The Drums Put on a Magical Show in Houston

On July 21, 2023, The Drums gave an amazing performance in the Downstairs room at White Oak Music Hall. The night was full of high energy and was opened up by artist, Cold Hart.

Opening the show was Jerick Quilisadio, an alternative-hip-hop singer more widely known by his artist name, Cold Hart. His performance was accompanied by his good friend and musician, Yawns. From the moment the two hit the stage, the audience became electric. From songs like, “Get Dressed” and “Every Day’s a Day,” they kept the crowd jumping and even showed off a few of his own dance moves.

Hart sang his newest song, “Candlelight Pt.2” and other songs off of his album with Yawns, Good Morning Cruel World. When his set was coming to an end, the singer asked the crowd to shine their flashlights and he began to sing a stripped-down version of “8 Days.” The song made the crowd sway as they created a sea of lights. A few flames could be spotted as some crowd members held up lighters as well. Hart overall gave a great performance that ended with “big city blues,” a song the artist is featured on with late rapper, Lil Peep.

After his last song, he asked the crowd one final question:

Are you guys ready to see The Drums? I said, are you guys ready to see The Drums?!?

Cold Hart to the audience

This question lead to an eruption of cheers that could be heard from outside the venue. That’s when the lights dimmed to a low pink tone, and Hart exited the stage as anticipation for the final act arose.

Around 9:15 pm, indie-rock singer Jonny Pierce, best known as The Drums, took the stage. He began with “Are U F****d,” a song from the 2017 album, Abysmal Thoughts. The deep bass line of the song, the tone on the guitar, and the cool demeanor of Pierce started the performance with a chill, almost mysterious vibe that kept the audience eager to see what would follow.

Up next was a mix of upbeat songs from different albums such as Portamento, and the self-titled album, The Drums. Songs like, “Best Friend” and “What You Were” got the crowd and artist dancing.

The energy was felt from the beginning of the night, but things really kicked off when “Let’s Go Surfing” was sung. From Pierce’s voice to the flashing spotlights that moved along with the fast tempo, there was an immense sense of joy created. It was felt throughout the entire room. After the song concluded, the crowd exhibited this joy by cheering and clapping for minutes before chanting the singer’s name.

Jonny, Jonny, Jonny!

Audience

This special moment between the audience and the artist brought smiles all around the venue. He then shared a sentiment with the crowd, which deepened the connection between him and his Houston fans:

There has been no other time where I’ve been in Houston and experienced the magic between me and you that I feel tonight.

Jonny Pierce to the audience

Followed by a few more cheers, Pierce also took a minute to explain his upcoming album, Jonny. He shared that the album was super special to him and is all about learning to love his sadness. He then played two new songs off of the project, “Plastic Envelope” and “Protect Him Always.”

Pierce continued the show with a few more lively songs before slowing things down with a beautiful live rendition of a mix of three songs: “I Hope Time Doesn’t Change Him,” “I Wanna Go Back” and “Down By the Water.” He then performed one or two more songs before ending his set with, “Money.” When the song concluded, he thanked Houston for the night and left the stage.

Not long after he left, the audience was anxiously hoping there would be an encore. After about 30 seconds of the crowd asking for one more song, the singer came back out with a two-song encore. He sang the popular hit, “I Don’t Know How to Love” and “I Want it All.” Knowing these were his last songs for the night, the crowd shouted every word of the songs. When the songs came to an end, there was one last roar of applause. The liveliness of the fans and the singer ended the performance on an extremely high note.