On Monday, Sept. 15, the Irish rock band Inhaler played a show at The Paramount in Huntington, New York. The band is currently on tour for their third studio album “Open Wide.” For this leg of the tour, they are catering to towns where they have never performed before.
Founded in 2012 in Dublin, Ireland, Inhaler is composed of Elijah Hewson as the lead vocalist, Robert Keating on the bass, Ryan McMahon on the drums and Josh Jenkinson as the lead guitarist. The band dabbles in the alternative, indie and pop rock genres; their influences most notably coming from The Stone Roses, Talking Heads and Joy Division. The influences do not stop there, as Hewson is also Bono from U2’s son.
I arrived at the venue around 4 p.m., even though the doors opened at 7 p.m., because I knew the band has a dedicated fanbase. Upon arrival, the line for entry went down the street and wrapped around the corner. As I made my unfortunate way to the back of the line, I saw plenty of leather jackets, red skirts and shirts reading “I (heart) ELIJAH.”
Once inside, we awaited the show’s opener, Radio Free Alice, who came on stage at 8 p.m. Knowing nothing about this band, I was intrigued to hear them and to my surprise, they gained a new fan. Their synchronization, energy, saxophone skills and influences from The Smiths and Oasis kept me on my feet throughout their set.
While Radio Free Alice certainly left a mark, we were itching with anticipation for Inhaler.
At around 8:58 p.m., the lights dimmed, and the room erupted with cheers. Inhaler made their way to their spots onstage, the cheers growing louder and louder each time a band member appeared. Their set began with the crowd favorite “My Honest Face,” making the energy in the room unfathomable. Being in the pit felt like I was drowning in the best way possible. Inhaler kept up the energy with follow-up songs titled “Totally” and “When It Breaks.”
Some fans made certain songs more interactive. For example, during “Who’s Your Money On? (Plastic House),” fans threw Inhaler-themed dollar bills in the air, which made the audience more immersed in the scene around them.
A crowd favorite was “My King Will Be Kind,” which Hewson always makes special by adlibbing a line about boys that suck.
It is such an oddly healing experience to scream “I f—g hate that b—h” with a crowd of (mostly) girls. Hewson even directed the microphone towards the crowd, anticipating how loud we were going to scream that line.
Something special the band does for each show comes during the track “Dublin in Ecstasy.” During the bridge, Hewson picks someone from the crowd to sing with him. The fanbase calls it getting “Dublined.” For this show, Hewson picked a fan who confidently sang all the right lyrics, even impressing the whole band.
Moving on, Inhaler did a classic concert-encore, pretending to end their set with “Cheer Up Baby,” when it was far from the truth. Their real final song was the heavily loved, “It Won’t Always Be Like This,” which is the first song that made me fall in love with the band. Listening to the song live truly reminds me that this moment, among others, will not always be the same.
After leaving the stage, for real this time, the boys were immediately missed. Inhaler is certainly a band to keep your eye on; I can only hope Long Island will be treated to them again soon.
