Two days after a triumphant show at the Troubadour in West Hollywood, Irish rock band Florence Road were hit with a gut punch: their van was broken into and all their gear, from guitars to pedalboards, were stolen. It was devastating news for the rising act, who had to cancel their performance that Friday afternoon at Eddie Vedder’s Ohana Festival in Dana Point, California.
“We’ve tried absolutely everything to make it happen today,” Florence Road wrote on social media to their fans, adding that they were working with Ohana organizers to find a way for them to still perform during the three-day fest. “We’re doing everything we can because we really, really want to play for you.”
The next day, the band had “GOOD NEWS” and announced that while their original Friday slot at 2 p.m. had been cancelled, the fest was able to squeeze them between heavy hitters Alabama Shakes and Tyler Childers later that evening.
When lead singer Lily Aron, drummer Hannah Kelly, guitarist Emma Brandon, and bassist Ailbhe Barry took the stage at around 8 p.m. on Saturday, Aron thanked the Pearl Jam frontman and his Ohana crew who “put us on this gorgeous stage at this gorgeous time.”
“We’re so grateful. Thank you so much, and thank you all so much for being here as well. It means a lot for a little Irish band,” Aron said before diving into their brilliant heartbreak anthem, “Heavy,” and delivering a swath of fan favorites like “Hanging Out to Dry” and “Break the Girl.”
The quartet, which takes its name from a road in the coastal town of Bray in County Wicklow, Ireland, played their first headlining show in the U.S. in Brooklyn back in April following a banner year opening for the likes of Olivia Rodrigo, Sombr, and Wolf Alice. Since then, they’ve spent their summer on the road in support of their new EP, Spring Forward, and on the festival circuit across the globe including Primavera Sound in Barcelona, Spain, and Japan’s Summer Sonic Festival in Osaka.
Florence Road will be heading to their final stops of their North American run in New York, Boston, and Toronto. For now, though, they’re savoring that remarkable rebound.
