Prepare to be swept away by San Diego’s surf-rock sensation, Sun Room! Pittsburgh’s beloved Mr. Smalls Theater came alive this past September as Sun Room hit the stage for their Fall Tour. With a strong lineup including opener Sports Team, the show was bound to be memorable.
Over the past few years, I had heard about Sun Room many times, but never really dove into their discography. Their vibe, reminiscent of the cheerful tunes I’ve been loving lately—music that practically begs to be blasted with the windows down—drew me in. I couldn’t ignore the similarities with Foxtide, a San Diego band I’d caught live a while back. So when I saw that they were stopping in Pittsburgh, I had a feeling I needed to be there.
At the show, the crowd waited with anticipation in the moments before the band came on stage. There was a wave of chatter across the room– people were discussing what song they thought the band would open with, their favorite songs that they hoped to hear, and were talking and making friends with those around them. Suddenly, the lights went down and everyone dropped what they were discussing and began to cheer.
Throughout Sunroom’s set, it was evident that the band had a love for “feel-good” music. With a sunny, beachy vibe in many of their songs, and a bunch of Beach Boys-like “wooos” and “ooos,” I was instantly hooked. While I do love a sad, sappy song, it’s always great to find music that brings joy instead!
In the middle of the show, the band played a new single that they announced is coming out soon. It was upbeat and had heavy drums, making it a great song for dancing. Right away, the song had the crowd jumping even though they had never heard it until then. This is not an easy feat, particularly when the crowd does not know the song and the diehard fans haven’t memorized the words yet. I am excited to listen to the song again once it is released- it was a total banger!
One of the things I really noticed about Sun Room was their strong vocals and musicality. The backup vocals were solid, and in between each song, the band played little jam sessions that helped the show flow from song to song more fluidly. I also saw that the drummer, Thomas Rhodes, liked to hit his drums hard- he was really giving all of his energy to the performance! In addition to their great music, they also had a great stage design, with a large sun backdrop and lots of red lighting to accent it. Towards the end of the show, there were even more flashing lights that brought an extra liveliness to the atmosphere.
As the show came to an end, the entire crowd was bubbling with the energy that Sun Room’s performance provided. You could tell that no one wanted the show to be over yet, but they were glad that they got to experience it. I’d say that I was a part of that group of people because, after the show, I truly understood how much I liked and appreciated Sun Room’s music.
If you haven’t checked out Sun Room, I would highly suggest it. I have a strong feeling that they are going to continue to rise and grow into one of the next biggest bands.
Review by Ella Donovan (@elladxnovan) and photos by Lewis Evans and Caroline Zeeman.
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