I first saw Colony House nearly four years ago when they opened on tour for Judah & the Lion. Since then, Colony House released a studio album and an EP, went viral on TikTok and were even featured in The Hullabaloo’s very own In Earshot column. 

Colony House is an indie rock quartet hailing from Franklin, Tennessee, a small town that birthed mainstream musicians like Miley Cyrus and Paramore. They took the stage on Nov. 14 at the House of Blues New Orleans. 

Colony House’s return to the stage for their 2021 tour aligned with my return to the concert scene. Despite a low COVID-19 positivity rate in the city and requirements of vaccination status or a negative PCR test, I’ve been avoiding large gatherings. However, I simply couldn’t miss out on a live performance from one of my favorite bands, and as soon as they took the stage, I was instantly reminded of what I have been missing. 

They opened with a recording of “You Know It,” and the lyrics — “and we’ll be back before you know, you know it” — was a nostalgic reminder of the formerly uncertain return of live music following the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Most of the concert was a celebration of life and joy, hidden behind thrumming drums and rock melodies. A close listen to the lyrics of “Waiting for My Time to Come” reveals messages of hope — “I’ve tried / I’ve failed / I thought I gave my all, now it’s hard to tell … I’m just waiting for the seasons to change / Waiting for the curtain to fall.” 

Even songs with melodies more akin to heavy metal, like “O YA,” carry similar sentiments. The song clearly reflects Colony House’s feelings during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic — “Cooped up for too long in this global lazaretto / Everybody feels this way / Everybody feels the pain (And the rules have changed) / Never gonna be the same in a good way / It could change in a good way.” 

Lead vocalist Caleb Chapman took the time to dedicate “Moving Forward” to the city of New Orleans following the devastation of Hurricane Ida a couple of months ago. For the only time the entire night, the crowd was silent because even though New Orleans has mostly recovered, other towns have yet to heal. 

Despite the bittersweet messages of love, laughter and failure, the show was a rock concert through and through. The crowd was mostly millennial couples, with only a dozen college-aged attendees, but the bass vibrating through the floor united us all. We danced and sang, basking in the exhilaration of Colony House’s performance. 

Colony House ended the show the way they started it — with an apt reminder that they’d be back before we knew it.