Review & photos by Ron Lyon (@ronlyonphoto)
Opening night of a national tour is rarely without a few surprises, and the Rival Sons’ October 30 performance at the Knitting Factory in Boise, Idaho, was no exception. With a new bassist stepping into the lineup, a set list reaching deep into the band’s catalog, and technical difficulties threatening to disrupt the evening’s schedule, the California rockers had plenty to navigate before playing their first note.
The evening marked the beginning of the Domestic Bliss tour, a coast-to-coast American run that finds Rival Sons returning to markets outside the usual major-city circuit. The Velveteers and The Blue Stones opened the show, which got underway a bit behind schedule due to some opening-night technical gremlins. Despite the minor setback, the evening moved forward, with Rival Sons frontman Jay Buchanan extending a friendly gesture to both supporting acts backstage, treating them to a bottle of tequila.
Despite the complications, the evening provided an opportunity to see Rival Sons begin another chapter in a career that has taken them from intimate American clubs to major European festivals and stadium stages, and back again.
One significant change was the presence of bassist Darwin Johnson, filling in for longtime member Dave Beste, who is temporarily away from the tour. Johnson, whose musical background includes work with Ben Harper and the Innocent Criminals, faced a particularly demanding assignment.
Speaking backstage before the show, Holiday revealed that the band had managed only two rehearsals with Johnson before arriving in Boise. “We had two rehearsals before the show,” he explained, describing the sessions as fast-paced preparations involving approximately 30 songs spanning the band’s nine albums.
Rather than relying exclusively on familiar concert staples, Holiday assembled a repertoire intended to give long-time followers a combination of established favorites and lesser-performed material.
The Boise setlist opened with “Open My Eyes,” followed by “All Over,” “You Want To,” and “Sugar on the Bone.” Other selections included “Sweet Life,” “Manifest,” “Back in the Woods,” and “Too Bad,” demonstrating the band’s willingness to revisit different periods of its recording history.
The latter portion of the 15-song set featured “Pressure & Time,” “Electric Man,” “All Directions,” “Thundering Voices,” “Do Your Worst,” and “Secret.”
The selection offered an interesting balance between songs that helped establish Rival Sons’ reputation and material that has received less attention in recent live performances. Holiday, who released his debut solo album, Topology, over the summer, says that the band’s current touring strategy also reflects the realities of the music business.
With Rival Sons between album cycles, Domestic Bliss emphasizes smaller and secondary markets while reserving some major-city appearances for future touring opportunities. That approach follows a year in which the band confronted increasingly difficult international touring economics.
Holiday described how rising transportation and operating expenses prompted Rival Sons to substantially shorten their planned European summer tour. In some circumstances, he explained, reducing the number of dates could actually produce a better financial result.
Yet, the guitarist’s enthusiasm for touring remains unmistakable. “We’re a happy touring band, not a depressed or sad touring band,” Holiday said. “We are happy to play. We love to play together.”
For Holiday, the rewards extend beyond ticket sales, recording contracts, or recognition. He described touring as a calling, something that connects musicians to one another and allows audiences to share experiences that go beyond the songs themselves.
Those reflections carry particular weight as Rival Sons look toward 2027. The band intends to begin recording another album in January, while Holiday is also preparing to take his solo project, H0L1D4Y, onto the road.
For now, however, the focus is firmly on Domestic Bliss.
After Boise, the tour heads to Seattle’s Showbox, with the band facing an overnight journey of nearly 500 miles before its second performance.
It’s the kind of demanding schedule Holiday knows well, and one he continues to embrace.
As he explained backstage, the life of a touring musician isn’t necessarily for everyone. But for those who feel called to it, the road offers something difficult to find anywhere else: the chance to connect with people through music, night after night.
And for Rival Sons, that journey began again in Boise.
