Fruit Bats

Fruit Bats bring Eric D. Johnson’s long-running indie folk project to The Concert Hall in Toronto on July 21, 2026. Launched in Chicago in 1997, Fruit Bats has always been a flexible band built around Johnson, mixing indie folk, gentle rock, psych-pop shades and an Americana sense of songwriting. Early records like Echolocation (2001) and Mouthfuls (2003) set the template with acoustic guitars, vocal harmonies and melodic hooks, followed by Spelled in Bones (2009) and Tripper (2011), which widened the frame while keeping the focus on the song. Along the way, Johnson also worked with The Shins, and carried the project forward with Absolute Loser (2016), Gold Past Life (2019), The Pet Parade (2021) and A River Running to Your Heart (2023).

On stage, the band leans into a clear, organic sound: bright strums, warm keys, understated rhythms and storytelling that moves between folk reveries and soft-rock sway. The set draws across the catalog, reshaping older tunes alongside newer material, with Johnson’s voice and close harmonies at the center. Expect arrangements that breathe, tempos that leave space, and a flow that highlights the craft of songs built to linger.