Review: Dreamer Boy and the Lonestars End Summer in America Tour in LA
☆ BY Faith Luevanos ☆
Photos By Santiago Warren
As a fan of Zach Taylor, AKA Dreamer Boy since 2018, I was highly looking forward to seeing his progression as an artist at his final show of tour at The Troubadour in Los Angeles. From his very first album, Love, Nostalgia to his newest, Lonestar, I knew it would be incredible to see.
Over the years, his music has evolved from a blend of indie/R&B to indie twang. He’s paired this new era of music with unique and authentic visuals and looks, whether it’s by painting his face as a rodeo clown or perfectly encapsulating the feeling of the American cowboy - a complete 180 from his past years.
The show started with a slow, yet energy-building instrumental as the members of his band one by one made their way onto the stage. As the crowd anticipated his arrival, the lights came up as he sauntered his way down the side stairs to join his band on stage. Rodeo clown face paint and all - the show began. The energy from the first song started to build, and you could noticeably see the crowd’s curiosity as to what was going to happen next. As the show poster stated: “Come and witness the demise of the rodeo clown.”
When he made his way into his song, “Heartbreaker”, that’s when the crowd finally started to relax a little bit and started really jumping around and dancing. Being one of the more popular tracks on the new album, fans were singing along and having the best time with their groups. Something that makes this album stand out significantly for me is the feeling of nostalgia that it brings, it’s the perfect soundtrack for some sort of coming of age movie. It pulls at your heart strings, makes you want to jump around, and is the missing piece that you never knew you lost to begin with.
Something that was really heartwarming to see was the group of friends in front of me who never stopped dancing the entire show and knew practically every word to the songs. You could tell the show became a core memory for them, which is what every artist hopes to give to their fans at shows. It was clear to see which era of Taylor’s music stuck with different fans, and it was lovely to always hear the words being sung back to him.
A huge moment that I wanted to shine a light on was the instrumental section during the song, “Mud”. Taylor’s band rose to the occasion to make the instruments rise and crash in a poetic way that told the story of the song even without vocals included. The band was so in sync with each other, each member knew just the right time to contribute their talents to enhance the song.
I admired Taylor’s resilience during the show for sticking through a couple of technical difficulties that you would think would have hindered the performance, but the slight mishaps enhanced the performance in a way. It created transparency between fan and artist, while also contributing to the concept of “the demise of the rodeo clown.”
Throughout the show, Taylor’s stage presence was engaging and genuine. His humbleness and gratitude towards his fans shone through his performance which made it feel like a gathering of friends rather than a typical show. The crowd was kind to one another, their appreciation as well as Taylor’s constantly reciprocated.
Truly a one of a kind artist, Dreamer Boy stands out as a beacon of authenticity and artistic integrity. His performance at The Trouabdour was a testament to his talent and potential, leaving fans eagerly anticipating what he’ll create next. The show not only felt like a showcase of music, but also an intimate, shared experience that resonated deeply with everyone present. Unfortunately, this was the last night of the Summer in America tour, but make sure to stay connected to find out when he’ll be playing next!
