Sweet Pill Bring Their Glow to the Paper Tiger in San Antonio, TX

Over the past several years, a new generation of artists has been reshaping the new era of emo music by pulling from post-hardcore, indie rock, and math rock without selling comfortably into any one genre. Among the most compelling names to emerge from the movement is Philadelphia’s own Sweet Pill. On Saturday, August 22nd, the five-piece brought their “Still There’s A Glow…Again” tour to the iconic Paper Tiger to celebrate the release of their sophomore album of the same name. Joining them were longtime friends Bike Routes and newly Philadelphia-based Deux Visages, giving the tour the feeling of a hometown gathering taken on the road.

Do you know that feeling when you can sense a band is on the verge of breaking through? I’m not claiming to have “music spidey-senses," but after seeing Katy Perry on Warped Tour before her big break, Paramore performing at small venues, and Catch Your Breath at local shows, I’ve learned to recognize when an artist appears to be headed for something bigger. Sweet Pill, Deux Visages, and Bike Routes collectively give me that same feeling.

I arrived at the St. Mary's Strip thirty minutes early to find free parking near the venue and make an early stop at the merch table before the first band went on.
It had been a while since I’d seen the sidewalks so crowded, but the Paper Tiger appeared to be hosting two shows that evening, with a hardcore act taking over the venue’s second stage. It was a cool sight to see the members of Deux Visages hanging out at their merch table, slinging merch and greeting their fans. By the time I reached the front of the merch line, Sweet Pill's tour shirts had already sold out. Luckily, there was a variety of pins, vinyl, and hoodies, and I managed to snag a lime green Still There's A Glow shirt, which unexpectedly fit the vibe of the black light atmosphere that the headliner would create later that night.

Slow synths broke the silence as Bike Routes kicked off the night with a moving performance of "Homeward Bound," which switched into the not-so-delicate song "Delicate," which warmed up the crowd and got many of us dancing and waving our hands side to side. This was my first time seeing the band live, and although I checked out their music on the drive over, I wasn't prepared for how heavily their songs hit with themes of existential dread, hope, anxiety, and the feeling of making your dreams come true. Reading this, you may chalk it up to "Oh, this sounds like doom and gloom"; however, once you learn their songs and lyrics, they have a beautiful way of making their music feel like a coming-of-age moment that reminds you that hope and better days are on the horizon. After hyping up the rest of the bands of the night and thanking everyone for showing up early, they finished their set with their popular song, "World Apart."

Bike Routes started out as a solo acoustic project by singer-songwriter David Osterhout back when he was in high school, writing songs in his bedroom for his friends to listen to and for the pure joy of writing music. Over time, his stripped-down songs became backed with a full band, and hometown shows turned into tours with the likes of The Wonder Years, Hawthorne Heights, and now Sweet Pill. Their new album Prairie is out now on all streaming platforms, and I highly recommend checking it out if you're into bands such as The Menzingers and The Front Bottoms.

By the time Deux Visages took the stage, the crowd packed the room from back to front and side to side. The room felt sweltering hot; however, if you go to the Paper Tiger often, you expect it to be a part of the night.

They performed many unreleased songs off of their new album that is set to release in November (keep an eye out for it!) with a few fan favorites, such as "Cheetah" and the newly released "Always You." Their music dances between sounds of indie garage rock, math rock, and shoegaze and honestly reminded me of a new age version of 80s and 90s bands such as the Pixies and The Cranberries.

Vocalist Daphney Hanono was full of energy on stage, and guitarist Jack Chio, bassist Tony Jouvin, and their touring drummer were smiling ear to ear throughout the entire set. This was their first time performing in San Antonio, and by the crowd's reaction to the music, I'm hoping this city becomes a frequent stop for them in the near future. Their stage presence, guitar rhythms, and energy are hypnotic, and even if you don't know the words to their songs, they'll leave you wanting more.

