Gig Review: Dillon Jo

29/10/2026, San Fran — Words by Tia Cranefield

“Absolute Kiwi Rock”

What I love most about our local Aotearoa music scenes has always been the people. These fantastic and ever evolving communities would be nothing without the brilliant, selfless, kindhearted, and absurd individuals that build them up and craft a space wherein self-expression can thrive. I’ve been privileged enough to witness the growth of many of these incredible musicians over the years. I often find myself teary-eyed at gigs, struggling to contain how proud I am at seeing the members of these communities unfold as dazzling, ingenious, and professional working artists. I simply felt no different when attending San Fran late last month for Dillon Jo’s ‘Guard Dog’ album release show.

Dillon Jo presented a staple of a show, articulated by a benchmark for quality and pristine professionalism, which was in turn, reflected flawlessly by their two outstanding openers ‘Dropper’ and ‘Elly Mae.’ These two bands set an extremely high standard over the evening for technical musicianship and earnest songwriting. Both showcased the profound musical execution that comes from artists who hold intentful connection to, and an understanding of their respected bandmates. Dillon Jo captured this energy and replicated it again in a performance that showcased them as a group more than ready for their next step in not only the Aotearoa music industry, but globally.

Taking to the stage decked out as musical icons in celebration of Halloween, Dillon Jo almost seemed to unintentionally mock their own costumes of Lennon and Eminem with a stage show packed with as much love, power, and prowess as many well established artists would present. Kahu Sanson-Burnett’s bass playing came down upon the band's crowd of screaming fans and supporters in vast waves, blanketed by the iconic, musing harmonies of Georgie Levien and Betty Smith’s vocal and guitar lines. While Dillon Jo translated their classic and expertly gentle harmonies beautifully from the studio recorded tracks of ‘Guard Dog’ to the stage, lead vocalist Georgie Levien certainly found space to demonstrate her vocal ability. Levien displayed a mature understanding of what each composition needed, navigating her vocals into tasteful and boundless lifts where the story of each piece saw fit. Ruadh Munro’s elegantly natural and refined drumming ability backed the group with a human sensitivity that drove Dillon Jo’s set to a space of unity, proving each band member’s trust in one another onstage as constant. The joy that this unity built onstage communicated flawlessly to the infected audience, transpiring the show into a space of elated excellence. Once again, Dillon Jo presented an extremely professional, devoted performance. Looking up to the San Fran stage I found myself standing at the foot of the next generation of absolute kiwi rock.

You can read Ryan's interview with Dillon Jo here.

Words by Tia Cranefield