Concert Review: Hotel Fiction at The Georgia Theatre

Atlanta based and Athens bred indie rockers Hotel Fiction take on their biggest headlining show to date with precision, tackling the 1,000 cap theatre with ease. The duo and their band have been practicing for months now to make this show perfect, bringing on their producer Tommy on synthesizers, adding in violin, and some extra stage props. This show will be a defining moment in the band's blossoming career.

Originally scheduled for January 13th, the show had to be postponed. Jade Long (lead vocals, keys, guitar) and Jessica Thompson (lead guitar, vocals) are Hotel Fiction, but their backing band can't be overlooked; Aaron Daugherty (guitar, synth, vocals), Lucas LoPiccolo (bass), Justin Thompson (drums), Tommy Trautwein (synthesizers, vocals), and a feature from Will Ruff (violin). Gideon Johnston, the band's other drummer, also made a surprise appearance, running straight from the front doors and leaping onto the stage.

The band sounded amazing, there's no other way to say it. Between Jess's killer guitar solo (above) and Jade's slick key-work, the duo setup the show for success. Rich harmonies between the two sounded as spot on as ever and their ability to play off one another never ceases to amaze.

Tight and in-sync is what happens when you put in this much work. The amount of musical talent on stage. is what you'd see from a nationally touring artist with major label support, so seeing this band DIY their way to the big stage is nothing short of impressive. The layering of instruments felt like it created an aura around the stage, a blend of beautiful and complementary sounds. 

The band put together some LED boxes to add to their stage setup. Paired with The Georgia Theatre's house lighting, the stage was lit up like a Christmas tree. The band also had visuals projected behind them for many songs and risers helped elevate their backline. It'd also be a shame to not mention Aaron's sparkly pants.

WEGL loves Hotel Fiction. The band joined us in our studio last August for an in-studio WEGL Session which you can find here. It features several songs from their debut album, Soft Focus.

Well Kept opened up the show. The band took over for Light Hearted after they couldn't make the rescheduled date. Tommy Trautwein did double duty last night, as he's also the frontman for these Athens alt-rockers. Their mix of rock and emo added some angst to the night and their guitar riffs got the crowd energized.

Nordista Freeze was up next. I've heard a lot about his shows leading into last night's performance, but nothing could quite prepare me for what I saw. Lots of snark and sass, jumps, kicks, moshing, army crawling through the crowd, running through the balcony in his underwear, and so, so much more. All the while Nordista and his band sounded amazing with blends of classic rock, funk, and just about anything else they wanted. His energy is hard to match, and quite frankly hard to describe to someone who hasn't been to a Freeze show.

A tight 14 songs on the band's setlist kept the audience wanting more. How could you not want more? Hits "Astronaut Kids" and "Think Twice" were a given, but some many new songs also made the cut. "Man on The Moon" and "Monster" are crowd favorites that you can only hear live right now. The band ended the night with a cover of The Killers' "All These Things That I've Done," an great song to close a great night.

          1. Think Twice

          2. Man on The Moon

          3. I Like You Around

          4. F U Jess

          5. 17

          6. Soft Focus

          7. Astronaut Kids

          8. To The Moon

          9. Out of My Head

          10. Athens, GA

          11. Allure

          12. Monster

          -

          13. Ghost Train

          14. All These Things That I've Done (The Killers cover)

The band still has a lot of touring to be done in Q1 of 2022. Dates supporting Proxima Parada and SUSTO with a couple of others scattered in. 

          3/02 Portsmouth, NH — Press Room*

          3/03 Cambridge, MA — Middle East Downstairs*

          3/04 New York, NY — Mercury Lounge*

          3/05 Washington D.C. — Pearl Street Warehouse*

          3/06 Richmond, VA — The Camel*

          3/09 Atlanta, GA — Aisle 5*

          3/10 Charleston, SC — Royal American*

          3/11 Charolette, NC — The Evening Muse*

          3/12 Savannah, GA — Savannah Stopover Festival

          3/25 Oxford, MS — Proud Larry's~

          3/26 Jackson, MS — Duling Hall~

          4/02 Denver, CO — Globe Hall+

          4/03 Denver, CO — Globe Hall+

          4/06 Davenport, IA — Racoon Motel+

          4/07 Davenport, IA — Racoon Motel+

          4/08 Yorkville, IL — Law Office Pub

          4/16 Gainesville, FL — High Dive<

          * supporting Proxima Parada

          ~ supporting HAPPY LANDING

          + supporting SUSTO

          < with The 502s and Driveaway

It is hard to express just how good Hotel Fiction is live. Their musicianship, stage presence, and atmosphere create a perfect show. Keep them on your radar.