Festival Review: 97X BBQ

Last year, the 97x Backyard BBQ was one of the best shows of the year. It featured Twenty One Pilots, who at the time was the most requested artist on 97x. I remember thinking the only way 2014’s BBQ could top last years was if the skeleton duo returned as the headliner. That sadly did not happen.

What did happen though was that 97x put out a lineup on steroids. Their headliner was Bastille – a band that appears on the top of the bill for many of the largest festivals in the US this summer, and the supporting acts were equally strong.

I was fortunate enough to win some VIP tickets, which got me access to a shaded tent with beer, food, and most importantly – an intimate backstage acoustic show with Bastille. (Videos here) But regardless if you were VIP or general admission, it was a great day to hear some new, live music in St. Pete.

Local band Lions After Dark got the day started early at 11:30am. They’re a favorite of the 97x production crew, and have experience as the opening band at other free shows.

As we passed noon, the BBQ bands started hitting the stage one after the next. All bands present have at least one song that gets played consistently on 97x. Some highlights of these singles throughout the day: “Dead Bolt” by Skaters, “Thunder Clatter” by Wild Cub, “Gold” by Sir Sly and “Cardiac Arrest” by Bad Suns.

My favorite of the daytime acts was a young group out of Chicago by the name of The Orwells. Most may recognize the band from their hilarious performance on The Late Show where David Letterman actually demanded an encore! (Video here) But they’re much more than some 19 year olds with a wacked out front man. The group opened up for Arctic Monkeys this spring and their on stage antics only displayed that bigger things are ahead.

Another standout act was the South African rockers – Kongos. They are the four brothers behind what’s sure to be one of the biggest hits of the year – “Come With Me Now.” Most of their other material isn’t quite as heavy as their lead single, but it still kept the crowd entertained as they waited for their big hit. Kongos are on tour this summer with Kings of Leon and Young the Giant, which should give them some great exposure.

The second band towards the top of the bill was The 1975. Over the past year, it’s difficult to find a bigger riser in the industry than this British synth-pop group. I saw The 1975 eleven months ago. They were the opening band for The Neighbourhood, and they were playing a show at the 450 seat capacity “The Social” in downtown Orlando. That show wasn’t even sold out.

Things sure have changed as front man Matthew Healy and the group took the stage for the 7:25 - 8:15 time slot. The band went through song after song from their debut album of the same title. The strongest reasoning behind the band’s increased popularity is lead single “Chocolate,” which has received over 14 million views on Youtube. Video Here: #97XBBQ

One successful British band led into the next as headliner Bastille took the stage for the final show of the night. I won’t go into too much detail, as I just reviewed the Bastille show from one night prior. But this was basically a slightly shorter version of the previous show with a much more energetic crowd!

When the band was introduced onto the stage, it was announced that the approximate attendance exceeded 15,000, proclaiming the largest crowd a 97x show has ever drawn. 

Bastille stayed consistent to the set list from the previous night, but dropped a few of the slower songs due to time constraints. Singer Dan Smith once again departed the stage during “Flaws” and took a full lap of Vinoy Park. Opener “Bad Blood” and closer “Pompeii” had the band both enter and exit the stage on a high.

In total, looking at this lineup and looking back at the day, I have to give serious props to 97x. I’ve praised them before, but this was hands down the best event they have ever put together. The lineup was stacked with new bands that have great futures ahead of them, and the entire event was put on at no cost to listeners.

Wild Cub front man Keegan DeWitt said it best during their set. He lectured that alt rock fans in Tampa are so lucky to have 97x – a radio station that promotes new music and makes it possible for bands like Wild Cub to make money and continue making music.

So well done to all bands present, but the winner of the day was 97x.

Concert Review: BASTILLE at HOB Orlando

One of the hottest bands in the world right now is the British alt-rock group Bastille. The band announced a show at House of Blues Orlando in January and posted tickets for $23 each. The event sold out in a matter of hours and had tickets reselling for the near triple digits on the date of the concert. I was lucky enough to be in attendance and see the show at Downtown Disney last Friday night.

The sold out crowd waited patiently for the four piece group, led by singer Dan Smith, to take the stage. They were immediately greeted by current single, "Bad Blood," the self-titled track off their superb debut album. I believe this is the group's strongest song.

