If there’s one thing Almost Monday knows how to do, it’s turn a venue into a whirlwind of movement, sound, and pure chaos—the good kind. Beat Kitchen, a space that feels as intimate as it does rowdy, was packed with fans ready to jump, dance, and lose themselves in the band’s surf-tinged indie pop anthems. The second the San Diego trio, vocalist Dawson Daugherty, guitarist Cole Clisby, bassist Luke Fabry, and drummer Daniel Griffo, hit the stage, the energy was off the charts. And it never came down.
Daugherty, a frontman who moves like he’s powered by an endless stream of neon electricity, had the crowd in the palm of his hand from the first note. Bouncing from one side of the stage to the other, he sang with the kind of reckless joy that makes it impossible to stand still.
Clisby’s sharp, sun-drenched guitar riffs and Fabry’s deep, thumping bass lines gave each song a pulse that could be felt from the floorboards up. The entire set felt like a caffeine rush; fast, euphoric, and just a little dizzying in the best way.
The venue itself became a breathing, jumping organism. People pressed in close, singing back every word like their lives depended on it. When the band launched into fan-favorites like Sunburn and Cough Drops, the place erupted, a blur of bodies moving in sync with the beat. Even the walls seemed to shake. It was loud, it was messy, and it was exactly what a show like this should be. It was a break from reality and a moment of pure, unfiltered fun.
Their sound doesn’t drift through a venue; it collides with the walls, spills into the crowd, and demands movement. Beat Kitchen became less of a concert space and more of a controlled riot, fueled by surf-tinged guitar riffs and bass lines that hit like a pulse you can’t ignore. This is a band that thrives in chaos, turns sweat into confetti, and makes you forget about anything outside of the moment.
Next time they hit Chicago, don’t just think about going. Go. Because if this show was any indication, Almost Monday is only getting louder, wilder, and even more unmissable.
