Indie music filled the air as the audience soaked in the mellow energy created by guitars and drums. As old and new fans alike listened, Weston Estate from North Carolina endeared themselves to a UTD audience April 24.
The self-described “ya aunty’s favorite boy band” is comprised of five members: vocalists Marco Gomez, Tanmay Joshi and Manas Panchavati, guitarist and producer Srikar Nanduri and bassist Abhi Manhass. Their music is a mix of bedroom pop and indie pop in the style of Omar Apollo and Rex Orange County. Boasting an impressive 450,000 monthly listeners on Spotify, crowd favorites from the group include “So Good,” “Pears” and “Drown,” with tens of millions of listens each. The band came to UTD at the invitation of Student Union Activities and Advisory Board for its annual Springapalooza event week.
While the rain moved the concert to the BAHT auditorium, it didn’t dampen fans’ moods. A large congregation filled the building nearly two hours before showtime, buzzing with curiosity. Although the show was running late, SUAAB members busked around, handing out water and offering free Kona Ice to attendees, making the time in line more of a breeze.
After introducing themselves through minor technical hiccups, the band’s unique take on bedroom pop — a genre known for soft vocals and melodies — filled the auditorium, with attendees swaying to the groovy guitar and slightly raspy vocals. After the introductory song, the band quickly went into “Camouflage,” with Joshi asking for the lights to be dimmed and for the crowd to use their flashlights, imitating a sea of stars.
Once “Camouflage” ended, Joshi asked the crowd if there was a drummer out there, upon which someone from the crowd was brought onstage, able to follow along without any practice and blending in with the group with ease. The Comet was pushed on with cheers from the audience. He started playing the song “Where Do We Go,” exiting the stage after blue and pink lights filled the space to match the theme of the song “Sixty.”
Weston Estate didn’t merely acknowledge the crowd but shared intimate conversations with fans and took pictures with audience members, making them stand out among other performers. They had a segment where they hyped up the crowd, splitting the room into teams to cheer as loud as possible, which led into “Stoked,” one of their songs with a harder drum kick. The crowd clapped their hands together and found themselves moving more with the energy shift.
After dancing to “Stoked,” the crowd was asked to make requests, which showed how many loved songs the band has in their discography. They played “Slowly” from the requests, with the singers walking across the stage and having the energy shift to a more thoughtful, reflective vibe. With more requests, they ended up playing their most popular song, “So Good,” capturing every person in the crowd, including those whose energies had wound down.
“So Good” was the song that had even the band energized, with the singers slowly swaying into a crouch to the ground to serenade the front row of the crowd, much to the row’s excitement. Everyone’s moods were lifted even after being informed that the night was about to end, with it being the second to last song. The last song on the set list was “Pears,” the song’s somber tone prompting concertgoers to bring out their phone flashlights once more. As the crowd found itself ready to leave, an encore of “So Good” began, closing to an energetic band and an ecstatic audience.
The group said their final goodbye and began signing merchandise for fans and taking pictures. The night ended on a note that felt new and special: Weston Estate’s genuine excitement to perform and see their fans, a crucial but often missing element in other entertainers’ performances. The band spent the evening not only showcasing their unique vocals and music, but also their unique — and refreshing —affection toward their fans.