The boys of Bastille kept things high energy at the beginning. They jumped right into "The Weight of Living" following "Bad Blood," and played fan favorite - "Laura Palmer" early in the set as well.

It was interesting seeing the setup of this rock band. I'm used to seeing a bass player, a few guys on guitars, and a drummer. This is not the case with Bastille. They are very synth driven, and only a handful of songs feature guitar at all.

Lead singer and lyricist Smith did a great job of spending equal time between the keyboard and being a front man patrolling the stage. Although he claimed to be "a horrible dancer," he moved well throughout the night. Smith must be more comfortable playing small clubs such as this, seeing as though the band is now a constant at large festivals across the globe. A show at House of Blues must seem like nothing.

There were many standout songs throughout the night. "These Streets' and "Icarus" are great concert songs, bringing back memories of Imagine Dragons playing the Metro Theater last summer. Another highlight was "Laughter Lines." These were just three of the the 13 songs they played from Bad Blood. I'm telling you, check out this album.  

My personal favorite, “Flaws,” was the set closer. Dan departed the stage on this one, traveling up into the balcony and through the house floor, all while staying in-tune. This was definitely one of the highlights of the show.

The only downside of the night was that the crowd at the House of Blues was not nearly as loud and into it as I expected. Usually the Orlando fans always bring it, but this was a surprising change. Fans definitely sang along at points, but there weren’t as many passionate “hands in the air” moments. Dan even had to ask the crowd to jump at one point, proving this audience was far different than a Bastille festival gig.

But as expected, they turned it on for the encore. After a slower, “Daniel in the Den,” the boys performed “Of the Night,” which got everyone jumping. The very last song of the night was the one that put them on the map – “Pompeii.” This is a perfect concert song – easy to clap and jump to, while being even easier to sing along with. It was a great finish.

After seeing Bastille live for the first time, it’s easy to compare this four-piece group to fellow Brits - Coldplay. The energy at their shows is great and Smith was reminiscent of Chris Martin at times, center stage on the keyboard while the other band members provided the proper backing rhythm.  

It’s no surprise these guys are one of the busiest and most popular festival bands all summer. They’re name should only get higher on lineups in years to come.

CONCERT RATING: 4 Stars

SETLIST:

1. Bad Blood

2. Weight of Living, Pt. II

3. Blame

4. Laura Palmer

5. Poet

6. Overjoyed

7. Laughter Lines

8. These Streets

9. Icarus

10. The Silence

11. Oblivion

12. The Draw

13. Things We Lost in the Fire

14. Flaws

ENCORE:

15. Daniel in the Den

16. Of the Night
17. Pompeii

In Honor of Ghost Stories: Coldplay's Top 10 Songs

There aren't many bands out there bigger than Coldplay. The four piece rock group from London has sold over 70 million albums worldwide, has 7 Grammy's with 25 nominations to show, is responsible for the best selling album worldwide in 2005 and has headlined almost every festival you can name. Today, they released their sixth studio album, entitled - Ghost Stories.

I was late to jump on the Coldplay bandwagon. After being familiar with their early singles, it wasn't until the Top 40 success of Viva La Vida did I purchase my first Coldplay album. Since then, I'm very lucky to say I've gotten the pleasure to see this band three times live. Let me tell you, there aren't many front-men better than Chris Martin. The guy has incredible amounts of energy and makes their live performance very special to watch.

Ghost Stories is expected to take a step back from the direction Coldplay has been going with it's more recent albums. While Viva La Vida and Mylo Xyloto saw the boys tend more towards the pop genre, the early singles of Ghost Stories indicates this will be a more mellow and somber record. It's no secret that Martin recently split with actress and wife of ten years, Gwyneth Paltrow. This could lead to a classic break-up album, which is not necessarily a bad thing.

Time will tell though. Regardless of Ghost Stories reviews, Coldplay is still one of the largest bands in the world. For this article, I'll take a look at the songs that got them to where they are today.

It's very tough to limit this, but here are my Top 10 Coldplay Greatest Hits:


10. Shiver

Coldplay's very first hit. This was included on the bands debut, Parachutes, after being well received as a single. It has a great rhythm and impressive falsettos by Martin, proving the group was ready to take on the roll of an arena rock band.


