The first time Valley played Boston as an opener, “there were like 30 people,” lead vocalist, Rob Laska recalled. Almost 20 times that amount showed up at the band’s first ever American headlining show at Boston’s Sinclair.
“God Must Hate Me” Singer, Catie Turner kicked off the night with a heartwarming and vibey set featuring some old and soon to be favorites.
High off Turner’s infectious energy, the sold out crowd welcomed Valley to the stage. Rocking a vintage Red Sox tee and pink hair, Laska was joined by “his best friends in the whole fucking world.”
Under bright lights, the quartet kicked off the indie pop shindig with a very apropos “Birthday Party.”
From “A Phone Call in Amsterdam” to “Sucks To See You Doing Better,” the show felt like an epic coming of age film. Grateful, Laska recalled his days as a barista while he was trying to make music work back in Canada.
The intimate storytelling was just an extension of the overall vibe. When Valley threw it back to their first album This Room Is White, they asked who had been listening since the beginning and nearly half the crowd cheered.
Between guitar jams and dancing, Valley and the crowd sang along to songs including “You” and “Swim.” Laska shared of the latter, “We like to say that song changed our life.” From the growing audience size, it’s clear that it did.
Like any good coming of age story, there was a bit of comedy. At one moment in the show, Alex Dimauro wanted to try on drummer, Karah James’s handmade denim jacket, a tribute to their song and album Maybe, During a downtempo, “7 Stories,” he realized he was stuck and had to be helped out.
Valley played their song “Homebody” into a highly requested encore. To cheers, the band closed out the show with crowd favorites “There’s Still A Light In The House” and “Like 1999.” Laska’s “I fucking love you’s” were happily drowned out by cheering.
Don’t miss Valley on their nearly sold out I’ll Be With You Tour. Tickets and tour dates here!
Amelia Cordischi, Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Juice Box Press, is an accomplished digital marketing professional with over a decade of experience in media and communications. Her work has been featured in notable publications, including The Boston Globe. A communications graduate of Simmons University in Boston, Amelia served as manager of Simmons College Radio (“The Shark”), where she also launched and co-hosted her radio show, The Find.
In addition to her editorial work, Amelia is an established freelance photographer, with bylines in Blended Magazine and CelebMix, capturing artists and cultural moments across the music and media landscape. Her career began at WCVB-TV’s Chronicle, the ABC affiliate in Boston, where she gained firsthand experience in broadcast journalism and storytelling.
When she’s not taking photos from the photo pit, interviewing emerging artists, or crafting the next Juice Box Press feature, Amelia can be found thrifting and exploring the world of sustainable fashion.