Stop Light Observations 2024 Tour Finale
by Claire Johnson | November 7th , 2024
All images are from Stop Light Observations - Fall 2024 Tour in Washington DC on 11/7/24.
Photo by Claire Johnson | @clairejellocreative
Stop Light Observations just played their last show of the year at The Atlantis in Washington DC on December 7, 2024.The national touring act performed for a very enthusiastic crowd ending their 35 show run across 21 states.
Their latest single, “Levi,” was released almost a year ago on January 12, 2024 and is the only song they put out in 2024. Fans are hopeful for new music to be released in the new year to go along with their recently announced winter tour dates for 2025.
Originating from Charleston, South Carolina, Stop Light Observations or SLO was formed in 2011 by a group of friends in their early teens. The band has changed their lineup a few times over the years as the band has evolved and members decided to take different paths. However, the one thing that remained the same throughout the history of the band is vocalist William Blackburn. Growing up listening to black gospel and soul, it is very evident of the influence his childhood has on his songwriting and creative processes.
Stop Light Observations has always been a collaborative project with a focus on the theatrical aspects of their liveshow. Everyone on stage is always working together to create this ever-changing, sonically pleasing performance. No two performances are alike with the way the band improvises during instrumental breaks and the unique vocal runs that Blackburn incorporates into the live show. For Blackburn, performing with SLO is somewhat like playing a character who navigates different narratives within the songs’ intricate storytelling.
Photo by Claire Johnson | @clairejellocreative
Onstage alongside Blackburn, is William Mahoney on guitar, Oleg Terentiev on drums, Noah James on piano/keys, and David Beam on guitar. While Blackburn’s voice certainly allows for SLO’s recognizable and identifiable sound, the magic happens when all of the band members are playing together to create a cohesive and energizing set of noteworthy performances.
The band opened with a slower rendition of “Dinosaur Bones” off their 2016 album TOOGOODOO. During the performance, Blackburn added note changes and vocal runs that transformed the way I will listen to the song in the future. The amount of emotion and rawness that is present in SLO’s live performances is one of the main reasons for their continued success nationwide. Almost half way through the set, SLO performed one of their fan favorites “Heals My Heart,” a love song full of descriptive lyrics that are reminiscent of all the simple things people experience when they're in love. The crowd cheered the most all night as Blackburn kept the audience captivated during the entire song with his stunning vocal runs that are perfectly executed with technical precision without compromising the emotional integrity of the song.
Stop Light Observations ended their set with an encore consisting of “Who You Are” and “Aquarius Apocalyptic,” while also throwing in some unplanned snippets of “Christmas Time Is Here” from A Charlie Brown Christmas as well as “Thank You” by Dido. The whole venue clapped and cheered as the final notes were sung and the band lined up to take a final bow, thanking everyone for coming to the show, supporting live music and inviting everyone to come to a show in the new year.
http://www.stoplightobservations.com/
Setlist:
Dinosaur Bones
Levi
8Teen
57chevy
Ozymandias
Heals My Heart
Blue
Security
Good to you
Mashup of songs from Radiation
Smooth Little Operator
How Do You Feel?
13 Bullets
For Elizabeth
2 Young
Who You Are
Aquarius Apocalyptic