9. Lovers in Japan

Putting on "Lovers in Japan" after listening to Parachutes, is like night and day for big fans. The guys combine so much sound into this song - led by a bouncy piano. It creates a romantic anthem that is a true highlight on the Grammy Award winning album - Viva La Vida.


8. God Put A Smile Upon Your Face

Off sophomore album, A Rush of Blood to the Head, Coldplay found a darker and more experimental sound with this single. This is one of Coldplay's best songs performed live. The build up led by Wil Champion on drums leading into Jonny Buckland's guitar riff gets everyone jamming.


7. Green Eyes

A perfect example of a simple, romantic Coldplay song. Usually played during the acoustic session at a Coldplay show, this has become a true fan favorite. There is speculation as to if this tune is about a girl, a friend, or even a cat, but regardless, it's a classic.


6. Clocks

One of the main things that separates Coldplay from other arena rock bands is the piano talent of Chris Martin. You don't often see the front man sitting at a piano, but Chris uses this to his advantage with "Clocks." The lone piano intro is a classic opening that everyone can recognize. It leads to an explosion from the backing band and one of Coldplay's most popular songs.


5. Fix You

Combining two songs in one, this crowd favorite begins at a questionably slow tempo. It sure builds up though, leading to one of of Jonny Buckland's best guitar solos and a mass of sound with all four band members singing together.





4. Viva La Vida

This is the one that really pushed Coldplay to an arena rock band in the US. The soaring melody, underrated string arrangement, and versatile drummer Wil Champion playing the timpani and bells sprouted the bands biggest hit. You feel like a king listening to it, despite the lyrics of "sweeping the streets alone." I'll never forget Martin singing this as he ran through the crowd, traveling from the lawn seats to collapse back on stage as he sang the final chorus. It was epic.




3. In My Place

One of the best openings to a song - you have the crashing cymbals of Wil Champion's drum kit, right into Jonny Buckland's memorable guitar riff. This ballad, usually played early in a Coldplay live set, gets everyone up, raising their hands high for the chorus.





2. The Scientist

A true fan favorite - this is always the biggest sing-a-long when performed live. The simple piano intro flows so flawlessly into this tear-jerking love song. "It's such a shame for us to part / let's take it back to the start" is a classic Coldplay lyric. This song also boasts the coolest Coldplay music video. Check it out:





1. Yellow

This was an easy decision for me. So catchy, so heart melting, but also so simple. "Yellow" is one of the great ballads of the 2000's that never gets old. Whether its played acoustically with only a guitar, on the piano or with a full backing band, it's always the best.






Honorable Mention: "A Rush of Blood to the Head," "The Hardest Part," "Swallowed in the Sea," "Til Kingdom Come," "Every Teardrop is a Waterfall, and "Us Against the World."

Jimmy Buffet Creates an All-Day Party in Tampa

I am three weeks late on this review, and that is unacceptable. My apologies there. But if you look back to April 19th, the legendary Jimmy Buffett, made his annual appearance in Tampa.

I went to this show with a friend of mine and his parents, who are certified "parrotheads." Now I have a decent amount of tailgating experience in my career, but I haven't seen anything before like a Jimmy Buffett tailgate. I arrived at the venue at 11AM and there were already thousands of people pre-gaming. Some built beaches and tiki huts. It was just one big party that went on all day!

The band took the stage just after 8pm to the sound of multiple conch shells. After nine hours of tailgating, things actually seemed to settle down and relax a bit once the music started. The 67 year old Buffett moved pretty well for a frail looking older man. He ended up playing well over two hours, hitting 27 different songs.

Buffett was backed by the large, Coral Reefer Band. They contained everything from a horn section to hula dancers and steel drums, adding variety to the classic Buffett tropical rhythms.

Throughout the evening Buffett displayed some new material off his most recent album, Songs from St. Somewhere. He mixed these in well with his fan favorites, which were mainly written 20 - 30 years prior. The audience was filled with classic "Parrotheads," who have probably seen Buffett perform multiple times. But all fans still greeted the opening chords of the popular tunes with extreme joy, as if they had never been played live before.

