Dutch Interior Delivers Dynamic Performance at Soda Bar with Fat Evil Children and Font
Last Friday, November 21, Soda Bar was home to three vastly different acts — Fat Evil Children, Font, and the final headliner, Dutch Interior.
One of the first things that struck me about the night was the intimacy of the venue itself. With a capacity of about 230, Soda Bar feels almost like a living room with a bar attached. The stage barely rises two feet off the ground, drinks are always in reach, new and old friends sink into booths, and the musicians drift through the crowd making small talk before the show. It creates this easy closeness — the kind where everyone in the room, performers and audience members alike, is bound by a shared love of music and the camaraderie it affords.
Fat Evil Children kicked off the night. Their setlist was one of one, scribbled on the back of a bar menu mere seconds before stepping on stage. It served as an indicator of the loose and unbothered set that was to follow. Formed by close friends at USC, the band is composed of Nic Skrabak on guitar and vocals, Truman Sinclair on guitar and harmonica, Sebastian Peters on bass, and Diego Fernandez on drums. They cracked jokes, took their shoes off (literally), and kept the crowd smiling the entire time. Their set pulled from their album Fat Evil Dogs, Fat Evil Cats, Fat Evil Bears, Fat Evil Rats, a handful of singles, and their latest EP, Can’t Stop.
Font followed with a completely contrasting sound. Hailing from Austin, Texas, the post-punk dance-rock group — founded by roommates Thom Waddill and Jack Owens and later joined by Anthony Laurence, Roman Parnell, and Logan Wagner — shifted the room into a sharper, more experimental energy. Their track “Hey Kekulé” was a standout, each member locking into their element: Waddill belting with a Radiohead-like edge while the rest of the band twisted the song into something strange and exciting. Waddill has said in interviews that he’s never trying to perfect a song, only a feeling — and that intention was clear as the crowd jumped and shouted during the quintet’s set.
Last but certainly not least, Dutch Interior took to the stage, and glancing back, attendance had doubled. The band features six guitarists who have known each other for the better part of a decade, living between Los Angeles and Long Beach. Their music feels like a natural outgrowth of their friendship — because of how well they know each other, their shared vulnerability comes through effortlessly, creating authenticity only time and comfort can produce. While some say six guitarists may be too many, in Dutch Interior’s case, it allows for the perfect amount of new ideas, each one adding a quirky, unique layer to the sound.
For a large majority of the night, the band showcased Jack Nugent on guitar and vocals, Connor Reeves on guitar and production, Davis Stewart on bass, Noah Kurtz on guitar, Shane Barton on keyboard and vocals, and Hayden Barton on drums.
The first half of their set pulled from their latest release, Blinded by Fame, weaving earnest songwriting with the dusty Americana melancholy they’re known for. It felt polished yet still human — the kind of performance that makes you lean in and really listen. “I’ll Be Damned” was a standout here, having amassed almost two million listens on Spotify, the crowd sang along beautifully and without error. The second half was introduced by the group as their “country set” from the album Moneyball. Fans whistled and stomped their boots in excitement, highlighting the love and loyalty that backs Dutch Interior and the appreciation fans have for music that takes risks in the 21st century.
As the night began to wind down, performers and audience members alike filtered outside to smoke in the cool Friday air. Dutch Interior’s new single, “Play the Song,” is out now, and Fat Evil Children’s latest EP, Can’t Stop, is also streaming on Spotify.
Photos by: Abigail Murr
Review by: Abigail Murr
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