Boston’s Paradise Rock Club hosted “trop-pop” band Summer Salt for their “Driving Back to Hawaii” tour on Sept. 20. Celebrating the 10-year anniversary of their debut EP “Driving to Hawaii” (2014), the band played the album in its entirety for the first time ever for a live audience.
With fluorescent blue lights and painted cardboard waves surrounding the stage, Summer Salt was ready to take its Boston fans on an island vacation. The Hawaiian-shirt clad original duo of lead singer/guitarist Matthew Terry and drummer Eugene Chung stepped out onto the stage, followed by touring members Anthony Barnett and Winston Triolo. The band then launched into performances of their 2016 single “Going Native” and “Ribbons” (2024), the latter being the opening track off their latest album “Electrolytes.”
After introducing themselves, they delivered a vibrant performance of “Revvin’ My CJ7” (2017), which, judging by the volume and energy of the crowd, was one of the most popular songs of the night. After a few other songs from Summer Salt’s previous releases, they prepared themselves to play all six tracks on “Driving to Hawaii” back-to-back in the same order as they are on the EP.
Swinging into it with “Time Away from Home” and “Sweet to Me,” the latter being another indie-pop hit that had the audience singing along, Summer Salt transformed the club into a tropical paradise. Soft reggae-inspired rhythms alongside the tonal harmonies from the three guitars on stage conjured images of palm trees swaying in a warm breeze and sunny days on the beach. Truly, it was the perfect way to spend one of the last official days of summer.
“Rockaway,” the third song on the EP, begins with the sound effect of a canned beverage being opened. Terry and fellow touring member Anthony Barnett instructed the audience to make the sound with their own voices. On Terry’s count of three, a resonant “ker-chhhh” erupted from the audience as Terry opened his own can of Polar Seltzer next to his vocal mic to create the iconic effect.
“Driving to Hawaii,” the title track of the EP, followed. This dreamy waltz had fans swaying to the beat. The songs that followed, “Give My Heart a Little Break” and “Tidal Waves,” created similar chill vibes. Chung’s steady surf-rock beat keeps time, like the waves rolling in and out of the tide. He keeps the songs grounded while the bright chords and jazzy fingerpicking of the guitars transport the listeners into an atmosphere of both relaxation and celebration.
Terry’s light, melodic singing style, especially when complimented by the smooth backing vocals from the rest of the band, contributed to the rich storytelling that Summer Salt has been doing flawlessly for the last decade. He sails through the notes with ease, and despite demonstrating remarkable vocal talent, keeps his voice sweet and mellow. Rather than showing off his vocal prowess, Terry blends his voice seamlessly with the rest of the band to cultivate the sweet vibe essential to Summer Salt’s vision.
After closing out this 2024 rendition of “Driving to Hawaii,” Summer Salt still had lots more up their flowy shirt sleeve. “Trouble in Paradise” (2021) followed, but there was no trouble to be found in Paradise (Rock Club). The swanky indie-rock performance of the piece provokes the question: Why aren’t they playing at a bigger venue? The music feels too well done, too expertly crafted, to be shared so intimately in this space.
“Deja Vu,” a single from “Electrolytes” (2024), elicits even more pleasant vibes and vivid imagery. “Sunday morning, rainbows falling/ We ain’t got nothing else to do/ Jumped off the waterfalls/ And closed our eyes and hoped for deja vu,” the band sings as they immerse the audience in a scene of adventure and carefree summer bliss.
“Speaking Sonar” and “Life Ain’t the Same” from “Happy Camper” (2018) followed. Terry, who had performed the entire show without shoes, finally addressed his lack of footwear: “With socks [you can] just spin all day; you don’t need any work or any athletic ability. Next time we come to Boston, we’re all gonna be wearing socks.” He spun around the stage excitedly. The band then concluded the set with the refreshing bedroom-pop tune “Candy Wrappers” (2017), arguably Summer Salt’s most well-known song.
During their encore, Summer Salt performed passionate renditions of “Fire Flower” (2019) and “Gimme Little Sign” (2024), prolonging the sunshine inside the venue for a little while longer before the audience had to face the cold and rainy Boston night. Summer may technically be over, but Summer Salt gave a brilliant performance that will keep fans’ hearts warm well into the autumn months.
