Texas is the Reason just finished out a scattering of reunion shows leading up to their appearance at Best Friends Forever Fest in Vegas. I had the pleasure of catching their performance at The Observatory in Orange County with support from Ted Leo (sans The Pharmacists) and Dallas solo artist, Slow Joy.
The room began to fill up as Esteban Flores took the stage with his bandmates to fill out the solo project he deems Slow Joy. The authenticity in his performance was felt, and I wish the crowd had been more receptive. He melds together alt-rock and emo to produce a sound booming with honesty. The audience didn't seem very lively. Maybe it was the middle-of-the-week slump or the results of an aging fanbase, but even calls for cheers for Texas is the Reason resulted in a dull response.
When the time came for Ted Leo to take the stage, the crowd was still passive. Ted Leo's one-man show was oozing lots of passion and energy, but even he couldn't liven up the crowd. He took a moment to acknowledge the "tough crowd" and recognize that he was aware that it wasn't his job to "win" the onlookers over. The notable fan favorites "The High Party" and "Where Have All the Rude Boys Gone" weren't getting the job done. A cover of Agnostic Front's "Power" got someone on the floor a little excited. Even the hail-mary cover of "Bonzo Goes to Bitburg" wasn't enough to get the crowd to wake up.
Texas is the Reason walked out to cheers and excitement. The audience was alive again. The attendees were bobbing and shifting as the band ran through "every song [they] know," which consisted of the entirety of their full-length, Do You Know Who You Are?, including the bonus tracks from the re-release, and topped it off with a cover of Sugar's "Changes" with help from Ted Leo. The crowd seemed to be more responsive to Ted Leo this time around.
Texas is the Reason didn't waste time walking off just to walk back out for an encore. Instead, they opted to stay on the stage and keep playing through their last two tracks of the night. The band seemed to be having a blast celebrating 30 years together. Who knows if they'll be heading back into hibernation or if they'll ever come back if they do? They have a couple more shows lined up supporting Jawbreaker and their own headlining show in December in their hometown of New York City. Show up and give them all the love and appreciation you can muster.
