Inhaler at Pier 17

The Rooftop at Pier 17 buzzed with anticipation. College boys in soccer jerseys and girls in leather jackets surged to the stage; luckily, the venue was small enough to claim a decent view standing wherever. The opening band, benches, had vacated the stage now as the sky fully darkened, ending one of the final warm evenings of autumn in New York. Taking to the stage and beginning to play, the group with uniformly long hair and a ‘90s Britpop sound moved in jagged motions on the stage.

Between sets, the speakers played a mix of The Strokes, Arctic Monkeys, and MGMT as a nearly-full moon rose over the East River and Irish flags and puffs of smoke hovered over the crowd. The Brooklyn Bridge was reduced to a shadow behind the drumset, the cymbal still teetering from the last crash.

On October 18, Irish Indie rock band Inhaler brought their music to South Street Seaport, marking their first NYC show since St. Patrick’s Day of 2023. The band—composed of lead vocalist and guitarist Elijah Hewson, bassist Robert Keating, guitarist Josh Jenkinson, and drummer Ryan McMahon—arrived at Pier 17 to showcase the highlights of their past three albums and tease new releases. Their style draws on 1980s rock influences, a fitting connection for Hewson, whose father, Bono, founded the legendary band U2. Themes of adolescent love and coming of age weave through their lyrics, resonating with their young fanbase. 

Slinking on stage, Inhaler’s entrance was punctuated by the fluid sounds of “Lujon” by Henry Mancini and howls of the audience. The show kicked off with upbeat “These Are the Days,” one of the band’s most popular songs. Cowboy hats were tossed onto the stage, and fans jumped in unison, arms locked around each other’s shoulders. After a series of upbeat hits, Inhaler transitioned into a set of ballads, including an unreleased song that Hewson hinted might appear on their next album. They wrapped up the main set with a return to high-energy songs before disappearing offstage.

Fans screamed for the band to return to the stage for an encore, shouting out song names, soccer chants, and even a few humorous outcries of “Where’s Bono?!” from older fans in the back. The band finally reappeared to play their most popular song, “My Honest Face,” sending the crowd into a final, electric frenzy. 

The band has referenced ‘80s influences such as The Strokes, New Order, and Bloc Party when describing their sound. Critics have cited Inhaler as the next big thing, a new generation reviving the alt-rock sound of the 2000s. The band formed in 2012 when the members were only in their mid-20s, and they still bring their teenage angst and playfulness to the music.

Throughout the performance, the band intimately connected with the audience. Hewson’s stage presence was effortlessly charismatic, and his vocals were as clear and compelling live as in the recordings. Keating, the bassist, held a magnetic vibe as he engaged in intense eye contact with the crowd, pushing against the barrier as he performed.

The large screens flanking the set remained black and white for the entire set, creating an old-school rock concert vibe. While a majority of the shots featured were of the band’s faces, hands, and instruments, a large portion of the highlighted imagery was also of the crowd. The monitors faded the faces of the band members into those of the audience, from those standing up close to the stage to those all the way in the back. 

The entire atmosphere was distinctly personal, heightened by the relatively small scale of the venue. As the stage’s last colorful rays dimmed and the stadium lights flashed on with mechanical hums, the audience gradually withdrew from the stage. Groups of friends sang as they picked their way through the ground littered with crushed cans toward the escalators and stairwells and down to the pier below. From the street, looking up at the building, the sides were still illuminated with the tricolor orange, white, and green for Ireland’s next big band.