A Reunion with Austin’s Music Scene: Crumb Concert Review

By Joaquin Lewis

Music Journalist

Crumb is a band that has managed to quietly secure a beloved spot in the Austin music scene. Having heard it in the conversations around me—many concertgoers had first discovered the band during their 2021 set at Levitation Festival, an experience that clearly stuck with them. The fact that tonight’s show was hosted by Austin’s own KUTX 98.9 only added to the sense of homegrown appreciation, feeling like Austin’s way of welcoming back one of its own. 

I first encountered Crumb back in 2018 through their breakout song “Locket,” from the EP of the same name. With a unique ability to weave together seemingly unrelated chords and craft soft-spoken melodies tinged with psychedelia, it’s no wonder this EP was on repeat for me at the time. However, as time passed, I lost track of the band and their releases. Albums like Jinx and Ice Melt certainly deserved my attention, but life pulled me in different directions. Attending this concert felt like stepping into a time capsule—a fleeting opportunity to reconnect with memories that had quietly faded. 

In that moment, it felt like the city and the band had come together to remind me of the music that once shaped my experience, drawing me back into a world that felt familiar and out of reach. 

The concert unfolded like a slow burn, their set front-loaded with the mellow, dreamlike ambiance of AMAMA, their latest release. Songs like “The Bug” and “Genie” embodied Crumb’s evolving sound, reflecting their growing interest in the relaxed mix of psychedelia. The stage lights, beaming upward, caught the mirrored set as they shot in a fog swirling around the band. The music and visuals were in perfect sync, playing into the relaxed and slow moving. Stage presence brought by the band. With lead singer Lila Ramani remarking, “It’s been a while since we’ve done a headline show in Austin,” the connection held by the Austin audience finally came to light with an uproar of cheer. Her words bringing the crowd to life, the energy becoming charged as the band broke into “Dust Bunny” and “Retreat!” back-to-back. 

Afterward, Crumb returned to their signature sound—a hazy, indie-psychedelia groove that felt like slipping back into something familiar. But then came an unexpected moment: the band played a rendition of “Nina,” a crowd favorite. Standing next to my sister, who shares the same name, it became an unexpectedly special moment for me. It was one of those small instances where life and music seem to collide perfectly, and for a brief moment, the song felt like it was speaking directly to me. While the song washed over the entire crowd, it found a home that felt uniquely my own.  

Crumb brought the psychedelic energy of their 2021 Levitation performance back to Austin, and it was a moment the city warmly embraced. As they closed the night with “Locket,” it felt like the culmination of everything this concert had come to symbolize for me—a moment of reflection on the role of music, art, and the self. Even if it was just for a fleeting moment at Emo’s, it was a special moment nonetheless.