CONCERT REVIEW: Vinyl Theatre from the 662

Playing at the Local 662 last month was young alternative rock group Vinyl Theatre. For those unfamiliar with the name, they hail from Milwaukee, Wisconsin and released their debut album earlier this year, along with a catchy lead single to help promote it. I jumped on the chance to see a notable band in this insanely small St. Pete venue.

Vinyl Theater was in the Tampa Bay Area a few months prior for the 97x BBQ, so they have a developed fan base here. They came on stage and reminded me most of The Griswolds or even a young Walk the Moon. They recently were signed to major record label Fueled By Ramen, best known for representing Twenty One Pilots, so that's a sure good sign.



It's always good for young bands to add in a familiar cover, and Vinyl Theatre did just that in the middle of their set. They spoke about a band from Las Vegas that had inspired them before ripping into a cover of The Killer's 'When You Were Young.' This was the second Killers cover I've seen at a show this year (Walk the Moon at State) and got the crowd singing along nicely.

The second half of the setlist was heavier on the more popular tunes from this young group. The final song of the night was hit single 'Breaking Up My Bones.' This is the song that has put Vinyl Theatre on the map, getting airtime on both Alt Nation and the 97x '8 at 8.'

The main observation I took away from the show was how appreciative the members of the band were. I mean, you could tell they never expected there to be a sold out show in Florida. They even mentioned that with the exception of their home town, this was the best crowd. They seemed very genuine and that was nice to see.

One negative though was the extreme heat of the building. Either the AC unit was broken or just not turned on, but it was hot. The band did their best by tossing out bottles of water to audience members closest to the stage, but they couldn't satisfy everyone. I was towards the back of the building, by the door, and still sweating. I can only imagine the intensity of the heat on stage.

But the guys made the most of the situation and put on an enjoyable set. This capped off a fun concert weekend in Tampa. (other shows by Imagine Dragons and Neon Trees / Coin) I'll say they're definitely worth a listen, and hopefully we'll see them back in Tampa sometime soon.

CONCERT RATING: 3 Stars



SETLIST:

1. If You Say So
2. Summer
3. The Rhythm of Night
4. Take Me Home
5. Shaking in the Dead of Night
6. Lay Your Head Down
7. Tokyo
8. When You Were Young (Killers Cover)
9. Stay
10. Shine On
11. Pillow Talk
12. Gold
13. Breaking Up My Bones