One of the highlights of their performance was when Sweet Pill's vocalist Zayna Youssef joined them on stage for a duet performance, sending the crowd into a frenzy. Audience members cheered and moved to the music, and there was even one person who attempted to crowd surf. What's the universal concert rule if someone falls down? You pick them back up! Deux Visages ended their set with "Tethered," and it's easy to say that they left a great impression with many fans heading straight over to their merch table as they walked offstage.

Between sets, the crowd shifted closer toward the stageuntil we were all standing shoulder to shoulder. I have been referred to a "short king" before, though I'd always questioned whether 5'9" was actually short. In that moment surrounded by people who were significantly taller than me, I finally accepted it. With my view of the stage almost completely blocked, I moved toward the back of the room. As much as I wanted to experience the headliner up close, I reminded myself that I was there on assignment, and standing near the bar would give me more room to work and place me conveniently close to the 10-gallon water dispenser, which felt essential in the sweltering heat.

By this time, the garage doors along the right side of the venue opened up, leading to a patio space with additional seating, giving everyone a place to catch their breath without missing the music. Beck's "The New Pollution" played through the speakers as the stage hands set up for the headliner, and once the house playlist switched to Nickelback's "How You Remind Me," the room turned into an impromptu singalong, with friends throwing their arms around one another as they belted out the chorus.

The dogs were barking for Sweet Pill as they took the stage lit by a theme of blue and green lights that had the band glowing through the entirety of their set. Shortly after embracing the crowd's applause, they dove right into a high-octane performance of "Sunblind." It was impossible not to notice how hard drummer Chris Kearney was going as he grooved through the song with fast, technical drum fills and rhythms. Sweet Pill showed no signs of slowing down as they led into "No Control."

"Let's give it up to our dear friends in Bike Routes. We grew up playing basement shows together. They're near and dear to our hearts, and check out the wonderful and great Deux Visages, another band we love and were able to become friends with. This is one big hometown show on the road for us." - Zayna Youssef

Across their 16-song set, Sweet Pill took us on an emotional rollercoaster while creating many memorable moments along the way. Jace and Sean played guitar behind each other's backs while playfully pretending to kiss, and one lucky fan was invited on stage to help finish "Blood." The band also called for a wall of death at the start of "Slow Burn," led the entire room through a mid-set stretch break, and convinced the crowd to pass a cake over to their sound person in celebration for their final night of tour.

Sweet Pill has carved out a sound entirely of their own, blending elements of indie rock, post-hardcore, emo, math rock, and pop punk. A few traces of bands like Circa Survive and Hail the Sun could be heard in their music, but trying to confine the band into any single genre feels almost impossible, and I wouldn't want it any other way. You could feel the raw intensity and emotion that goes into their songwriting, and the natural chemistry they share together on stage shows that they genuinely enjoy doing this day in to day out.

"I know most of us have reached the ripe and tender age of 30," Zayna said. "Some of you are older than 30, and some are younger. This is something we can use. We have now entered the portion of the set we like to call the Sweet Pill stretch break," she added before guiding the crowd through a series of stretches, asking everyone to roll their heads from side to side and to bend their knees. "Help your neighbor out if they need it," she joked. I'm convinced that if she weren't fronting the band, she could have a promising career as a yoga instructor.

"I just wanted to take the time to thank our crew," Sean McCall called out during their set and continued to show gratitude to their tour manager, sound engineer, merch guy, and videographer. "The road is really tough, but when you have good company, it makes it a lot easier." "That was SO beautiful," Zayna replied.

Sweet Pill continues their headlining tour up until the end of November, switching support with Heart to Gold, Spaced, and Stereosity on select dates. If you have the opportunity to catch a show with Bike Routes and Deux Visages, I highly recommend checking them out. You're in for a wonderful, chaotic time. It's safe to say that the future of emo music is ever-growing and headed in the right direction.

Setlist:

• Sunblind
• No Control
• Shameless
• Where The Heart Is
• Slow Burn
• Glow
• Diamond Eyes
• Blood (bringing a lucky member of the crowd to sing with them)
• What The Devil Is Selling
• Smoke Screen
• Starchild
• Letting Go
• Dog Song
• Red String
• Cut
• High Hopes (Encore)

More photos below!