Highlights for myself was a slower "Come Monday," "Changes in Latitudes, Changes in Attitudes" and of course, the inevitable closer, "Margaritaville." Poor Jimmy must be so tired of playing that by now, but he delivered and kept the crowd dancing.

About halfway through the set, Buffett was joined with a few members of the Coral Reefer Band at center stage to perform a collection of songs acoustically. This section of the show, which included "A Pirate Looks at Forty," set a great vibe in the Amphitheater. The barefooted Buffett and his friends sang about beaches and boats, making the crowd feel like everyone was away on vacation.

Overall, one of the concert highlights was simply the crowd. You had fans of all ages in attendance, and everyone was jamming. I don't think anyone sat down in the lawn all night. The audience sang and danced along, really creating an excellent atmosphere.

My recommendation for next time Buffett comes around, it's an experience worth attending. This is the type of show that's more than just the concert and songs played. It's about the tailgate, the drinking, and the people. Fun Saturday for sure!

Concert Rating: 3.5 Stars



SETLIST:
1. Kinja
2. Landfall
3. Brown Eyed Girl (Van Morrison Cover)
4. Boat Drinks
5. Weather With You (Crowded House Cover)
6. Pencil Thin Mustache
7. It's 5 O'clock Somewhere (Alan Jackson Cover)
8. Son of a Son of a Sailor
9. Rhumba Man (Jesse Winchester Cover)
10. Come Monday
11. Too Drunk to Karaoke
12. Cheeseburger in Paradise
13. Cultural Infidel
14. Piece of Work (Will Kimbrough Cover)
15. Somethin' Bout a Boat
16. Southern Cross (Crosby, Stills & Nash Cover)
17. Volcano
18. Changes in Latitudes, Changes in Attitudes
19. A Pirate Looks at Forty
20. Back Where I Come From (Mac McAnally Cover)
21. One Particular Harbour
22. All Night Long (Lionel Richie Cover)
23. Fins
24. Margaritaville

ENCORE:
25. We Are the People Our Parents Warned Us About
26. Knee Deep (Zac Brown Band Cover)

ENCORE 2:
27. Defying Gravity (Jesse Winchester Cover)

Concert Review: Springsteen Hits Tampa

As a special kickoff concert to the Big Guava Music Festival, Bruce Springsteen and the world famous E-Street Band came down to Tampa last Thursday night. Springsteen's career needs no explanation. The boss is know for his superhuman level of energy and his dazzling live performances.

The hype of that energy was easily seen from the start. Despite being 64 years old, the boss proved to be in great shape. He also has the help of the legendary E-Street Band backing him. I'd like to give special recognition to saxophone player Jake Clemons, nephew of E-Street great, Clarence Clemons. Jake led an outstanding jazz band, who set the groove all night.

As is typical for a Springsteen show, the setlist was completely unpredictable. In total, the 28 songs featured a very high - nine covers. The 19 originals by Bruce and the E-Street band were by no means his greatest hits, but they were still plenty enjoyable. It's downright easy listening; Something that anyone can jam to, even if they don't know the lyrics.

One of the most exciting parts of a live Springsteen show was his incredible interaction with the audience. For a solid hour he seemed to select the next song purely off signs that fans in the pit would hold up. He seemed to scan the signs before pointing at one and going into the crowd to retrieve it. He then showed the sign to all members of the band, displaying this was completely unrehearsed. It was wild for sure!

The interacting didn't stop there. The boss pulled fans up on stage for certain songs like "Dancing in the Dark." He also wasn't afraid to approach the fans in the pit, singing individually to some of them and allowing the first row to shake his hand and even strum on his guitar.

My favorite song of the night was a great cover of "Pay Me My Money Down." The tune, originally recorded by The Weavers, is very simple but gets everyone jamming. It best displayed the amazing brass section of the E-Street band. All the horns belted out the rhythm while following Bruce around stage. The Boss even led a parade of his band members down a side aisle, exiting the amphitheater and to a VIP bar. Springsteen took a shot, and then led the band back to stage. Such a boss move.

The more well known Springsteen tunes all seemed to come during the encores. The Boss's most popular tune, "Born to Run," had everyone singing and dancing. The hits kept coming from there in a seven song encore that included "Tenth Avenue Freeze Out" and a Isley Brothers cover of the classic, "Shout."

After the E-Street band departed the stage, Bruce returned for one more tune - a solo, acoustic version of "Thunder Road." After such a loud and bright evening, it almost seemed fitting for Springsteen to play his final song stripped down with just an acoustic guitar. He even held up his microphone for the audiences assistance during the chorus.

At the end of the night, Springsteen himself said it - "Tampa, You Surprised Me?!" It was easy to see that both the crowd and the boss enjoyed being there very much. Springsteen was amazing as always, but I must give equal credit to his backing band. The E-Street band is phenomenal, and really makes the show what it is. Great job Bruce, a living legend - so glad to see it.

CONCERT RATING: UN-RATABLE (you can't put a number on Springsteen)




SETLIST:
1. Joe Hill (Earl Robinson Cover)
2. Clampdown (The Clash Cover)
3. Badlands
4. The Ties That Bind
5. Out in the Street
6. Jesse James (Bascom Lamar Lunsford Cover)
7. High Hopes (The Havalinas Cover)
8. Candy's room
9. Darkness on the Edge of Town
10. Brothers Under the Bridge
11. From Small Things (Big Things One Day Come)
12. Wrecking Ball
13. Night
14. My Love Will Not Let You Down
15. Gloria (Them Cover)
16. No Surrender
17. Bobby Jean
18. Pay Me My Money Down (The Weavers Cover)
19. The Ghost of Tom Jones
20. Lonesome Day
21. Light of Day

ENCORE:
22. We are Alive
23. Mary Don't You Weep (Fisk Jubilee Cover)
24. Born to Run
25. Dancing in the Dark
26. Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out
27. Shout (The Isley Brothers Cover)

ENCORE 2:
28. Thunder Road

Festival Review: The 10 Best Performances of Big Guava Fest

Big Guava Festival! For those unfamiliar with the name, this was a first year festival taking place in Tampa, Florida. It was produced by Live Nation, who didn't seem too phased by the lack of success of music festivals in Florida. Instead, they spent some money and put together a pretty decent lineup, even earning a spot in my top 10 festival power rankings.

So after a successful Bruce Springsteen kickoff concert Thursday night, it was time for my first three-day music festival of the year. Now as you can see from the lineup below, there were 40+ bands performing on 4 stages throughout the weekend, so seeing everyone was impossible.

I was able to see the following bands: Smallpools, Twenty One Pilots, Cake, Outkast, Hunter Hunted, Jacuzzi Boys, American Authors, Bear Hands, Haim, Blue October, Tegan & Sarah, Slightly Stoopid, Vampire Weekend, MS MR, Magic Man, Timeflies, Morning Parade, Walk the Moon, Grouplove and Foster the People.

I present my top 10:

10. Haim

Festival favorite Haim had a great crowd at the largest stage Saturday afternoon. This rock band composed of three sisters is frequently compared to Fleetwood Mac, combining folk-rock with some R&B influences. They released a critically acclaimed debut album last fall and performed all the highlights from that album at their Guava set. Look up "The Wire" to get a good taste of the band. 

9. Blue October

I was most pleasantly surprised with the set of Blue October. This alt rock band proved to be much deeper than their big hits, "Hate Me" and "Into the Ocean." Front man Justin Furstenfeld provided plenty of emotion to captivate the respectable audience they attracted. They definitely increased my interest in the band. I'll be looking for them on their next tour.  

8. MS MR

Getting the day started Sunday was MS MR. I received a taste of this alt-rock band when they opened up for Two Door Cinema Club last summer, so it was great to see them play a full set. Vocalist Lizzy Plapinger had tons of energy and genuinely seemed happy to be performing. She's already receiving comparisons to Florence Welch. 

The group played a collection of songs off their debut album, released just about one year ago. They also threw in an smooth Arctic Monkey's cover of "Do I Wanna Know?" 

7. Magic Man

Remember this name. Magic Man doesn't even have a wikipedia page yet, nor a full length album, but they put on an awesome set mid-day Sunday. This synth-rock band from Boston is composed of five members and have a 5-song EP out called You Are Here. 

All of those songs sounded excellent live. Front man Alex Caplow reminded me very much of Brandon Flowers, displaying great stage presence and extremely high energy. This is one of my bands to keep an eye on. I can't wait for their debut album. 

6. American Authors

Like many of the fans in attendance for American Authors, the only song I was familiar with was their Top 40 radio hit - "Best Day of My Life." After seeing them though, I must say they are more that one song. The NYC rock band, led by Zac Barnett, seemed to perform great sounding song after song for their Saturday afternoon set. 

All members of the band sang backup at times, showing some great talent. The band also featured a great Imagine Dragons-ish moment when everyone found a respective drum and began a collaborative pounding drum beat. Highlight of the set was their newer song, entitled, "Luck."  

5. Twenty One Pilots

I know I may be biased, but I can't deny a great performance. Twenty One Pilots scaled down their epic Connecticut show that I just reviewed, to a very high energy one hour production. Despite a crowd that was noticeably calmer than the usual Tampa scene, Tyler Joseph and Josh Dun once again killed it. I promise, this was show number seven for me, and these guys are amazing every time. Go see them on their fall tour! 

4. Grouplove

It's very difficult to be better than a headliner, but Grouplove nearly did it. This fun, hippie group from California took on the large Amphitheater stage on Sunday afternoon and kept the crowd very entertained. Front man Christian Zucconi and keyboardist Hannah Hooper jumped around and sang all their best tunes. Highlights were "Itchin' on a Photograph," "Ways to Go," and ever favorite - "Tongue Tied." 

These guys drew one of the largest Sunday crowds. After two successful albums, they may just be headlining Guava someday. 

3. Foster the People

So Sunday night headliner was Foster the People. They had by far the lowest attendance out of any headliner. I was lucky to have a ticket for the pit, but it was quite sad when I looked back at the half empty amphitheater that Marc Foster and company were about to take the stage for. 

Regardless of attendance though, Foster the People did not seem affected. They came out jamming and put together a great set. I for one, forgot how amazing their debut album, Torches, was. They went through all the best of Torches - "Waste," "Call It What You Want," and a three song encore of "Helena Beat," "Pumped Up Kicks," and "Don't Stop."

The Los Angeles group also spent some time performing songs off their new album, Supermodel. Their lead single is called "Coming of Age." The new songs sounded decent live, but couldn't generate any reaction in comparison to the Torches tunes.

Overall, well done Foster the People. You were better than I expected.  

2. Outkast

Yes, there was quite a bit of hype around this performance. I wasn't sure what to expect from Outkast after their lousy Coachella reviews, but I must say that they are professional entertainers.

Big Boi and Andre 3000 had everyone up for their rap-heavy Friday night headlining slot. The Amphitheater seemed to erupt when the duo took the stage and jumped straight into hit "B.O.B." Although most attendees didn't seem to know all the songs, Outkast kept the casual fans entertained by touching all their greatest hits. 

Both members took about 20 minutes solo on the stage to perform some of their own material. Big Boi stayed more on the rap side, while Andre 3000 showed off a bit of his R&B side. 

Probably the most entertaining part of Outkast's near 100 minute set was simply watching Andre 3000. The guy couldn't seem to stand still. He patrolled the stage, often awkwardly dancing, jumping, thrusting and even breaking out some pushups at one point during the night. 

These guys definitely have the energy to headline 40 festivals this summer. They should receive better reviews moving forward. 

1. Vampire Weekend

Ever since purchasing and reviewing the third studio album from Vampire Weekend, entitled Modern Vampires of the City, I have been anxiously waiting to see them. Their Saturday headlining performance did not disappoint. The four piece band from New York attracted the largest crowd of the festival and put on the best show. 

Vampire Weekend played a great mix of their material, touching on all three albums. Although only their most recent has been recognized as a Grammy winner, the crowd's favorite tunes seemed to be selections off their debut album. Most notably, "A-Punk," "Oxford Comma," and "Walcott."

The 90 minute set did not have too much flash to it, as the guys basically stood in their positions and played their instruments. But the music made up for it. Everyone in the amphitheater was up singing and dancing, making a truly memorable set. 

They may have not only put on the best performance of Big Guava, but potentially the best concert I've seen throughout all of 2014.



In conclusion, this was an overall successful festival! The usually sunny Tampa, FL did battle some weather issues on Friday and Saturday, but Sunday was beautiful. I hope ticket sales were strong and that we'll see Guava back even stronger next year. This was a great inaugural event, and maybe even the first step towards building an actual successful music festival in Florida! 

Twenty One Pilots - Live from The Dome

18 months ago I attended 97x’s annual 1-day festival – entitled “Next Big Thing.” The band I was most excited to see was Grouplove, who was taking the stage around 1pm. As I arrived to the venue early, I glanced up on stage and saw two ridiculous guys, dressed in full skeleton costumes, jumping around and rapping. I didn't think anything of it….

Fast forward to modern day, and I've seen that amazing duo 6 times. (Show #7 will be tonight!) They go by the name – Twenty One Pilots, and are composed of two guys named Tyler Joseph and Josh Dun.

The pair comes from Ohio, and has released three studio albums. Their most recent album, Vessel, was my pick for 2013 Album of the Year. It was released last January and features 12 excellent songs that translate even better to the live stage. I became very familiar with this album, and more importantly - the live performances, throughout all of 2013. It's clear to say these guys are one of my favorite bands now. Their reputation for a great show took me up to Connecticut this past weekend, and I must say, the trip was well worth it!

I wasn't sure what the crowd in Wallingford, Connecticut would bring, but I was pleasantly surprised. Although the average age of the audience has seemed to get a bit younger with the bands popularity, the crowd had high energy and was ready to go once it hit 9:20 and Twenty One Pilots took the stage.

The guys came out with three of their most aggressive songs - "Guns for Hands," "Migraine," and "Ode to Sleep." This opener was a true test if the fans close to the stage could handle the crowd. I was right in the middle of it and things were rough - just a constant mosh pit as I quickly lost the group I was with.

"Ode to Sleep" is probably my favorite tune and best displays what Twenty One Pilots are all about. As is the case with many of their songs, vocalist Tyler Joseph raps the song's verses, while the chorus is a contrasting, up-beat sing-a-long. (Plus it's performed in those same skeleton costumes to add to the effect.) It's not very often that a band can combine multiple genres into one song, but that seems to be the constant theme throughout Vessel.

After the crowd settled down a bit with "Screen," Tyler took about 20 minutes to feature some songs not off of Vessel. The highlight was "Forest," off the bands second album, Regional at Best. This is one gem that all Twenty One Pilots fans should know.

Following a Tears for Fears cover, Tyler stood on top of the crowd (yes) to perform the bands first single, "Holding on to You." This was followed up by "House of Gold," which despite having an out-of-tune ukulele, proved to be the best crowd-pleaser.

One concert highlight was during "Semi-Automatic," when drummer Josh Dun revealed a second drum set completely strapped down to a clear platform. This full set was sent into the crowd and held up by the fans as Dun provided a great drum solo. This is just one of the ways Josh remains active during the performances, despite never saying a word.

The encore started with fan favorite "Car Radio," which the band recently performed on both the MTV Movie Awards and Late Night with Seth Myers. The final song of the night was an emotional version of "Trees." (video below) Throughout all six times I've seen these guys, the closer has always been "Trees." It's proving to be an epic finale as the guys always exit the stage with their signature dual drum solo in the crowd.

After 6 performances, I am still surprised and impressed with Twenty One Pilots. They have so much energy, and combine so many different sounds. Tampa Bay Times recently published an article that said Twenty One Pilots is rap music for people that don't like rap.. I'll agree with that, but must add that they bring so much more. They display true alternative music - and I strongly recommend them to any alt-rock fan.

Twenty One Pilots will continue their US spring tour, and will make some festival stops along the way - Big Guava, Beale Street, Firefly, Forecastle and Boston Calling. Try to see them any chance you can!

CONCERT RATING: 4 Stars


Note - Song starts at 1:25
(start listening at 0:00 for heartfelt thank you to fans)



SETLIST:
1. Guns for Hands
2. Migraine
3. Ode to Sleep
4. Screen
5. Isle of Flightless Birds
6. Anathema
7. Forest
8. Mad World (Tears for Fears Cover)
9. Holding on to You
10. House of Gold
11. Semi-Automatic
12. The Run and Go
13. Fake You Out

ENCORE:
14. Car Radio
15. Trees