Inhaler: Open Wide North American Tour Review - Archer Music Hall, Allentown, PA
On Friday, September 26th, 2025, the Dublin-based indie rock band Inhaler (@inhalerdublin) brought their Open Wide North American Tour to Archer Music Hall in Allentown, PA.
I was able to catch Inhaler on the first run of their North American Tour in Philadelphia, PA, on March 8th, 2025, making this my second time seeing them live. This time around, they only hit cities and venues they’ve never played before. Inhaler, made up of Elijah Hewson, Josh Jenkinson, Robert Keating, and Ryan McMahon, has grown from a group of childhood friends into one of today’s most exciting indie rock bands. The band originally formed in 2012 and officially named themselves “Inhaler” in 2016, a nod to Hewson’s childhood asthma, turning something ‘uncool’ into something iconic. Although Elijah Hewson is the son of U2’s Bono, Inhaler quickly stepped out of that shadow and built its own name in the indie rock scene today.
Doors opened at 7 p.m., and by the time the lights dimmed, the room was buzzing with anticipation.
The Opener: Just
Bethlehem, PA’s own indie/alt-rock group Just (@thebandjust) had the honor of kicking the night off. The local band, made up of Dylan Sarkozy, Aadam Ameerally, Tyler Lahman, and Jordan Shames, stepped onstage right at 7:55 p.m. and packed a lot of energy into their 27-minute set. With bright guitars, tight rhythms, and vocals that balanced grit and emotion, they set the perfect tone for the night.
For fans in the Lehigh Valley, Just isn’t exactly new. They've been making their mark at Musikfest, The Funhouse, and other local spots, but opening for Inhaler at Archer Music Hall was an exciting step forward. I enjoyed their performance so much that I found myself adding their songs to my playlist afterward. Songs like “Forget” and their new single “Fitted Sheets” showed off their skills for catchy hooks and thoughtful lyrics, and by the end of their set, the crowd was warmed up and ready for Inhaler.
The Main Event: Inhaler
At 9:06 p.m., the house lights dropped again, and the roar that filled the room was immediate. Inhaler wasted no time diving into their title track, “Open Wide,” from their third studio album. It was the perfect way to start their set.
The set balanced newer material with fan favorites from earlier albums. Songs like “My Honest Face” and “Love Will Get You There” reminded the audience where the band came from, while tracks from Open Wide, like “Your House” and “Eddie in the Darkness,” showed the current direction they’re heading. Fans old and new found moments to connect with as the band moved seamlessly through songs from each album.
The band did a good job connecting with the audience throughout the night. Robert Keating shared a few playful moments with fans, while Elijah Hewson interacted with several people during the set. A particularly memorable moment came during “Dublin in Ecstasy,” when Hewson invited a girl from the crowd to sing the bridge with him, an interaction that has become a regular part of their shows. Watching her light up with excitement made the moment feel both fun and genuinely special to witness.
The highlight of the night came near the end of the show. “It Won’t Always Be Like This,” their breakthrough anthem and the closer of the night, had practically every single person in the room jumping and shouting back the lyrics. For a band whose music often captures the uncertainty of growing up, this song felt like the moment where everyone in the crowd, no matter their age, was on the same page.
Inhaler’s setlist for Allentown, PA was as follows:
Open Wide
Love Will Get You There
Eddie In The Darkness
Totally
Little Things
Who’s Your Money On? (Plastic House)
Perfect Storm
Even Though
My King Will Be Kind
X-Ray
Dublin In Ecstasy
Billy (Yeah Yeah Yeah)
Just To Keep You Satisfied
My Honest Face
Your House
It Won’t Always Be Like This
Experiencing Inhaler live gives you a sense of their growth as artists, letting each album’s songs tell part of their story. Their debut album, It Won’t Always Be Like This (2021), dropped in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic, capturing the mix of restlessness and reassurance we all needed. Cuts & Bruises (2023) was more reflective, diving into heartbreak and the emotional burnout of early adulthood. Now, Open Wide (2025), produced with Kid Harpoon, feels like their most self-aware record yet. Hewson has called it the product of his ‘quarter-life crisis,’ and the lyrics, polished production, and layered arrangements reflect that perfectly. What ties all three albums together is the honesty at their core. Inhaler’s music doesn’t offer all the answers, but it makes you feel a little less alone while you’re growing up and figuring things out.
Leaving Archer Music Hall at 10:22 p.m., after the final notes of “It Won’t Always Be Like This” faded, I felt that message stick with me: things don’t stay the same forever, and that’s okay. But, for an hour and sixteen minutes, Inhaler turned that uncertainty into something bigger, something more communal and hopeful.