TV Girl Wow at 3Arena

Hard to believe that it is only two years since the difficult-to-pin-down Indie pop outfit TV Girl – known for their abundant and varied pop culture references – played to an intimate crowd in The Academy, Dublin. But in the intervening period, the band have become one of TikTok’s biggest success stories and thereby claimed a place among Spotify’s Top 500 most streamed artists – so Ireland’s largest indoor arena was a fitting setting in which to kickstart their European adventure.

The San Diego natives, consisting of lead singer Brad Petering, Wyatt Harmon, Jason Wyman, and touring guitarist Zoe Zeeman, took the stage to the roars of an expectant, welcoming audience – and went on to deliver a wonderful set, opening with the song ‘I’ll Be Faithful' from their most recent album Grapes Upon the Vine. The diverse crowd, spanning different ages and backgrounds, reflected TV Girl's timeless appeal.

The pared-back set design featured their signature mascot of a girl with bob hair sat centre-stage – and throughout the concert, this fixture, and the adjacent lights, changed colours to match the band's album covers: orange and red for songs off French Exit, as well as shades of pink, blue, and purple for songs from the 2016 album Who Really Cares.

The crowd sang along to every word, making it hard to pick out the most popular songs, but the atmosphere was especially electric during ‘Hate Yourself’, ‘Cigarettes Out The Window’, ‘Birds Don't Sing’, ‘Not Allowed’, ‘Blue Hair’, ‘Taking What’s Not Yours’ and – above all – ‘The Blonde’, which had us raising our torch-lights in the air, feeling the spirit.

They finished with ‘Heaven is a Bedroom’ which they explained was their “fake last song” – other bands please note!

The crowd called for more and TV Girl returned to encore with ‘Big Black Void’ and ‘Lovers Rock’, which had everyone on their feet. We knew the 20-song set was drawing to a close when their signature finale song ‘It Evaporates’ echoed across the venue, inspiring another wave of arms up and phone lights on.

From start to finish, TV Girl’s return to Dublin was a triumph. This was a fantastic live performance and the setlist included standouts from all four of the band’s albums. Brad’s witty remarks, playful stage antics and the enthusiastic crowd made it a night to truly remember. For those young folk in the crowd experiencing their first ever concert, they picked a good one!