Almost Monday Graced Birmingham with Their Charisma and Talent On Their Headline ‘Dive’ Tour
American, Indie Pop trio Almost Monday graced Mama Roux with their infectious energy, sun soaked melodies and charisma. Coming to Birmingham on Tuesday 25th March 2025, the ‘Dive’ tour was packed with energy. I was lucky enough to watch them open for The Driver Era in autumn 2024 and knew I’d be in for a treat, I was certainly right. You are easily captured by their stage presence and seeing them headline showcased just how well they can take over a stage and spread joy to a crowd.
Opening the night were Texas band Little Image, not letting the crowd forget their name making the room shout it back at them - and you wouldn’t want to forget. Their set was filled with groovy baselines, hard hitting drums and compelling vocals whilst utilising the screens behind to add even more atmosphere to their set. A quick pause to ask the crowd for feedback caused a sea of thumbs up to rise. The instrumentals in their set were a standout with breakdowns coming unexpectedly. Not only were the crowd encouraged to jump, drummer, Troy, took audience participation to the next level. Getting an audience member to hold up drums, he powerfully added to the instrumental solo creating a breeze from his sticks with the effort.
Then, Almost Monday took to the stage whilst ‘Dive’ played building the anticipation and the roar of encouragement from the crowd. They burst into ‘Is It Too Late?’ forming an instant fan connection and bringing an instant energy to the entire room.
As the intro to ‘Cough Drops’ played the room lit up even more as the catchy riff and bassline hit, the crowd joining in with the melody. Live, this song came to life and it morphed effortlessly into another clear fan favourite ‘Only Wanna Dance’ which, like its title truly did make you want to dance. Guitarist Cole and Bassist Luke powered through with the catchy melodies as vocalist Dawson set down the guitar leaving more room for his playful dance moves.
Having a quick break to take in the room, it was clear the band were grateful to be on stage.
‘Tidal Wave’ brought the band's signature sun kissed sound as they encouraged the audience to match Dawson’s impressive high vocal range to great success. The warm melodies broke out into an instrumental that once again saw the room moving.
Adding even more range, they briefly slowed down the energy with a cover of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs ‘Maps’ ,which was done beautifully and clearly well received.
Spanning a range of their discography they included a varied set with older tracks ‘Broken People’ and ‘Parking Lot View’ being combined into an impressive combo. Harder hitting drums and a seamless blend between the tracks made for a dynamic section that was easily one of my favourite parts of the set.
They played a brand new track, yet to be released ‘Lost’. This one was hooking, with a catchy chorus you find yourself immediately wanting to join in with. Packed with intricate drums and taking a moment for a brief instrumental break this is going to be an impressive future release that I am looking forward to.
The energy did not slow down at all. Briefly mentioning the bird cage-like nature of the stage with the odd railings, this did not stop the array of brilliant and entertaining dance moves from Dawson. ‘She Looks So Good’ and ‘She Likes Sports’ saw him lean into the crowd and make pointed eye contact adding an amusing touch.
The set ended perfectly with ‘Life Goes By’ coming with encouragement to enjoy all the little moments in life. This track truly feels like summer and despite it only just entering spring, Almost Monday easily transport you and immerse you in their songs.
Almost Monday’s set flew by capturing the room with their enthusiasm, they gave it their all surpassing all expectations. Not only did their songs take on a new life live, the band's personality shone through with infectious charm. It was clear Almost Monday enjoyed playing and this added another layer to an already carefully crafted set.
I was lucky enough to have an interaction with the band who were just as genuine and cheery off stage and a final addition to this review, direct from Dawson - ‘I love Robbie(y?)’
Thank you (cheers) to Almost Monday, you are guaranteed to have a fun night when they are playing. This joyous atmosphere lingered in the room after they left the stage, clearly making a long lasting impression. Almost Monday is sure to continue to rise and I look forward to returning to a future gig - hopefully with even more stage room for Dawsons incredible dance moves.
In a short time Almost Monday showcased impeccable talent as a band.
