McKenzie Davis
Sep 20, 2026
Lunar Vacation brought their eight-stop fall tour to a close at WorkPlay in Birmingham, Alabama, with Closebye opening a laid-back Thursday night of indie rock, hazy lights, and one final goodbye.
It was a slow Thursday night in Birmingham as fans trickled into WorkPlay, but the ones who made it out were ready to move.
WorkPlay stayed dark and hazy for most of the night, which honestly fit both bands perfectly. It was moody, relaxed, and the kind of room where you could dance like no one was watching.
New York quartet Closebye kicked things off. Made up of Jonah Paul Smith, Margaux Bouchegnies, Julian Paint Smith, and Simon Clinton, the band played a mix of newer music and songs that seemed to be new to a lot of us in the room.
That didn't really matter. Even without knowing what song was coming next, their set was fun to get lost in. Personally, their live sound reminded me of a mix between Foster the People and Bad Suns, with catchy indie-pop mixed into a sound that was a little more laid-back and atmospheric. By the end of their set, they had warmed up a crowd that was more than ready for Lunar Vacation.
For Lunar Vacation, Birmingham wasn't just another stop. It was the eighth and final night of their fall tour.
Gep Repasky, Maggie Geeslin, Matteo DeLurgio, and Connor Dowd took the stage looking about as relaxed as they sounded between songs. They were casual, comfortable, and pretty soft-spoken with the crowd, which made the whole show feel more intimate.
You could tell there was a little bit of that last-night-of-tour feeling onstage, too. Both bands talked about how much fun the run had been and how grateful they were to everyone who came out along the way. There was some bittersweetness knowing this was the end, but it never brought the energy down.
The crowd stayed moving throughout the set, with “Unlucky” and “Gears” getting some of the biggest reactions of the night. Fans sang along, danced, and made the smaller Thursday-night crowd feel like exactly the right crowd for the show.
Eventually came the announcement that no one really wants to hear: they only had a couple more songs.
Lunar Vacation finished the night with “The Basement,” gave their final thanks to Birmingham, and walked offstage. Everyone stayed put for a minute, hoping we might get one more.
Then the house lights came on, and the stage started getting cleared. Nope. That was it.
But honestly, it felt like a good place to leave things.
Lunar Vacation also shared that they're already planning another tour and hope to make it back to Birmingham next year. So while we didn't get one more song Thursday night, hopefully we won't have to wait too long for another show.
Until next time.