I saw Walk the Moon for the first time in spring of 2012, playing at Big Guava Music Fest. The Ohio based group had an afternoon slot on the second smallest stage. I caught most of their set, along with 500-600 other people. I remember enjoying the set, but not to the point where it received praise in my top 10 power rankings from the weekend.
Fast forward to less than one year later and Walk the Moon is one of the most demanded bands in the country. They announced a spring tour back in November and sold out the dates in almost every city. This included their St. Pete stop at State Theatre last month. Luckily I bought my $28 ticket before I saw resale prices rise to the triple digits.
So what changed - well the group released their sophomore album - Talking is Hard, which is full of pop-rock tunes that get everyone dancing and signing along. It's one of those albums where you can't just listen quietly. It's lead single 'Shut Up and Dance' is a prime example of the albums energy, and the driving force behind the new fan hood and demand for the live shows.
The energy of Talking is Hard translated well to the live stage at State Theatre. Album opener 'Different Colours' also opened their performance, showing early that Talking is Hard would be well displayed on the evening. In total, the band played 9 tunes from the new album. They also mixed in 6 from their self titled debut.
Lead singer Nicholas Petricca sounded great throughout the night. Some of the new tunes challenge his vocal abilities, but in doing so, show them off nicely. Moments like the a capella opening to 'Down in the Dumps,' ferocious ending to 'Spend Your Money On' and sing a long chorus to 'Avalanche' display his ability to take over the room with his vocals, reminiscent of Brandon Flowers.
Speaking of the Killers frontman, Petricca gave a powerful performance of cover 'All These Things That I've Done' as the groups encore. This was a true highlight of the night. It led into the final song of the night with the bands first single 'Anna Sun.'
I was very pleased and impressed with the setlist put together by Walk the Moon. They clearly have many new fans, and they satisfied those by playing their new album in full, including ending with their monster hit. They also played tribute to their existing fans though. The group sounded just as good playing the older tunes, and it makes you wonder why they didn't have this type of popularity earlier.
Overall, the energy of this band made for one of the best shows of the year. I never found myself standing still. And I must say it was quite special to see them play the State Theatre, at a capacity of less than 800. Something tells me next time Walk the Moon is in the Tampa area, it'll be a much larger venue.
Concert Rating: 4 Stars
Honorable Mention:
I have to give some props to opening band The Griswolds. These rockers from Australia fit well with the genre set by Walk the Moon. They too displayed great energy and have some really catchy songs. Look for 'Beware the Dog' and 'Mississippi' to get a taste.
SETLIST:
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- Encore:
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(The Killers cover)
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