Concert Review: Soccer Mommy at Radio/East

With support from opener Hana Vu, Soccer Mommy warmed up her audience on Feb. 22 with sincere, sweet tunes at Austin’s Radio/East.

Written by Julianna Riccioli

Photos by Elina Carrasco

Following the October 2024 release of her fourth studio album, Evergreen, Sophie Allison — better known by her stage name Soccer Mommy — arrived in Austin on a chilly February night to deliver a heartfelt set of new tracks and nostalgic favorites. While the audience certainly felt the cold at the standing room-only outdoor venue Radio/East, the Nashville-hailing artist did her best to make the crowd feel less freezing and more “Cool” throughout her alt-indie (albeit shortened) set. 

Opener Hana Vu, a longtime touring partner of Allison, took the stage at exactly 8:00 p.m. The Los Angeles native began with “Hammer,” a dreamy, soft-rock track from her 2024 album Romanticism. Bathed in red lights, Vu’s deep, resonant voice eased herself and her backing band — a simple three-piece accompaniment of a guitarist, bassist, and drummer — into a comfortable 30-minute set with matching laid-back energy. She took the time to riff with the audience, at one point playfully asking, “What’d you guys have for dinner? What do you guys eat in Austin?” After a few answers from the crowd, she latched on to one: “Quesadillas … regional cuisine,” to the audience’s delight.

Throughout her set, Vu played guitar as she sang, balancing moments of intensity with a stripped-down vibe. Her deep voice and calm demeanor made for a casual, fluid set. Most of her setlist consisted of tracks from her most recent album, like the serenading conclusion to childhood, “22;” the coming-of-age, wistful “Airplane;” and the upbeat, funky tune titled “Love,” the final song of the night. Vu ended her performance by giving the audience a few finger-hearts before walking off stage without any further fanfare.

As the crowd waited for Allison’s set, the venue played tracks by Charli xcx, Magdalena Bay, and The Smashing Pumpkins. The crowd eagerly chatted in anticipation for the headliner, sipping on complimentary hot chocolate and leaning on each other for warmth. 

At 9:16 p.m., the indie artist took the stage wearing a white puffer, black jeans, and combat boots. Opening with the sapphic lullaby “Abigail,” an ode to her purple-haired wife in Stardew Valley, Allison’s voice was delicate and soft, evoking the nostalgic feel of a 2000s rom-com soundtrack, with jangly guitars and a simple drumline to match. The stage lighting began in soft pink before shifting to magenta, a visual representation of the WLW themes of the track as the colors mirrored the lesbian pride flag. 

The second song of the night, “circle the drain,” from Allison’s 2020 album color theory, featured bubbling underwater sounds from the soundboard, courtesy of guitarist and keyboardist Rodrigo Avendano. Yellow, pink, and blue lighting dashed across the stage to complement this effervescent soundscape. Early in her performance and likely due to the cold weather, Allison lacked animation, but she made up for it with her earnest belt, singing, “And the days thin me out / Or just burn me straight through.” 

As soon as the song concluded, the stage went dark, and the indie princess switched from a baby blue guitar to a cherry-red one, addressing the crowd: “What’s up, y’all? Is everybody staying warm?” A resounding “No!” from the audience drew an equally angsty, “Me neither.” The set then moved into “Driver,” a drum-heavy, alt-rock track from Evergreen that featured an extended guitar solo followed by “Bones.” As the lights shifted to purple and green hues, Allison’s vocals took on a Phoebe Bridgers-esque quality — slightly strained but dreamy and compelling. The sounds of ‘90s fuzzy guitars and a drum heavy conclusion wrapped up the performance, with Allison nodding her head along to the music. 

A drumstick-clap introduced “Shotgun,” a track from Allison’s 2022 LP Sometimes, Forever, leading into more dynamic lighting. Reds and yellows flickered across the stage like fire in a mockery of the nearly freezing temperatures the audience faced. Allison once again checked in with the audience, asking, “Are you guys cold?” to which the crowd yelled, “YES” as it began to drizzle. 

At the midpoint of the shortened set, “Cool” marked a shift into intensity, with the drumming becoming as frenzied as the shifting multicolored lights illuminating the stage. “She won’t ever love no boy / She’ll treat you like a fucking toy / She’ll break your heart and steal your joy, like a criminal,” she sang with a sunny disposition, even as guitarist Julian Powell rocked harder.

Diving between songs on Evergreen like the wispy, acoustic “Thinking of You” and similarly wistful “Some Sunny Day,” the Nashville native switched back to her baby blue guitar for “M,” an uptempo yet stripped-back track with a synthesized, ethereal flute outro. On the studio version of the song, the fairy-like conclusion drips perfectly into the metaphor-filled “royal screw up,” a track complete with a synthesized string section arrangement. In Allison’s live Austin version, however, “royal screw up” managed to develop a more electronic, city-pop-inspired feel thanks to Avendaño’s masterful command of the soundboard — a perfect match for the cold, rainy night.   

After the performance of “Lost,” a track full of atmospheric synths, Allison declared the show would be ending early due to rain and cold weather. She announced, “We got a couple more for you guys, after we dry everything off … Everyone keep your extremities safe.” Hot pink lights blazed as the band powered through the final songs in frigid weather, with the closing stretch including the bass-powered, fan favorite “Your Dog,” spurring fans into singing alongside Allison. followed by the self-acceptance ballad “Don’t Ask Me” in the slightly shortened encore. This shoegaze track was the perfect finale to a dark, freezing night, with Allison striding off stage after a few grateful thank-yous and waves.

Soccer Mommy, with the opening help of Hana Vu, provided an unforgettable concert in the freezing cold air of Austin, Texas. Even in a shortened version of her set, Sophie Allison proved that she was the “Driver” of her tender performance.