A sold-out crowd and a night carved in indie-rock memory!
San Antonio’s Aztec Theatre became a sanctuary for nostalgia and renewal last night as the sold-out crowd welcomed back two iconic forces of early-2000s indie rock — Pedro The Lion and Rilo Kiley — for the aptly titled “Sometimes When You’re On You’re Really F**king On Tour.” The air was heavy with excitement, a mix of reverence and curiosity, as fans waited to see Jenny Lewis, Blake Sennett, and company share a stage together once again.
The venue’s glowing art deco walls seemed to pulse in rhythm with the crowd’s anticipation. It wasn’t just a concert; it was a homecoming. The night carried a sense of full-circle beauty — a reminder of how these bands helped shape the emotional vocabulary of indie music. When the lights dimmed and the first chords rang out, it felt like stepping back into a moment that never truly faded.
PEDRO THE LION
Pedro The Lion, led by David Bazan, opened the night with a set that felt more like a confessional than a performance. The Seattle-based band brought their signature slow-burn intensity, turning The Aztec into a cathedral of introspection. Kicking off with “Too Much,” Bazan’s voice — worn yet strong — filled the room with a sense of quiet urgency. Between songs, he chatted candidly about faith, doubt, and getting older, connecting deeply with the audience through his trademark honesty.
Tracks like “How I Remember” and “Modesto” rippled with nostalgia, layered in the melancholic warmth that defines the band’s sound. By the time they reached “Making The Most Of It,” the set had built into something both deeply personal and communal — like a shared diary entry sung out loud. Closing with “Bands With Managers,” Bazan’s steady presence reminded everyone why Pedro The Lion remains such an enduring voice in indie rock: tender, raw, and timelessly human.
RILO KILEY
Sometimes When You’re On You’re Really F**king On Tour
When Rilo Kiley took the stage, the crowd’s roar was almost euphoric — a wave of love that met Jenny Lewis’ radiant presence head-on. Wearing a sparkling jumpsuit and a smile that could disarm cynicism itself, Lewis exuded effortless charisma. The band opened with “The Execution of All Things,” its tumbling rhythm and poetic ache setting the tone for a night of emotional excavation.
“Spectacular Views” and “Paint’s Peeling” followed, both drenched in the band’s signature blend of lyrical wit and melodic glow. Blake Sennett’s shimmering guitar lines intertwined beautifully with Lewis’s vocals — a reminder of how their musical chemistry once defined a generation of indie romantics. Mid-set, “Breakin’ Up” turned the room into a dance floor of bittersweet joy, while “Close Call” pulsed with an almost cinematic energy.
As the night closed with “Pictures of Success,” Lewis stood still for a beat, soaking in the applause. It wasn’t nostalgia — it was resurrection. Rilo Kiley sounded like they never left, yet wiser, sharper, and more self-assured than ever.
California Dreamers Who Never Let Go
Formed in Los Angeles in the late ’90s, Rilo Kiley began as a modest project between actress-turned-singer Jenny Lewisand guitarist Blake Sennett, quickly blossoming into one of indie rock’s most beloved bands. Their early records — like Take Offs and Landings and The Execution of All Things — carried a rare mix of sincerity and bite, exploring heartbreak, ambition, and American disillusionment through Lewis’s vivid storytelling.
By the mid-2000s, Rilo Kiley had ascended from small clubs to festival stages, cementing their status as icons of the scene before disbanding in 2011. What makes them unique isn’t just nostalgia — it’s how their music still speaks to the quiet chaos of growing up, growing apart, and finding yourself again. Their 2025 reunion tour feels less like a comeback and more like a long-awaited continuation of the story they began decades ago.
As the night came to a close, The Aztec Theatre buzzed with the kind of glow that only comes from witnessing something special — a rekindling of sound, memory, and meaning. Pedro The Lion offered introspection, the slow burn of lived experience, while Rilo Kiley brought the cathartic release, all glitter and ache. Together, they bridged eras and hearts, reminding the crowd why these bands mattered — and still do. Fans didn’t just sing along; they felt every lyric as if rediscovering a piece of themselves in the process.
In a city where nostalgia often lives in jukeboxes and playlists, this night proved that some stories aren’t finished — they just pause, waiting for the next verse. And for anyone lucky enough to be in the room, it was more than a concert — it was a reminder that the past can still move you, beautifully, in the present.
RILO KILEY – San Antonio, TX, – 10/08/2025
- The Execution of All Things
- Spectacular Views
- Paint’s Peeling
- The Moneymaker
- Dreamworld
- I Never
- Close Call
- It’s a Hit
- Does He Love You?
- Ripchord
- The Good That Won’t Come Out
- Silver Lining
- With Arms Outstretched
- A Better Son/Daughter
- Portions for Foxes
- Breakin’ Up
- Frug
- Pictures of Success
