The Lemon Twigs Turn Back Time at Revolution Hall
The Lemon Twigs turned Revolution Hall into a nostalgic 60s and 70s pop dream with a modern edge. Words and photos by Jenny Shackleton.
The Lemon Twigs’ stop at Revolution Hall last Saturday felt less like a contemporary tour date and more like a lovingly reconstructed slice of pop history. Even before the band took the stage, the tone was set with an unusual pre-show ritual. A DJ stood at stage left spinning a stack of vintage 7-inch vinyl, each selection queued by hand. The crackle of analog records created a warm, communal anticipation that a standard digital playlist never could. It was a thoughtful, tactile nod to the era that informs the band’s identity and set the mood perfectly.
When Brian and Michael D’Addario finally emerged with their expanded live lineup, they delivered on that promise with conviction. Their sound, built on dense harmonies and melodic hooks, carried clear echoes of the Beach Boys and the Beatles, influences that feel deeply ingrained from the music they grew up on. Songs from their new album Look For Your Mind! came alive on stage, pairing bright, pop-driven arrangements with an undercurrent of unease. The addition of Reza Matin on drums and Danny Ayala on bass added new depth and a sense of freedom, giving the performance a looser and more dynamic feel than their earlier work.
What stood out most was the band’s ability to bridge eras without feeling like imitation. The Lemon Twigs are not simply recreating the 60s and 70s sound. They inhabit it, using its vocabulary to express their own ideas and anxieties. That tension, present throughout Look For Your Mind! with its themes of paranoia beneath polished pop surfaces, translated effectively in a live setting. By the end of the night, Revolution Hall felt transformed, as if the past and present had blurred together in a way that was both nostalgic and completely alive.
Jenny Shackleton (she/her) is a photographer based in Portland, OR, originally hailing from Philadelphia, PA. Her love for live music started over 15 years ago after seeing the Jonas Brothers perform on their Burning Up tour in 2008 and the rest is history. As a naturally shy person, it’s surprising she feels so comfortable at concerts with hundreds of people attending, but has always believed that they are special, somewhat liminal, spaces. Everyone is there for the same reason: to have the best night and see artists pour their souls’ onto the stage. That is what Jenny likes to capture in her photos. Jenny enjoys spending time outside with her partner and their dog, watching movies, and owning way too many sneakers.