Main Street Recommends

When I caught wind of the news that Fontaines D.C. was coming to Albany, NY, as a part of their US tour, I could not have been more ecstatic. It’s a truly rare occasion that a band I really love makes their way up to the Capital Region, and I’ve spent many a reluctant evening making my way down to New York City by train for that reason. But Fontaines D.C., in what might as well be my backyard? Sign me up!

I’ve been a big fan of Fontaines D.C. since I got into Skinty Fia, their 2022 album, when I was studying abroad in London in 2023. I couldn’t have been more excited, then, when I scored tickets to their performance at Empire Live on May 13.

A quick rundown of my Fontaines history

Now, I’m no aficionado when it comes to Fontaines’ discography or work in general. However, I will say that they were my top artist of 2024 according to my Spotify Wrapped, and their hit single “Starburster” was my top song, so I was absolutely over the moon to finally see them live and in person. When I knew we had a concert to look forward to, I was quick to send Abby on a mission to listen through their most recent album, Romance, and become acquainted with some of the more popular tracks from previous records. She wasn’t super familiar with their music when I approached her about going to the show together, but she was ready to learn!

My very first foray into Fontaines D.C.’s music was “Nabokov,” one of my favorite songs of theirs and the gritty, final track of Skinty Fia. Their third studio album and likely their most popular until the release of Romance, Skinty Fia has all the right jangly, resonant tracks that solidify the maturation of their foundational sound. Songs like “I Love You” and “Jackie Down The Line” are fan favorites, as well as “Big Shot” and “Roman Holiday.”

After exploring the then-most recent release, I naturally wandered back in time, uncovering Fontaines’ first studio album from 2019, Dogrel, which is equal parts edgy, captivating, and narrative. “Too Real” is my personal favorite track. Their 2020 album, A Hero’s Death, smoothed out this jagged sound a bit, but kept it electric and evolved the subtly lyrical nature that defines Fontaines. “Televised Mind” feels reminiscent of “Boys in the Better Land” with its emphasis on tambourine and a sound you can jump around to. “You Said” is a slower ballad that stands out as one of my top picks.

Romance is an evolution of Fontaines’ sound that I was particularly stoked to witness during the performance. Their fourth studio album, released last year, takes the rough around the edges, punkish rock elements of Fontaines’ past records and gives them a fresh, energetic element that truly takes the band to the next level musically. Every song is laced with an almost pop-ish vibrancy without straying too far from what made Fontaines so awe-inspiring in the first place. Being able to witness this tour’s setlist, a mix of the old and the new, felt particularly special.

Let’s get into the show!

After a quick drive up to Empire Live that Tuesday night, Abby and I made our way into the venue a little after doors opened at 7pm. Hitting the restroom and grabbing water, I started to take in how small the venue really was: right as we walked in, I looked beyond a winding merch stand line to see the stage just beyond it, with just a small group gathered in the pit around the barricade. As a semi-frequent concertgoer, this is always a heartening sight. We made our way over to a spot to the left of the crowd, ensuring the both of us could stand comfortably and see the performance clearly. Then, as anyone does at a general admission show—we waited patiently.

The show kicked off with the opener, Jadu Heart, who had a shoegaze-type sound, the kind to which you can’t help but nod along. After this performance, there was another lull as we waited patiently for the main event, getting eager every time a song from the pre-show playlist ended. It wasn’t until around 9:20pm that the lights went out, and Fontaines guitarist Conor Curley emerged playing those hypnotic opening chords to “Romance,” ones that we knew all too well.

A full body chills, out of body experience ensued as the rest of the band filled in and green lights began to flash along to the beat. The song is undercut by a deep droning, a staticky urgency. In his captivating nonchalance, vocalist Grian Chatten emerged from backstage singing the haunting first verse: “Into the darkness again / In with the pigs in the pen / God knows I love you, screws in my head / I will be beside you till you’re dead.”

From here, a cheerier departure into the Skinty Fia classic, “Jackie Down the Line.” We all screamed along the “doo doo doos” and “la la las” with the intensity of a crowd who’s sung along to the song a million times before. “Televised Mind” was next, an intense, energy-filled track from A Hero’s Death that saw the first of Chatten’s famed tambourine, which he used to capture our attention quite effectively; I felt starstruck, jumping up and down from our spot in the fourth row and simply unable to look away.

Old & new favorites, both incredible

After the familiar guitar and lucid lyricism of “Roman Holiday” and “Big Shot” from Skinty Fia, they launched into “Death Kink,” one of my favorites off of Romance. The song is punkish, full of the rock that underscores everything Fontaines creates, but it has a certain angry, reckless edge that I particularly love.

“Sundowner” slowed things down a bit, a beautiful, softer track sung primarily by Curley. Next was the 2025 single (and addition to the deluxe version of Romance) “It’s Amazing To Be Young.” While the verses and chorus are quite simple, they are also really effective. The song’s meaning, about the balance between hardship and beauty when you’re young, made me feel even more seen hearing it live: “It’s the cost / That brings you down / But it’s amazing / To be young.”

This slower section of the performance was abruptly upended with “Big” from their debut album, Dogrel. Chatten brought the energy right back up, white strobe lights flashing and that same jangly intensity coming right back into focus. “A Hero’s Death,” from the album of the same name, was the perfect follow-up, rich with cymbals, clashing, storytelling, and gorgeously layered backing vocals.

Next up was “Here’s The Thing,” which takes the classic Fontaines essence a step further into Romance territory. Having just followed up some older tracks, this tune really highlighted the newness and imagination that has been heralded in by the band’s current era. “Bug,” another one of my favorites, followed, bringing a lighter, more dancy energy to the room and giving us the chance to gleefully chant the words back to Chatten.

Hearing the opening to “Nabokov” was certainly one of the most memorable parts of the show. As Chatten belted out, “I did you a favour / I bled myself dry / Well, this is what it is now / Pain, pure sky,” with his powerful, striking intonation, there wasn’t much else you could do but watch intently, listen in reverence, and fully absorb the moment.

The return of the tambourine felt so serendipitous here; if you’re anything like me, toward the end of a show, you start to fade a little bit from all the standing and sweating. But “Boys in the Better Land” brought me right back into it. To finish off before the encore, “Favourite,” another lighter and dancier tune followed. The lyricism brought me right back to the same nostalgia and warmth evoked by “It’s Amazing To Be Young.”

Final reflections

The encore slowed things down even further with “In The Modern World” before taking them to the next level with a “Starburster” conclusion that had everyone’s hands in the air and feet jumping off the floor. According to setlist.fm, “Desire” and “I Love You” were also meant to be played, but weren’t due to technical difficulties. I was a little bummed at this, especially since “I Love You” is such an essential song, but I still feel like they played an amazing show and that I got the full experience.

Having purchased tickets for a Fontaines D.C. show before and having to cancel my plans because things didn’t work out, it was so fulfilling to finally see them perform and not have to travel far in the process! I’d absolutely recommend a Fontaines concert if you have a chance, and I’m eager to see if they’ll tour again in London while I’m living there!

Listen to the setlist from the show below: