There’s only one piano man….and Tampa, FL was lucky enough
to host him for one night last month. That’s right, Mr. Billy Joel himself
visited Tampa Bay for a sold out show at Amalie Arena.
Now I can spend countless paragraphs going through Joel’s lifelong
accomplishments. The guy has won so many awards, sold so many albums, received
so many honors, and set so many records that it would not be possible to list
them all. More important than those quantifiable achievements though, are the
songs themselves that Billy has written. He gave the Tampa crowd a worthy
display of his career.
The thing about seeing Billy Joel live is that you’re
essentially seeing a greatest hits show. At this point of his career, you’re
only going to get the top 40 songs of his impressive discography. He set that
tone early, opening the show with ‘Miami 2017’ and ‘My Life’ as he took the
stage just after 8:20pm.
Joel sat at a rotating grand piano, center stage with a
large band at his back. The Amalie Arena was full to the brim, with an audience
of about 20,000 extending all the way behind the stage. The crowd age ranged
from teenagers to what appeared to be 80 year olds, showing the impressive
influence of Joel’s music.
Billy looked good and seemed to be in a good mood throughout
the evening. He commented on enjoying Tampa shows because it offered a chance
to visit his home in West Palm. He also jokingly mocked his good friend Elton
John early, playing a snippet of ‘Your Song.’
Joel acknowledged that it was clearly impossible for him to
play every tune on the night that the crowd wanted to hear. So he offered two
‘fielder’s choice,’ where he let the audience cheer determine the next song.
Fan favorite ‘Vienna’ dominated ‘This is the Time,’ while ‘The Longest Time’
won in a much closer ovation over ‘An Innocent Man.’ It was a unique and
creative way of taking some audience requests.
While the hits of Joel are enough to carry a setlist, Billy
mixed in some impressive covers. Joel paid tribute to both David Bowie and The
Eagles' Glenn Frey.
A clear mid-set standout was the classic ‘New York State of
Mind.’ Billy’s longtime saxophonist Mark Rivera joined him stool bound for this
ballad. Billy belted out the vocals while Rivera matched him with a commanding
saxophone.
The crowd varied between sitting and standing for most of
the performance, as Billy spent pretty equal time representing each era of his
career. No album was more represented on the night than 1977’s The Stanger.
Joel performed 5 tunes off this record on the night, including fan favorite ‘Scenes from an Italian
Restaurant.'
After the appropriate ‘Piano Man’ closer, Joel returned to
the stage for what ended up being a near 45-minute encore. The 66-year old took
a break from the piano during this time, showcasing some impressive
microphone-stand flipping on ‘Uptown Girl’ before playing some basic guitar
cords on ‘Still Rock N’ Roll To Me.’ It seemed out of character for Joel but
the crowd gave him a friendly reception for it.
In total, Joel performed nearly three hours, concluding just
before 11pm. The setlist was fantastic and the vibe was great as the house
lights came back on. Billy Joel proved that he is still very much a rock star. The guy has no need to travel to play any shows, but Tampa was lucky enough to get him for this one night.
CONCERT RATING: 4 Stars
SETLIST:
1. Miami 2017 (Seen the Lights Go Out on Broadway)
2. My Life (with ‘Ode to Joy’ intro)
3. Everybody Loves You Now
4. Your Song (Elton John cover)
5. Vienna (Audience vote over ‘This is the Time’)
6. The Entertainer
7. The Lion Sleeps Tonight (The Tokens cover)
8. The Longest Time (Audience vote over ‘An Innocent Man’)
9. Rebel Rebel (David Bowie cover)
10. Zanzibar
11. The Downeaster Alexa
12. Movin’ Out (Anthony’s Song)
13. New York State of Mind
14. Allentown
15. She’s Always a Woman (with ‘You Are So Beautiful’ intro)
First of all…welcome to the 2016 addition of The Only Music
Blog. It is with great pride that I write this first post of the third year of
this blog’s existence. I thoroughly enjoy provided my musical opinions, and it
has proven to be a great way to track the many shows I attend.
