On June 11, 2025, the art-pop rebels known as tUnE yArDs lit up The Bellwether in Los Angeles with a performance that was equal parts dance party, peaceful protest rally, and spiritual awakening in a swirly ice cream cone. The sold-out show was a centerpiece of the band’s long-awaited 2025 tour in support of their sixth studio album, Better Dreaming—a record that is already being hailed as one of their most powerful statements yet.
But the tone of the city outside couldn’t help but seep it’s way into the minds of everyone inside the venue. The voice and the conscience of tUnE yArDs, Merrill Garbus spoke for the audience when she expressed solidarity with Los Angeles and how good it was that we could all be together, to dance together and let go for a few hours. Prophetic gratitude, indeed.
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The Bellwether Show: A Night of Radical Joy
Taking the stage just after 9 p.m., Merrill Garbus and Nate Brenner launched into a hypnotic, high-energy set that spanned the full arc of their discography—from the raw chaos of early work to the groove-drenched anthems of their latest LP.
tUnE yArDs LA Setlist Highlights:
Heartbreak
My Country
Water Fountain
How Big Is the Rainbow
Rainbow People
Real Live
Powa (Encore)
Limelight (Encore)
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New tUnE yArDs songs like “How Big Is the Rainbow” and “Never Look Back” hit especially hard in the live setting—layered vocals, looped percussion, and blazing lights made the venue feel like both a revival tent and a basement rave. Garbus, as always, was a magnetic force: commanding, compassionate, and unapologetically political.
Fans erupted during the encore as “Powa” gave way to the infectious rhythm of “Limelight,” closing the night on a defiant, celebratory note. For longtime fans and newcomers alike, this LA stop wasn’t just a show—it was an awakening.
The 2025 Better Dreaming Tour- A Full Body Experience
tUnE‑yArDs’ 2025 tour marks their first full-scale live run in over three years—and the response has been overwhelming. Beginning in May on the East Coast, the tour has wound its way across North America, delivering cathartic, high-intensity performances night after night.
Select tUnE-yArDs’ Tour Dates:
May 19 – Philadelphia, PA
June 7 – Berkeley, CA
June 11 – Los Angeles, CA
June 15 – Portland, OR
Sep 14 – San Diego, CA (with Ani DiFranco)
Oct 9 – Brooklyn, NY (Bowery Ballroom)
Fall 2025 – Toronto, Atlanta, Nashville, Washington DC
Nov 2025 – London, Dublin, Amsterdam (EU tour announced)
Fans have praised the tour’s dynamic setlists, intimate venues, and emotionally charged performances. Each show has been a masterclass in how to turn experimental pop into a cohesive work and a full-body communal experience.
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Better Dreaming- The New tUnE yArDs Album
Released on May 16, 2025 via 4AD, Better Dreaming is tUnE yArDs at their most melodic, focused, and spiritually awake. Drawing on dance, funk, and electronic influences, the album manages to be both deeply political and incredibly fun—a balancing act only this band could pull off.
Standout Tracks:
Limelight – An anthemic groove with a surreal, color-drenched video by Jayla Smith.
How Big Is the Rainbow – A queer liberation anthem starring artist Star Amerasu.
Heartbreak – A standout opener that grapples with self-love and survival.
Garbus, who became a parent during the pandemic, has said that the album is about “presence, connection, and healing.” It reflects a shift toward joy—not as escapism, but as a form of protest and collective resilience.
Who Are tUnE-yArDs?
In the most literal sense, tUnE yArDs is the long-running project of Merrill Garbus, a fearless vocalist, producer, and multi-instrumentalist whose early work fused lo-fi experimentation with African rhythms, punk energy, and soul. In the metaphorical and symbolic sense of the question, as is the case with any artist with great depth- that’s for their burgeoning legacy to answer.
After starting as a solo project in 2006, Garbus teamed up with Nate Brenner, whose bass lines and compositional chops helped shape the group’s breakout album, WHOKILL (2011). That record topped the Village Voice’s Pazz & Jop poll and announced tUnE‑yArDs as one of the most original voices in indie music.
Over the next decade, tUnE yArDs continued to evolve:
Nikki Nack (2014) added pop polish and gave us “Water Fountain,” a viral hit featured in a Google ad.
I Can Feel You Creep into My Private Life (2018) brought in heavier electronics and deeper introspection.
Their 2018 film score for Sorry to Bother You (dir. Boots Riley) revealed yet another layer to their artistic range.
They’ve performed everywhere from Coachella to NPR’s Tiny Desk and remain one of the most innovative and unpredictable acts on the scene.
The Message Behind the Music
tUnE‑yArDs has always been more than music—it’s a project rooted in activism, healing, expression and transformation. Whether exploring themes of white privilege, climate change, queer identity, or mental health, Garbus has never shied away from difficult conversations. But on Better Dreaming, the focus shifts: less guilt, more growth. Less fragmentation, more embodiment.
What’s Next?
Following the North American run, tUnE‑yArDs will bring Better Dreaming to Europe this fall, including stops in London, Dublin, and Amsterdam. Additional shows and festival appearances are expected into early 2026.
tUnE-yArDs Fans should also keep an eye out for:
A potential deluxe edition of Better Dreaming
New music videos and visual content
More unreleased material teased in their recent Reddit AMA
Final Thoughts
With Better Dreaming and their 2025 tour, tUnE‑yArDs aren’t just back—they’re reborn in the way that only an enduring legacy can define. Their Los Angeles stop at The Bellwether was a reminder of the power of live music to move bodies, shift minds, and build community.
In a world that often feels like it’s unraveling, tUnE‑yArDs dares us to dream better—and dance harder.
Words: Danny Baraz
Photos: Lexi Bonin
