CHANEL BEADS TURN A SOLD-OUT FONDA THEATRE INTO A COLLECTIVE CATHARSIS
On October 2, 2026, on a very hot LA night, Car Culture opened the show at the Fonda Theatre. They have a very chill, expansive sound that makes it easy to get lost in their flow. It was a great way to set the stage. Their song “Coping Mechanisms” was a particular favorite.
Horse Vision was up next, all the way from Sweden. I’d been hearing about them for a little while, so I was excited to finally see them play. I was really into “Back of My Hand,” which captures their sound perfectly.
The crowd buzzed with excitement as Chanel Beads walked onstage. There was this girl in the front row crying and calling out for frontman Shane Lavers like her life depended on being there in that exact moment. It was kind of beautiful to see that kind of passion live in front of you.
Beyond her, you could immediately feel a deeper connection between the band and everyone in the room. Then I realized I wasn’t the only one listening to their music at full blast, completely lost in their world. Obviously, lol. They had sold out the Fonda Theatre.
Listening to Chanel Beads feels like living inside a present-day daydream that you’re somehow already nostalgic for. Their music feels familiar and distant at the same time, like remembering something that hasn’t happened yet.
“Song for the Messenger” feels like what it would sound like if your heart could physically explode from feeling too many things at once. It’s overwhelming in the best way. My personal favorites were “Tyler Richard,” “Song for the Messenger,” and “The Coward Forgets His Nightmare,” which seemed to be everyone else’s favorites, judging by the room's reaction.
The instrumentation thrashes with these understated vocals, yet somehow still feels loud. Softness sits next to a sonic labyrinth, restraint next to something you can only describe as inner turmoil seeping out. It reminds me of how you appreciate quiet after being surrounded by noise for too long. You need one to understand the other. Chanel Beads seem to understand that instinctively.
Watching Shane onstage, he seemed almost possessed by the music, constantly in motion. Whatever was happening inside of him had to find a physical way out, like he couldn’t contain it inside his body and had no choice but to let it go. There was something really cathartic about watching someone completely surrender to what they were creating.
And the audience was doing the same thing in their own way. Maybe they were singing every word, jumping up and down, crying, dancing, or standing completely still and taking it all in. It didn’t really matter. You could feel this collective catharsis happening throughout the room. Everyone was there for their own reason, but somehow we were all experiencing the same thing together.
Walking out of the venue afterward, I overheard someone say the night felt special, like one of those experiences you don’t get every day.
And I think he was right.
Something about seeing Chanel Beads live felt bigger than just seeing a band play a sold-out show.
They’re really onto something.
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