By Zelenny Lozano / Pink B
There are few music artists keeping emo-era pop punk alive, but Nashville-based Taylor Acorn showed up at Antone’s ready to revive those nostalgic vibes reminiscent of mid-2000s Austin. Fresh off her stop at the 30th annual Vans Warped Tour, Acorn was accompanied by RickyJab on guitar, Connor Allen on drums, and LA-based wilt as openers. Both acts were at the top of their game, delivering power punk riffs for a full house of fans—they provided an intimate experience that did not disappoint.
wilt opened the show on Taylor Acorn’s North American Tour
Acorn’s show focuses on her newly released sophomore album Poster Child, her first after signing with Fearless Records. She previously released music independently for nine years, and her industry experience was evident by her vocal prowess and command of the Antone’s stage. Acorn and RickyJab danced while performing high-energy tracks like “Crashing Out” (my favorite!) and “Blood on Your Hands”, then Acorn brought out an acoustic guitar for more vulnerable tracks like “Cheap Dopamine” and “Sucker Punch”.
Taylor Acorn, guitarist RickyJab and drummer Connor Allen bringing high-energy performances on the Antone’s stage.
The loyal Taylor Acorn fans showed out for her Austin date, with the most dedicated in the first few rows, adorned in her merch and singing along to every word. Three songs into the concert, Acorn brought an unsuspecting fan and her boyfriend onto the stage, where he proceeded to get down on one knee and propose! Taylor and her bandmates fed off the energy of their captive audience to deliver amazing performances that helped us escape into her empowered, yet vulnerable anthems that characterize Poster Child.
A proposal at Austin’s Taylor Acorn concert
According to RickyJab, this was their third time performing at Antone’s—a venue that’s become one of my favorite Austin staples for live music (and has luckily renewed their lease for 50 more years). The sound quality and overall atmosphere make for an iconic night of pop punk excellence for fans to lean into our nostalgia for the early 2000s or, for the youngest fans in the room, experience the angst for the first time. The crowd went psycho for “Psycho”, played as the bombastic grand finale to finish out the rockin’ show.
As is my tradition when attending a concert I deeply enjoy, I made sure to patronize the merch booth and bought a T-shirt based on the song “Goodbye, Good Riddance”. This was actually a very difficult decision, because Acorn had the best merch booth I’ve seen at a concert. There were signed vinyls, posters, and apparel—consisting of a T-shirt or hoodie specifically designed for many of her most popular tracks. The designs were thoughtful and creative, there were options for a variety of styles, and most importantly, the quality of the fabric was excellent.
The impressive merch booth at Taylor Acorn’s North American Tour
All in all, Acorn has carved out her place in the music industry and is clearly right at home performing on stage for her loyal fans (and creating new ones, like me!). She felt completely present, her band provided excellent artistry of their own, and her new album is full of unapologetic optimism, self-reflection, nostalgia, and of course, the angst that defines the pop punk genre. I can’t wait to see what’s next for her – when she visits Austin again, I’ll be sure to grab a ticket!