Orlando based band Teen Suicide took over The Observatory in Santa Ana, California with support from Joe Vann and Awakebutstilinbed on Sunday April 7, 2024. This is the band’s first full American tour since 2016 and it felt like an absolute fever dream to witness. I first got into the band in 2017 after listening to their 2015 album “dc snuff film / waste yrself”. After all these years, it felt great to finally see them live. Their first opener Joe Vann is a mesmerizing shoe-gaze solo act who played in such a gentle yet poetic style. His music and overall on stage presence exuberates this sense of nostalgia as if you’re laying down in a field of flowers and you’re basking in the sunlight. Although he had a fairly quick set, he took advantage of his time to make sure that everyone in the venue remembers him and the serene atmosphere he provided. Following Joe was the emo band Awakebutstillinbed, a band who I’ve been wanting to see for a while hailing from San Jose, California. 
As someone who grew up listening to emo and overall developed a deep adoration for the genre, Awakebutstillinbed not only brings in the emo sound that I adore but also their own unique style. The band’s American Football and Sunny Day Real Estate influences are evident and they took the audience by storm with their energetic stage presence. By the time the band reached their second song, people were already moshing left and right and crowd surfing. As soon as their set ended, I became a huge fan of the band and the audience was ready for Teen Suicide’s set. Teen Suicide was a band who I had always wanted to see and one that I have admired since my high school days. To be able to shoot for them was an absolute pleasure and to see just how relaxed and cool everyone in the band looked assured that I was going to see a set that I can look back at fondly. The lo-fi shoe-gaze band started their set with the song “Living Proof” which caused the audience to sing and dance along to the lyrics.
Since this was the group’s first tour in 8 years, the band looked eager to play as everyone appeared as if they were in the zone and completely locked in. Front man and guitarist Sam Ray and front woman and synth player Kitty Ray gave a very mellow and soul touching performance with their angelic voices while drummer Nathan Munizzi and bassist Sean LaBree supported them by giving the most spine tingling beats that felt light yet impactful. While playing tracks from a variety of albums, they surprised the audience with the debut of the song “clown” which had everyone in awe. As they wrapped up their set, the band played my personal favourite song of theirs “The Same Things Happening to Me, Even in my Dreams”. Seeing this live gave me goosebumps as Ray’s haunting vocals and guitar riffs echoed through the venue as the beautiful yet tragic song hit my ears with great intensity. As the song reached its conclusion the band would end their performance with “Have You Been Eating That Sandwich Again” which left the crowd satisfied as the night’s music ended.
Please enjoy the photo gallery showcasing the night’s performances by Teen Suicide and the supporting acts from The Observatory in Santa Ana, California just below. The tour is scheduled to continue across North American so check your local listings for show dates in your area. Also, be sure to follow Teen Suicide on Instagram for more photos and future updates on the band @RealTeenSuicide.
Article & Photos By Hector Mendoza (@mendoza_photos)
