Papa’s Boat Tour Had Me Floating

Emma Paff

Rap/Hip-Hop Director

This past Tuesday, I had the pleasure of experiencing Dana and Alden’s Papa’s Boat Tour at Paper Tiger in San Antonio. The night started off perfectly; while my photographer and I were walking up to the venue, we met the dynamic duo themselves. Brothers Dana and Alden McWayne were hanging out across the street with big smiles on their faces, greeting a group of fans. After we introduced ourselves, we got to talking about Texas, the tour, and what they were looking forward to. Alden, sporting his cowboy hat, said that he has enjoyed Texas and the people in it and was looking forward to trying a Ranch Water (the seltzer drink) for the first time. The conversation did not feel rushed or cut short; they took their time to talk with us and even invited our photographer, Reece Owens, to take a photo of them. Needless to say, we were both eager to get inside and hear them perform.

Once we got inside, people were scattered about, checking out the merch station and grabbing drinks before making their way up to the stage. The venue had a small, more intimate setting, inviting the audience to get up close and personal with the band. The stage was lit up with purple lights, with a keyboard stand on the right, synthesizers in the middle, and a drum set on the left. The smaller crowd was perfect for an intimate listening experience of indie jazz. 

The night opened with artist Ania Hoo. She walked out in the swaggiest silver cowgirl boots and greeted us with her track “555” off her house club EP MORNING STAR: SIDE A. The audience swayed to her velvety voice. It was smooth, natural, and she carried herself with a divine elegance that really drew me into her performance. 

Ania loosened up the crowd with her tracks “Say What You Want” and “Make Me Up.” Between tracks, she described her album and her connection to astrology, including Morning Star as a nickname for the planet Venus, and how she wanted to make sad music that can also be danced to in the club. After hearing her set, I would love to sway to her songs in a club. 

Ania also played us two unreleased tracks, “JOMO” and “IRL.” “JOMO,” or the joy of missing out, is a twist on the feeling we all know too well: FOMO. “We enjoy missing out. Please don’t invite me. I don’t wanna go,” she said. She ended her set with her newly released track, “IRL,” about falling for someone online. The whole crowd was jumping and grooving alongside her. I loved getting to know Ania through her music. Her short descriptions, constant eye contact, and angelic voice felt cleansing and freeing.

Alden playing drums | Credit: Reece Owens

Dana on Sax | Credit: Reece Owens

After Ania warmed up the crowd, Dana and Alden’s band took the stage. The purple lights reflected off them in a pink hue, and a funny picture of the entire band, with each of them from the waist up, was projected from behind them, setting the tone for the night. The band all attended the Berklee College of Music with Alden, and seeing them take their places in front of their instruments had me impatiently waiting for trained musicians to start. Swedish singer and pianist Ebba Dankel took her place in front of the keys. The soprano sax, held by Salim Charvet from France, joined him in front of the synthesizers, and Andrew Mitchell stood on his right with his bass guitar that sported a black bandana wrapped around the headstock.

The band opened with their track “Stanley” off the album Quiet Music for Young People, and when Dana and Alden came out, everyone erupted in cheers. Dana took center stage with his saxophone and began serenading us, and Alden sat behind his drum set with the most euphoric expression on his face. The audience was full of energy, but Alden slowed things down for a minute after the first song. “Everyone take a deep breath,” he said. “You can do anything,” before immediately bringing the energy back up with the song “You Can Do Anything.” Ebba’s vocals and Dana’s tenor saxophone were perfectly in sync; my eyes were bouncing back and forth throughout the song. 

Their next track, “Coyote, You’re My Star,” had everyone jumping and clapping along. Ebba and Alden harmonized together, making direct eye contact with each other as if they were reading each other’s minds. In fact, throughout the entire show, I watched as each member, at different times, made direct eye contact with another member and played like they were one being with multiple limbs. 

The whimsy continued when Alden left his drums during the track “Baby, You’re Gonna Miss That Plane,” and grabbed some bar chimes. Magic was in the air as he twirled around his bandmates before bringing the chimes up to the front row for the audience to take a turn. Alden definitely interacted with the audience the most and really brought the fun on the stage, even making his bandmates giggle during his antics. 

They ran through an extensive set list, including “Return of the Coyote,” “Napa 86,” “July 98,” “Let’s Go to Trader Joe’s,” and much more, but there wasn’t a moment when I wanted it to end. After each song, I became more and more enthralled with the sound of Dana and Alden. The band played together in beautiful harmony, and each of them blew me away. 

We met up with Alden again after the show to get our merch signed and thank him for such an amazing night. Again, the mutual respect showed through his genuineness and humor. Papa’s Boat tour gave me a new appreciation for jazz music, and the band showed me just how much fun can be incorporated into a concert. And yes, Alden let us know that he did, in fact, enjoy the Ranch Water.