Eve 6, Fastball Find ‘The Way’ Back to the ’90s

Tuesday night at the Echo Lounge & Music Hall felt less like a standard concert and more like a high school reunion where everyone actually likes each other (if such a thing exists). We gathered to put our collective hearts in a blender, stepping back to a time when alt-rock ruled the radio and our biggest worry was whether our favorite mixtape would survive another car ride. Eve 6 and Fastball brought their late ’90s and early ’00s magic to Dallas, proving that while time marches on, a good hook never really ages.

Both bands carry a deeply admirable, self-aware understanding of their place in the music universe. They know they are the soundtrack to our youthful hangouts and awkward proms. They do not pretend to be the freshest faces on the Billboard charts. Instead, they lean into their legacy with a heavy dose of wit and gratitude.

Texas natives Fastball took the stage first, greeting the home-state crowd with a laid-back Austin charm. The set offered a spirited trip through their catalog, but the band’s real highlight, and perhaps the best testament to where their strengths now lie, was “House on the Edge of the World.” Here, Fastball reached the peak of their performing powers, weaving reverby, plucking guitar with vocals that felt more soulful and lived-in than ever before. It was the moment when the band’s maturity and evolved sound shone through, hinting at a promising direction for their future work.

They kept things lively and unpredictable by sprinkling their set with a run of fun covers, including Steve Miller Band’s “Gangster of Love,” ZZ Top’s “Thunderbird” and even Justin Bieber and DJ Snake’s “Let Me Love You,” which now doubles as their playful new single.

Adding to the evening’s charm was the hilarious backstory behind their minute-long track “Shortwave.” In a truly Austin moment from 2004, the band found themselves welcomed by a local studio owner clad in a bathrobe at 7 p.m., who lured them with spaghetti and shared bottles of red wine, and then slammed his hand on the table, demanding they lay down a recording on the spot. The wine-soaked result made the album — a testament to the band’s spirit of spontaneity.

The crowd came unglued for Fastball’s big hits “The Way” and “Out of My Head,” transforming the Echo Lounge into a full-throated, joyful and nostalgic karaoke.

Fun fact: Fastball’s biggest hit, “The Way,” was inspired by the real-life story of Lela and Raymond Howard, an elderly couple from Salado, Texas, (about two hours from Dallas), who went missing in 1997.

When Eve 6 took the stage, frontman Max Collins brought an infectious, self-deprecating energy. The band jokes online about having “a hit and a half,” and while their live show no longer packs the sonic punch it once did, their confidence and acceptance of where they are now shine through. The performance felt more like a lively cover band reliving its glory days than the tightly honed act of their youth, but their playful spirit and unfiltered humor ultimately made the night enjoyable. Collins’ voice may carry more rust and less control than before, but he leans into it with cartoonish, theatrical flair that suits the band’s don’t-care attitude perfectly.

Collins playfully called out the stereotypical alternative rock fans in the room — those standing with crossed arms and furrowed brows, projecting stoic strength while waiting for the band to mess up. He welcomed them warmly before launching into the hard-boiled noir energy of “Think Twice.” The banter peaked when Collins introduced “Anytime,” a track from the 2001 snowboarding comedy Out Cold. With total deadpan delivery, he referred to the raunchy teen movie as “Casablanca on the slopes,” a film that “changed the way people make and perceive cinema.”

Midway through the set, Eve 6 dropped “Here’s to the Night,” much to the crowd’s delight, and skillfully wove in the chorus of Better Than Ezra’s “Good,” bringing a playful, unexpected punch to the nostalgia trip. The true peak came toward the end of their set with the opening riff of “Inside Out,” which sent a shockwave of pure adrenaline through the room as hundreds of fans screamed about swallowing their pride.

Sure, we can no longer claim we are teenagers. We have mortgages, back pain and early bedtimes. But for a few hours on a Tuesday night in Dallas, Fastball and Eve 6 made us forget the passing decades. They gave us exactly what we needed: a clever, passionate and fun trip down memory lane.

Fastball and Eve 6 will close out their April tour together with a final Texas date on April 22 in Corpus Christi, followed by their last stop in Birmingham, Alabama, on April 24. Tickets are $35.50 and available through Eve 6’s website.