On Monday, March 4, San Diego gave a warm welcome to Australian folk rock band The Paper Kites from a small, but nonetheless passionate, audience at The Observatory North Park. The band members, Dave Powys, Josh Bentley, Sam Bentley, Sam Rasmussen, Matt Dixon, Hannah Cameron, Christina Lacy, and Chris Panousakis, provided a dynamic experience and utilized a variety of instruments in each song. Every track on the setlist prompted an array of emotions, from eliciting a general sense of woe to the particular, reminiscent feeling of sitting on the porch on a summer evening with a glass of iced tea, anticipating I would find mosquito bites on my legs the next morning.
As one of the first seated shows The Paper Kites performed, it was a uniquely cozy and intimate experience for not only the crowd but for the band as well. We were introduced to Bella White, the opener, who immediately rendered a rustic, almost Don McLean vibe to her lyricism and soft country ambience. To set the tone for the show, she commented on the fact that she would be spilling all of her “juicy secrets” with us during her performance and that she has had the opportunity to hear all of The Paper Kites’ secrets, too, from this year’s setlist. It was evident that there were secrets in both of their works, and I felt more inclined to truly listen to the words and digest each song. I felt as though I was flipping through the pages of a diary of someone who has experienced love, loss, and yearning for a home they previously wanted to move far away from.
This year’s setlist primarily includes tracks from their latest album, “At The Roadhouse.” The concept derived from the band’s residency in Campbells Creek, Australia, a small town with a local bar they performed in, hoping to entertain a few people. By the end of the month however, they were at full capacity. Their 2024 tour was a great opportunity to showcase why this album reigns so close to home for them.
The first song on the tracklist, “Midnight Moon,” places us in that same bar, with ambient noise of laughter and passive conversation. We can visualize what it must have felt like for The Paper Kites to be rising to fame within this small town. “At The Roadhouse” begins with memories of confirmation that their music touched countless souls in a short amount of time.
The entire performance felt as though we were reliving moments in Campbells Creek. Not only were drinks being served to those who had the proper wristbands, giving the effect of a small town bar, but the entire atmosphere felt like a cup of hot apple cider in your favorite mug — warm, homey, and comforting. We were being taken on a journey through this small town in Australia with “Till the Flame Turns Blue.” The lyric “I wanna take you down that old street now, honey / And I want to make it just the same” is particularly touching. To my surprise, the band chose to divide the performance by splitting their setlist into two sets with an intermission in the middle, which eventually made sense considering they were about to make a stark transition.
That being said, the concert started out with all members seated, introducing us to some of their slower, more cherishable songs about Campbells Creek and leading up to their louder songs, with “June’s Stolen Car” serving as that rebellious change. Calling attention to their decision to follow the path to the roadhouse, Bentley belts, “It’s a long, long ride / To the next town boy / If you want to / Start something new,” a verse that makes one believe that all paths can lead to the place they’re meant to be if they trust that it can. This song and “Without Your Love” were the most fun parts of the concert before the band concluded with their most treasurable heartfelt ballads. “Bloom,” a song with over 550 million listens on Spotify, is one of those ballads that I think everyone can relate to. When performed live, the entire audience immediately joined in. Bentley even joked with the crowd, saying, “if you’re the few that don’t know the lyrics to this song, don’t sing along — you’ll just ruin the moment,” getting a laugh out of everyone.
I truly enjoyed the part of the concert when Bentley introduced everyone in the band with an immense amount of respect for what they do. Unique elements such as the banjo and pedal steel give the band that down-to-earth, distinguishable sound that they have. With copious praise from the audience, we got a great solo from Panousakis on the electric guitar, which led the audience to erupt with cheers, and I couldn’t help but record the moment. Another moment I thought was particularly special was when Bentley commended the lead of Big Thief for being one of the best songwriters out there. Following this, the band did a stunning rendition of “Anything” by Adrianne Lenker. After developing this emotional atmosphere, The Paper Kites unfortunately had to say goodnight to San Diego, concluding with “Darkness at My Door.”
Since this was my first time using a press pass, it was nice to bond with the photographer who I attended the concert with over what to do when we got there, where to sit, and who to talk to. After talking with a nice security woman about how we worked for The UCSD Guardian, she allowed us up on the VIP balcony, which gave us an excellent overview of the venue.
The Paper Kites put on an amazing and unforgettable concert that marked an important milestone for me. They also provided me with a plethora of new favorites from their latest album, “Black and Thunder” being one of them after hearing Rasmussen shred an electric guitar solo for a solid two minutes. It was a perfect concert to attend on a Monday night to get in a good mindset for the week ahead leading up to finals. If The Paper Kites come back to San Diego, I won’t hesitate to purchase a ticket to see them again.
Photos courtesy of Mila De La Torre for the UCSD Guardian
