Show Review: Deniz Love, Winona Forever, and The Irons at the Secret Group

Deniz Love, Winona Forever, and The Irons play an unforgettable show that knocked our socks off!

Deniz Love started off the show strong with some bangers. The band found each other in Houston and now they’re currently touring across the country. The singer, Deniz, actually went to the University of Houston! I got the chance to talk to him after the show and he thanked us for coming out. During his set, Deniz, interacted with the crowd and really let loose up on the stage. He was confident and belonged up there in the spotlight. I’m excited to see where his music career will go! The band played a couple of new songs off their album, “All Waves Pass.” I would recommend giving the album a listen. He was a great opener for a great night. The venue, The Box at The Secret Group, was so small and intimate, it was amazing! The show was unforgettable.

Next, the Irons entered the stage to a futuristic galaxy girl voice introduction. From the beginning, I knew that their set was going to be an experience. They were fun and very energetic. They got the crowd to move together as one. The singer, Hayden, mentioned that this was his first time in Houston. Hopefully, we gave him a night to remember. I think it was the cowboy hat, that he was wearing, that really topped off their performance. They sounded great live, and they interacted with the crowd. The band members actually jumped out into the audience to crowd surf!

The Irons stole the show midset when the drummer, Nathan, got on the mic and started to sing, “Life is a Highway” from the Cars movie. He went ballistic, and when I say this, I mean he went completely insane. By the end of the song, he was bleeding from his arm. Then the band slowed the tempo and played their song, “Goodbye Too Soon.” During this song, the crowd came together and linked arms and swayed. This was such a beautiful moment. These moments are what makes small concerts so great, you get to interact with the artists on stage and the people around you. Later in their set, the drummer came back on the mic and sang, “Baby” by Justin Bieber. He jumped into the crowd and was pushed up to the ceiling. He then began to swing from the ceiling while still singing the song! Talk about dedication to the craft. This was the best closer of any set that I’ve ever seen before. 

The last set was by Winona Forever. They were such a fun band to watch. I wasn’t sure if they were going to live up to The Irons, but they definitely held their own. They opened with one of my favorite songs, “Shrek-Chic.” This song is more upbeat than most of their other songs. People in the crowd started to jump around in excitement. Mid set the singer, Rowan, was given the iconic, The Irons cowboy hat. He threw it out into the crowd, and I caught it. I put it on and started to dance around to their song. This was my favorite part of their set. Most of their songs are chill, so it was nice to just listen and enjoy their sound. At the end of their set, the crowd asked for another song. The musicians were down, and the crowd went crazy for the last time and moshed around. After the show people were just hanging around and the musicians came out to talk to the crowd.

Small concerts are the best in my opinion – not only are the tickets affordable, but the intimate performances also create memorable experiences. Lucky for me, I was able to snag some posters from the band’s merch tables, which are now hanging high on my wall. The posters were torn from all the moshing, but it’s a great memory! Check out the bands Instagram’s: @denizlovemusic, @theironsband, and @winonaforeverband. And try and catch their next show in town!