As I look through the final posts of 2015, I’m reminded of
just how high the bar was set. 2015 featured some great festivals and
unforgettable concert memories. With 65 ranking sets and a superb top 10 albumlist, it is by no means going to be easy to top. But luckily, 2016 is already
in good shape and looking to be yet another record setting year. Some early
expected highlights:
Okeechobee Fest: A true camping festival in the
heart of Florida, highlighted by 'The Only Music Blog' favorites – Mumford and
Sons
A return to GovBall, the epic festival that left
its mark back in 2014
A reunion with the Strokes, winners of the 2015 Concert of the Year
Another year of Twenty One Pilots, and getting to watch them make the jump to arenas
And finally…getting to see legendary Noel Gallagher
at Atlanta’s famous Tabernacle Theatre
Those are just a few early plans for 2016. It should be a
great year and I hope to keep up with everything that occurs through it. But
for right now, I’m already behind. Time to play some blog catch up. Just like
Jake Bugg in 2014 and Dr. Dog in 2015, the 2016 season got started with a bang.
This time, it was from a fan-favorite and member of the rock n’ roll Hall of
Fame…..
The Only Music Blog has been busy this week, releasing both the Top 65 sets of 2015, and My 10 favorite albums of 2015. That brings us to the final category for the 'Best Of' lists - the top songs of the year. The below list are my personal choices for the best 40 tunes from this respectable year.
Now this list was probably the most difficult to make. I always say that you know you have a great album when every song on the album takes its turn at being your favorite. The same can be said about this list. Every tune here had it's turn at being my favorite, and here's how they stack up at the end of the year.
Hope you enjoy!
#40: Modest Mouse - The Ground Walks, with Time in a Box
#39: Circa Waves - T-Shirt Weather
#38: Joywave - Now
#37: Vinyl Theatre - Breaking Up My Bones
#36: Atlas Genius - Molecules
#35: Night Riots - Contagious
#34: Dawes - Things Happen
#33: The Griswolds - If You Wanna Stay
#32: Milky Chance - Flashed Junk Mind
#31: Cold War Kids - First
#30: Third Eye Blind - Everything is Easy
#29: Frank Turner - Mittens
#28: Jr. Jr. - Gone
#27: Robert DeLong - Long Way Down
#26: Coin - Run
#25: Death Cab for Cutie - The Ghosts Of Beverly Drive
#24: Catfish & the Bottlemen - Kathleen
#23: Cage the Elephant - Mess Around
#22: Chvrches - Leave a Trace
#21: Houndmouth - Sedona
#20: Twenty One Pilots - Stressed Out
#19: George Ezra - Blame It on Me
#18: Misterwives - Reflections
#17: Saint Motel - My Type
#16: Joywave - Destruction
#15: Walk the Moon - Shut Up and Dance #14: Robert DeLong - Don't Wait Up #13: Beck - Dreams #12: Modest Mouse - Lampshades On Fire #11: Saint Motel - Cold Cold Man
and for the top 10....
#10: Frank Turner - Get Better
#9: Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats - S.O.B.
As mentioned in my previous post, The Top 65 Sets of 2015, this year was absolutely great for new music. So many of my favorite bands came out with new albums. Some of those bands met my expectations, while others couldn't quite reach the same height.
Now usually I try to stay unbiased while reviewing all the shows I go to. That philosophy does not quite apply to this list. This one is more a personal account of my 10 favorite albums throughout the year, unlike any 'best of' list you'll find with other music publications. If you have a similar music taste to myself, I think you'll find some solid suggestions here.
Hope you enjoy! HONORABLE MENTION:
Modest Mouse - Strangers To Ourselves
Florence and the Machine - How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful
Joywave - How Do You Feel Now?
Robert DeLong - In The Cards
Alabama Shakes - Sound & Color
And for the top 10.... #10: Mumford and Sons - Wilder Mind
Now when members of Mumford and Sons inevitably read this list, they may be a bit disappointed. After all, their debut Sigh No More was my favorite album of 2010 and the follow up Babel was the 5-star winner in 2012. Mumford themselves are probably the main reason for the recent folk revival over the past 5 years. So placement at number 10 is definitely a let down.
It was a big decision for the band to drop the banjo and go electric for their third album. The end result is definitely different but I believe still enjoyable. More emphasis is placed on Marcus Mumford's voice and driving rhythm behind the tracks. Album highlight 'The Wolf' reaches a sound never before achievable with just an acoustic band.
Essential Tracks: 'Tompkins Square Park,' 'The Wolf,' 'Ditmas'
#9: Misterwives - Our Own House
I was fortunate enough to see this young pop-alternative group back at the beginning of 2015. Lead singer Mandy Lee performed four songs off Misterwives' EP, showcasing powerful vocals and a commanding stage presence. Lee won over the audience and promised a full length album for fans in 2015.
