📍 Emo’s — April 3, 2026
Written by Perrin Boyd
The Growlers brought their unmistakable brand of Beach Goth to Emo’s on Friday and the night felt like a hazy slice of Southern California washed ashore in the heart of Texas. Hailing from Southern California, Brooks Nielsen and The Growlers have carved out a unique niche by blending surf rock, dreamy pop, hazy psychedelia, and gritty rock 'n' roll into a style that feels like a sun-soaked hangover on a Venice Beach boardwalk. Their music evokes the laid-back yet slightly haunted vibe of any southern California beach town kid chasing waves and late-night thrills. The Growlers are without a doubt one of my favorite and most listened-to bands of all time. I've seen them at least a dozen plus times throughout my years living in Los Angeles: from their annual Beach Goth festivals to their Snow Ball holiday extravaganzas and the majority of the LA shows in between. Albums like Chinese Fountain and City Club remain two of my all-time favorites, soundtracking everything from beach bonfires to solitary drives down the PCH. Emo's, with its intimate yet crowded setup, proved the perfect backdrop for this West Coast export to bring their sound to Texas.
Frontman Brooks Nielsen is the undeniable heart and soul of the operation, an LA surf-psych icon who helped craft the cult genre of Beach Goth. With his vintage look, tousled hair, and a stage presence that lurks somewhere between cool detachment and magnetic charisma, Nielsen attracts the room without demanding it. His distinct, raspy baritone voice cuts through the mix like sandpaper wrapped in velvet: weathered, and instantly recognizable. The entire Growlers sound flows through his thoughtful lyrics and that signature delivery. If you love a vintage sound with stylings of old country, beach rock, and a touch of '60s psych, Nielsen's voice will hook you immediately. It feels like the first hit of a cigarette after a couple of beers or the last wave before sunset: nostalgic, slightly dangerous, and utterly addictive.
The full six-piece band, Nielsen on vocals, two guitarists weaving jangly riffs and fuzzy leads, a steady bassist holding down the low end, a feel and swing drummer, and keys adding atmospheric layers delivered a sprawling two-hour set with no opener. The performance was a perfect mix of sandy Californian surf, moody psychedelia, and irresistibly catchy pop sounds. It flowed effortlessly from swaying melodies that had the crowd gently rocking in unison to fast-paced jams that moved the feet and turned things up. The energy at Emo's was just right, with fans packed tight near the stage, beers in hand, swaying under the venue's signature lights. The band sounded tighter than ever, their live chemistry translating the studio magic into something even more visceral and alive in the Texas night air.
The setlist pulled from songs across seven different studio albums, a deep dive that longtime fans like myself appreciated. Fortunately for me, five of them came from the beloved City Club, creating an nostalgic core to the evening. Highlights included the dreamy sway of "Love Test", the melancholic ballad of "When You Were Made”, the anthemic "One Million Lovers", the honest truth of "Problems III", and my personal favorite "City Club”. Each song painting a sonic picture of California nights filled with longing, hedonism, and fleeting beauty.
For the encore, they kicked things off with "Feel My Funk," their fresh 2025 release that injects new life into their catalog while staying true to the Beach Goth sound. Then came the fan-favorite "Someday," with its wry, aspirational lyrics: "When tall boys turn into champagne, When bologna turns into steak." It captured that classic Growlers mix of humor and melancholy perfectly. They closed with "Night Ride," a track about the monotony of constant partying and late-night, hedonistic lifestyles that felt especially poignant in the afterglow of a long set. I couldn't have asked for a better way to close out the night, personally.
The Growlers still reign supreme. From Los Angeles to Austin, they are and always will be the pride and joy of surf rock and Beach Goth. Their ability to transport listeners to sun-bleached coasts and shadowy dance floors remains unmatched after all these years. I will continue to see them every opportunity I can, because nights like this at Emo's remind me why their music occupies such a special place in my life.