Loud Luxury w/Neon Dreams, Fama,
Karate Kactus
Tue, Nov 26, 7pm
Cunard Centre, 961 Marginal Road
$41.50-$52.50
This has been more than just a coming out year for Halifax's Neon Dreams. After 2019 witnessed the release of the band's debut full-length album (that'd be the long-awaited Sweet Dreams Till Sundown) hits like "High School Dropout," four gold Best of Halifax Readers' Choice Awards and countless gigs, the EDM-fuelled duo has found its proverbial groove. About to embark on a tour with The Strumbellas, 2020 sees the come-up continue—but first, the self-described alt-pop two-piece makes a pit stop in its hometown to help fans shuffle their feet.
We caught up with frontman Frank Kadillac ahead of the November 26 show.
The Coast: It's been a great year for Neon Dreams. What do you think has been the key to success in 2019?
Frank Kadillac: "Personally, I think the key is what happened to me at the beginning of the year: I had a full album and, for some reason, I just started studying music hard and I realized I didn't like this and I scrapped the whole album and decided I needed to learn a lot more so I could get to the people. I met all kinds of friends from music and they invited me to where they're from, so I went to Korea, Denmark, Germany, Cornwall UK—all these places and I learned so many things about life and what people enjoy out of life, what their struggles are in all different societies."
What is the greatest comment you've read or heard from fans in 2019?
"The fans are incredible. I would say the best one we got is 'you've helped me change my life' or 'you've helped me feel better.' Because that's the goal of Neon Dreams—helping people feel better."
You released a version of Weezer's "Beverly Hills" as well this year. Why did you cover that song?
"Honestly, I just bought a ukulele for one of our songs—'Life Without Fantasies'—so in practice, I threw a video of it on Instagram just messing around singing 'Beverly Hills' and all of our fans said you need to record this [so] we just decided to try it out and people really like it."
Any surprises planned for the homecoming gig in Halifax?
"I'm working on it. I've been plotting for a while [laughs]. I can't reveal it but since Halifax hasn't seen Neon Dreams since the changes, expect a full-sounding band. It sounds like six people on stage even though it's only two of us."
What's the best concert you have ever attended?
"There are two. I saw Coldplay live for the first time [and] the light show, the theatrics and all the songs and the colours—even between acts, they played meditation music instead of house music—I respect it so much because I love listening to instrumentals; too many words in your head scrambles your brain. Then my second concert I just went to last week. I saw Taking Back Sunday live—that was just nostalgic for me."
This Q&A has been edited for length and clarity