The wait was well worth it as the energy of this album is second to none. Mandy Lee's vocals are very unique and almost enchanting, inviting you to listen to every song. In my opinion, definitely the most powerful of any I've heard this year. The backing band is just as good, highlighted by a brass section that adds some variety to the album.
As I've made many references to throughout the career of The Only Music Blog, I am a huge fan of Third Eye Blind. Therefore, I was ecstatic when the band announced their 5th studio album would be released in June. While the album does not have the hit radio singles of their early career, it is full of classic 3EB style tunes satisfying the long awaiting fans.
Album opener 'Everything Is Easy' proves that front man Stephan Jenkins still knows how to write a great hook. 'Shipboard Cook' follows the typical Third Eye songwriting approach with poetic verses and an exploding chorus. Hey, it might not be Out of Vein, but this album is pretty solid for the bands first material in six years.
Essential Tracks: 'Everything Is Easy,' 'Dopamine,' 'Get Me Out of Here'
#7: Will Butler - Policy
This is probably the most surprising album on this list. Will Butler is one of the founding members of Arcade Fire, and the brother to front man Win Butler. The younger brother was the first of all Arcade Fire members to release a solo project. The end result is a fun and quick album, very reminiscent of each album in his former band's discography.
Butler utilizes some pretty quirky lyrics throughout the album. Key example - "If I could fly, you know I'd beat the shit out of some birds" off of 'Take My Side.' He mixes many genres, and would definitely be entertaining live. My only complaint is that at eight songs and just 28 minutes, this record has more the feel of an EP than a full length album.
Essential Tracks: 'Take My Side,' 'Anna,' 'Something's Coming'
#6: Twenty One Pilots - Blurryface
2015 was absolutely huge for the 'skeleton clique' Twenty One Pilots. They roughly have 10 times the popularity now as they did when Vessel came out and won 2013's Album of the Year nearly two and a half years earlier. The follow up Blurryface takes off where Vessel left off - combining rap verses with sing a long choruses to find a combination that's true alternative.
Blurryface has something for everyone. Album opener 'Heavydirtsoul' sets the tone with Tyler Joseph quickly working through the lyrics as drummer Josh Dun impressively keeps the beat. 'Tear In My Heart' is probably the first happy song that the Pilots have ever written. 'We Don't Believe What's On TV' sounds like it could be a Lumineers' song. While the album might not reach the same height as Vessel, it sure satisfies fans of multiple genres.
Essential Tracks: 'Stressed Out,' 'Ride,' 'Tear in My Heart'
#5: Dawes - All Your Favorite Bands
No band had a better message in their album theme that folk-rockers Dawes. Lead singer Taylor Goldsmith came up with the phrase "May all your favorite bands stay together." This theme developed into the 4th studio album by this great Los Angeles band.
As is now the constant for Dawes, the tunes combine road-trip worthy lyrics with soaring background music. It's not uncommon for certain songs to have long musical breaks in between verses (I Can't Think About It Now). Nor is it out of the ordinary for songs to eclipse the nine minute mark (Now That It's Too Late, Maria). All in all, this is a technically sound addition to a band with an already amazing catalogue.
Essential Tracks: 'Things Happen,' 'All Your Favorite Bands,' 'I Can't Think About It Now'
#4: Noel Gallagher and the High Flying Birds - Chasing Yesterday
If you read anything about Noel Gallagher, the former guitarist and lyricist for Oasis, then you'll know that he's brutally honest. At 47 years of age Gallagher doesn't hide much, and that's seen through the album title and tracks on his second solo record. Noel might be chasing the success of his earlier Oasis years, but he has plenty of new material for fans looking for classic Noel.
The singer-songwriter opens his album with 'Riverman,' reminiscent of the acoustic cords to 'Wonderwall.' When Gallagher's vocals come in, he sounds better than he ever did during the Oasis years. Although the songs aren't on the same grand scale, his voice and the songwriting is superb. While Noel might not have new tricks to fill Wembley Stadium, any Oasis fan should be happy to hear any new tunes from the man behind all the hits.
Essential Tracks: 'In The Heat Of The Moment,' 'Lock All The Doors,' 'You Know We Can't Go Back'
#3: Frank Turner - Positive Songs for Negative People
As I've written about many times on The Only Music Blog, Frank Turner is the hardest working man in live music. The singer-songwriter has played over 1,800 shows in the past decade all across the globe. Those touring experiences have definitely left him with some battle wounds, and this 6th studio album is about recovery. It's definitely the most positive of any record I heard all year.
