On November 7, 2024, The The returned to the stage at Oakland’s historic Fox Theater, presenting a performance that transcended the boundaries of a standard rock concert—with a two-set format and no supporting act, the evening highlighted their new album, Ensoulment, and a retrospective of their catalog, offering a reflective journey that resonated profoundly with fans.
The Fox Theater, a 1920s Art Deco architecture masterpiece, provided a warm evening atmosphere. Initially opened in 1928 as a movie palace, the theater fell into disrepair in the late 20th century, sitting abandoned for decades before undergoing an extensive restoration. Reopened in 2009, it has since become a beloved venue for live music, locals, and cultural events. Its ornate inside contains Moorish and Indian-inspired designs and giant Buddhas brandishing glowing red eyes on either side of the stage.
The first set was dedicated to Ensoulment, performed in its entirety. As a record, Ensoulment defies easy categorization. Without extensive research, it feels like an intricate entanglement of modern living, written from the perspective of a Gen X/Boomer hybrid adapting to a world that often feels alienating in its convenience and impersonality. There’s a persistent tension between humanism and the mechanical nature of contemporary existence.
Themes of growth, spirituality, and recovery weave through the album, hinting at hard-earned wisdom drawn from turbulent experiences. Johnson’s lyrics grapple with the primal and the controlled, the animalistic and the temperate, reflecting on rocky “situationships” and struggles with sex addiction. This juxtaposition of raw nature and refined self-awareness gives Ensoulment a dreamy, guilt-ridden, yet grounded quality, as if each track emerges from the ashes of the past, stronger but scarred.
Listening to the album live felt like a critique of power—both personal and systemic. Lyrics like “a dictatorship in drag” reflected the precarious state of American politics, especially poignant coming just a day after the U.S. election. The desperation in certain moments left listeners grappling with humanity’s trajectory, its flaws laid bare against a society seemingly at odds with itself. As Johnson sang, I wondered: Is this about the misuse of power by governments? Or is it about our struggle to reconcile our better and baser instincts? Is AmeriKKKa in an abusive relationship with itself, and will it ever find the light at the end of the tunnel, or will it continue in masturbatory fashion, banging its head against the wall?
The second set offered a retrospective but with a twist. Rather than sticking to the familiar arrangements, The The reimagined their classics to align with the tenor of Ensoulment. These jazz-inflected, languid reinterpretations sauntered through the past with an air of tempered wisdom, drawing new emotional depths from songs like This Is the Day and Slow Emotion Replay.
Matt Johnson’s voice remained flawless throughout the evening. His baritone was imbued with a wistfulness that made even the most familiar tracks feel freshly poignant. Somewhere between The Clash and The Moody Blues is a core sound in the center of this band. There was a palpable emotional charge to his performance, a sense of nostalgia and awe that seemed to mirror the audience’s dry reverence.
The audience was predominantly composed of fans from the British Isles—polite yet visibly excited. Their restrained enthusiasm gave way to moments of genuine elation as the evening progressed, creating a shared intimacy that felt more like a gathering of kindred spirits than a conventional rock concert.
This wasn’t a night for rowdy theatrics like their 2018 show at the Masonic; it was a thoughtful, almost narrative experience that invited reflection without an opening act to dilute the focus.
As the evening wrapped up and I left the venue with an uncertain smile, it was clear this was more than a performance. It was a meditation on growth, resilience, and the human condition—a perfect marriage of music and moment. In a time when the world feels increasingly fractured, The The reminded us of the power of connection, of art, and of finding meaning amid chaos.
