months earlier. The tour promotes their whole discography, including their newest EP “Chance 2 Dance,” released in May 2025, as well as their debut album “ALOHA INOHA” and their debut EP “The Next Stop.”

After opening sets from Slow Joy and Worry Club built an electric base layer of energy through mosh pits and nonstop jumping, the lights dimmed to a crimson glow. When Usher’s “DJ Got Us Fallin’ in Love” blasted through the speakers, fans immediately recognized the nod to the Minecraft parody “Revenge,” shouting references to the band’s own parody track “Seventh Mineshaft.” The moment perfectly set the tone for the night as INOHA stepped onto the stage: chaotic, fun, and self-aware.

The band opened with “Murder at the Peach Tree,” a track that starts slow before accelerating into a whirlwind of guitar and drums.  Red lights pulsed as Bicol’s voice climbed into the chorus, and Gonzalez’s guitar drove the tempo to a near-frenzy. Without pause, they launched into “Naomi,” introducing themselves with the song the band called “INOHA in a nutshell.” The first chord progression sent the room bouncing, and fans chanted “Hey!” on every downbeat. During the last chorus, Gonzalez leaned into his microphone, shouting “Your turn – nice and loud!” as the crowd belted back “Naomi’s got me always coming down” until the song ended.

The energy only intensified with “Bullet Boy,” where Young stepped to the center of the stage for the bass intro, giving the track a punchier live edge than the studio version, and the crowd chanted on rhythm. “Biggest Salmon” slowed the tempo slightly, but by the end, the music built to a crescendo, the energy never dipping. The set’s first surprise came with “Cabaret,” when Gonzalez took over lead vocals. His raspy vocals drew cheers as he led the crowd through a call-and-response singalong that turned the intimate venue into a choir of “oohs.”

One of the most memorable moments of the night came with the debut of a new, unreleased song, “Madness.” Its raw emotion and reflective tone showcased the band’s versatility, and fans stood captivated as Bicol’s voice carried through the hush of the crowd. But the softened pace didn’t last long. “Papaya Man,” a crowd favorite from “ALOHA INOHA,” reignited the chaos.  When Bicol sang the lyric “Food,” the audience shouted the ad-lib “Ain’t cheap!” in unison.  Young turned to Gonzalez mid-song and asked, “Hey Gavin, do you know where the Papaya Man is?”  Gonzalez grinned and replied without missing a beat: “In Boston!”  The audience roared before the two turned to each other and sang alternating lines.

INOHA’s chemistry was effortless, their humor constant. At one point, Gonzalez got the crowd chanting “PBR” until their manager delivered him a beer on stage. Another time, Bicol came into the sea of the audience to dance. Later, during “Imitate” from “Chance 2 Dance,” Bicol orchestrated the crowd like a conductor: “To the left! To the right! Now hands in the air like you just don’t care! Jump!” The room obeyed, jumping in synchrony on his command. The band’s pure playfulness turned the performance into something more than a concert; it felt like a shared inside joke between musicians and fans. Even slower songs, like “Fire in the Sun,” featured moments of intimacy and musicianship, particularly during Gonzalez’s emotive guitar solo. While “Saturday Nights” turned into a thematic highlight, fittingly performed on a Saturday, with Bicol asking, “What day is it?” and the audience shouting back the answer.

The night’s momentum peaked with “Seventh Heaven,” the band’s most popular track and an undeniable highlight. The band pushed the audience to “Mosh and crowd-surf, respectfully!” Bicol drew out the opening note for nearly 10 seconds before yelling “Boston!” on the explosive drop. The floor shook. The entire venue screamed the lyrics. Juarez stood to drum. The rest of the band danced and jumped around, and the opening bands rushed back onto stage to join the chaos and splashed water over the crowd during the chorus. The end of the song seamlessly transitioned into “Trips,” ending with synchronized headbanging from everyone.

As the venue neared curfew, Bicol joked, “We don’t have time for one more song… We have time for three!” The closing stretch was pure celebration. “ALUCARDA,” the first song INOHA ever released, featured a surprise twist of Gonzalez and Juarez switching instruments “for the first and last time ever,” according to Gonzalez. The novelty didn’t slow them down; if anything, it turned the performance into a victory lap, capped by Bicol’s blistering guitar solo. They ended with “The Tide,” a closer that felt like a deep breath after an hour of controlled mayhem.

INOHA may still be a young band, but their stage presence suggests otherwise. They didn’t just perform; they interacted, teased, and responded, keeping the room alive in every quiet break and crashing drop. The show moved fast, but nothing about it felt rushed. Each transition, each joke, each shouted lyric carried the confidence of a band that understands its audience. INOHA’s mix of humor, talent, and unfiltered charm made their Boston stop unforgettable.