FRUIT BATS (USA) SOLO

The midwest, particularly the part of the midwest Eric D. Johnson (USA) hails from, is a largely flat expanse. Zipping through it on the highway, you’ll see cities and towns rise up in the distance, but blink and you’ll miss other man-made rejoinders to horizontal living dotting the landscape, hill after hill, built from the refuse of the past: landfills. Some of these hills make for great sledding spots, parks, and trails. Others turn organic waste into compost. The Landfill, Fruit Bats’ June 12, 2026 album from Merge Records, is something else entirely: a mountain dominating the landscape of Johnson’s heart.

This being a Fruit Bats record, one scales that mountain to take in the view, to see the future spread out as wide and endless as the midwestern plains. “But the mountain that gives us this vantage point,” Johnson says, “is made out of the trash that we’ve created, the collective weight of the past and where it’s taken us.” When he details that view on title track and lead single “The Landfill” — “a holy vision / of what could be / and couldn’t be / and could have been” — it’s thrilling to hear him sent soaring by a full complement of instruments. But what’s truly stunning is how, in his recontouring from could to couldn’t to could have been, he has lost none of the vulnerability that was brought to the foreground of his song-writing by 2025’s solo outing, Baby Man.

Over the course of his now 25-year career under the moniker, most of Eric D. Johnson’s output as Fruit Bats has been the product of patience and fine-tuning. His songs, to borrow a phrase, are slow growers, given life on albums that encompass long stretches of time and memory. Baby Man changed that — he disallowed himself from referring to material he’d been working on before laying the album down, utilising the morning pages technique of stream-of-consciousness, observational song-writing which flowed directly into his afternoon recording sessions. It was both a breath-taking document of Johnson’s skill as a singer-songwriter and an unvarnished account of the two weeks in which he recorded the album.

VENUE INFO

Shows are Standing unless clearly stated. Check Ticket Type when purchasing.

Howler Bar & Grill
 The kitchen will be serving a full menu from 5pm (Tues - Fri) and 2pm (Sat - Sun) till late including vegan and vegetarian options.
 You can view the delicious offerings available by clicking here.

Booking are not essential but recommended here.

Accessibility
 Howler is Accessible.
 Both Garden and Theatre are 100% accessible for patrons including a central restroom and easy curbside access for car services. 

This venue accepts companion cards. Simply purchase your ticket and contact Moshtix to arrange access for your Companion. 

Parking
 A park and ride, council operated carpark is located immediately outside of Howler's doors.

Public Transport
Howler is conveniently located just a two minute walk from both the Route 19 Coburg tram (stop 21), and Jewel train station on the Upfield line.

Bicycle
We adjoin the Upfield Bike Path and have many designated bike parks on site.