Kamila De La Fuente
Assistant Editor
Bad Suns, an alternative, indie rock band from Woodland Hills, did not hold back any heat in their debut glass shattering performance of their latest tour on Monday at the Glass House in Pomona.
The Los Angeles native band is composed of four members: Christo Bowman, Gavin Bennett, Ray Libby, and Miles Morris. The ensemble began headlining their tour on Monday in Pomona and will end on Nov. 12 in Las Vegas.
The tour is in support of their latest album “Apocalypse Whenever.” The opening act, Quarters of Change, is a band from New York City. Additional backup throughout the entirety of the show from the Last Dinosaurs, an Australian indie rock band.
The doors opened at 6 p.m., and downtown Pomona took on a different role on a Monday night – as it carried a calm serenity for a moment.
Before I knew it, the line began to grow as people lined up to get their wristbands from will call.
The venue was packed with all kinds of fans, from leather skirts to cutouts to laceless converse and a seemingly fitting aesthetic as people situated themselves around the stage.
The stage is in the vast corner with four lights across each side of it, in the middle the soaring centerpiece, a Bad Suns logo in the heart of the stage. Upstairs, a balcony view provides a full panoramic view and an opportunity to get free stickers and buy concert merchandise not limited to tote bags, clothing, lighters and more.
Brandon “Primz” Morales, the tour manager for Quarters of Change, said merchandise sales are already booming on day one. He said it looks like several upcoming shows are going to be sold out, following Monday’s high turnout.
“The whole tour party is very nice, I’m super excited for the rest of the tour,” Morales said. “It is gonna be a great one.”
As the lights dimmed and fans began to cheer, the opening act Quarters of Change warmed up the audience with their electric energy, gyrating to the beat, cracking a joke to the audience between sets.
The lighting in the venue was spectacular in combination with Ben Roter’s elastic groove as he belted out music on his guitar to the insatiable energy of lead singer of Bad Suns. Bowman captivated the audience to sing along, engaging with fans effortlessly.
“I love the Glass House,” Mia Biedebach, a photographer at the event, said. “I personally think the lighting was the coolest part of the venue.”
Biedebach is a big fan of both Bad Suns and Quarters of Change, and was really excited to be invited to come shoot for them. Her favorite Bad Suns tune is “Rear View”.
Bowman took me by surprise as he did a cover of the song “There She Goes” by Sixpence None The Richer to lead fans into the fan favorite from the album, Disappear Here, “Off She Goes.”
“This song is about falling in love,” Bowman said to the audience as the tune of “Swimming in the Moonlight” began to flood their ears.
“This is my first time seeing Bad Suns live in concert,” said Petra Cruz, an audience member and resident of Pomona. “I started listening to them in 2016, so I’m really excited to be here and be hearing their new album on the premiere tour date.”
The roar of the audience as everybody sang along to Bad Suns’ No.1 song, “Daft Pretty Boys,” was mesmerizing. Between the lighting and crowd engagement, effortlessly knowing the words, time stood still.
“Bad Suns is one of my favorite bands of all time,” Destiny Dominguez, publicist for Quarters of Change, said.
Dominguez, a ULV alumna, said she was lucky to represent Quarters of Change and open for Bad Suns. Her favorite song by Bad Suns is “Heartbreaker”.
As the concert came to a close, lead vocalist Bowman said goodnight and disappeared into the woodwork of the Bad Suns golden logo center stage, leaving us wanting more.
“You didn’t think we were going to leave you high and dry?” said Bowman, as the electric ensemble came on for one final set, before fading into the night.
Kamila K. De La Fuente can be reached at kamila.delafuente@laverne.edu.
Kamila K. De La Fuente, a senior creative writing and journalism major with a concentration in print and online journalism, is a staff writer for the Campus Times.
Natalie Medrano, a junior photography major, is the Fall 2022 photography editor for the Campus Times and a staff photographer for La Verne Magazine.
