Concert Recap: Cardinal Bloom at 29th Street Ballroom

Indie-rock band Cardinal Bloom performed at Emo’s on Oct. 23 with support from indie-folk band The Band Solstice.

Photos by Aivy Whitworth

Jackson Fraizer, lead guitarist for independent indie-rock quintet The Band Solstice, opens with “Freaking Out’’ from the band’s self-titled album The Band Solstice.

Lead singer Marty Gee of The Band Solstice grins at the audience before performing ‘’Overpass’’: “I traveled the country with my band / The dog’s out the window taking the sun.’’

Lead bassist Maddox Frazier of The Band Solstice strums along to hit single “Mile Dive’’: “Somewhere down the road lies my fears / Lies my tears.’’

The Band Solstice trades guitar riffs beneath a wash of blue and red lights while covering Radiohead’s track “Weird Fishes/Arpeggi.”

Cardinal Bloom, a four-piece indie pop-rock band from Salt Lake City, Utah, kicks off the night with melodic guitar riffs from “12:30.”

Lead vocalist and guitarist Joey St. John sings and strums “So Sweet” from Cardinal Bloom’s latest album The Only Place I’ve Ever Known to an eager audience.

Guitarist Josh Thomas’ hair flips with the rhythm as he passionately performs “Somewhere to Hide”: “What time should I come over? / Do you think that you really know her? / On and on and on, you play the same old song.”

Cardinal Bloom combines indie rock with folk and pop to produce emotionally charged vocals during “Lovely.’’

Drummer Nate Adair keeps the beat for the band through “Burn the House’’ with heavy bass.

Members of Cardinal Bloom play in sync beneath vibrant stage lights, delivering an energetic live performance of “It’s Alright.’’

St. John sings “Sunday Afternoon” into the microphone as the band delivers its guitar-driven sound: “Whisper in my ear / I wanna move far from here.”

Lights illuminate around Thomas as he performs ‘’Under the Oak Tree’’ for the lively Austin crowd.

St. John locks into the rhythm as the band moves through “Nothing Stays the Same” from The Only Place I’ve Ever Known.

Thomas crouches over his pedalboard, adjusting his effects during “Love Will Find a Way.’’