Opener 'Angel Islington' appropriately features lyrics of Frank 'washing his hands and cleansing his sins' to welcome the listener in. You then have 'Get Better,' possibly the strongest song about self improvement and referencing Frank's signature theme of life on the road. (road references in 'Out of Breath' and 'Demons' as well) As Frank sings, "come on now, let's fix this mess" on 'Get Better' and "Rejoice, rebuild, the storm has passed" on 'The Next Storm,' you can help but feel optimistic. Turner is a true believer of the power of song.
The most surprising thing about the second album from Walk the Moon might be that it was written by the four band members in a small isolated lodge in northern Kentucky. You would never know, given the high amount of energy from this pop-alternative group from Ohio. The entire album is a dance party, reminiscent of something The Killers would put out.
Of course the lead single 'Shut Up and Dance' brought Walk the Moon to new heights of popularity. It was a staple on the radio throughout 2015 and does give a good indication of the band. The remainder of the album is just a strong though. As we saw at Next Big Thing this year, Walk the Moon is primed to only get bigger over the next few years.
Essential Tracks: 'Different Colors,' 'Avalanche,' 'Work This Body'
#1: Catfish & the Bottlemen - The Balcony
I first learned of Catfish & the Bottlemen at the very beginning of 2015, just as they were releasing their debut album. The British 4-piece group is led by Van McCann and most resemble a young Arctic Monkeys. In fact, this is probably the best alternative debut album to come out of England since AM'sWhatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not. It's also the first debut album to win The Only Music Blog's Album of the Year since Young the Giant in 2011.
The Balcony features 11 songs, all one-word titles and capable of being lead singles. There are no filler tunes here, just solid guitar hooks, big choruses, and lyrics full of angst. McCann seems to spend half his time in the 'he said / she said' game and the other half trying to get the girl home with him. The album art is probably a good indicator of the album message.
Original single 'Kathleen' is very memorable and displays how nobody can watch a Catfish show sitting down. 'Cocoon' has some freeing lyrics and a gratifying chorus. 'Hourglass' shows off the softer and acoustic ability of the group. 'Tyrants' is just an insane closer.
While the popularity has not fully translated to the US, Catfish has enjoyed a year of climbing to one of the largest bands in England. Their set at Glastonbury this summer was the most shared set of any on the festivals website. They already have plans to play the 8,000 capacity Castlefield Bowl in early July 2016 and sold it out in less than 8 minutes. McCann promises fans new songs from a forthcoming second album to be performed by that point. I'm excited to see what the follow up will be like. But one things for sure, it's going to be mighty difficult to top this album. Well done Catfish.
Oh my....2015 was quite the year for music. Personally, so many of my favorites released new music and toured in support. I can't possible complain when Mumford and Sons, Twenty One Pilots, Dawes, Noel Gallagher, Third Eye Blind, and Frank Turner all released new albums in 2015. It seems like a stat that may never be repeated.
2015 was even more than that though. As always, new bands broke through that I know consider my favorites. (Enter The Struts, Walk the Moon, and Catfish & the Bottlemen). Plus I was able to attend and really enjoy two new music festivals - Shaky Knees and Voodoo Music Fest. It's easy to say that this year will go down in the record books.
So looking back at the end of the year, it's only appropriate to try to rank all the great shows that I saw throughout the seasons. This was probably more difficult this year than any other....but here it goes. Hope you enjoy!
#65: Imagine Dragons at Amalie Arena - Full Review
#64: Charles Bradley - Live from Crowbar - Full Review
#63: War on Drugs - Live at The Ritz - Full Review
#62: Vacationer - Live from Crowbar - Full Review
#61: Bronze Radio Return back at Crowbar - Full Review
#60: Young the Giant - at USF Full Review
#59: Trampled By Turtles set at Gasparilla Music Fest - GMF Review
#58: Shovels and Rope - Live from State Theatre - Full Review
#57: Young Rising Sons - Live at Toad's Place - Full Review
#56: Coin - Live at State Theatre - Full Review
#55: Joywave - Live at Toad's Place - Full Review
#54: Vinyl Theatre - Live from The 662 - Full Review
#53: Saint Motel set at Next Big Thing - NBT Review
#52: Neon Trees - Live at State Theatre - Full Review
#51: Rob Thomas - A Holiday Show at Ruth Eckerd Hall - Full Review
#50: Dale Earnhart Jr. Jr. set at Gasparilla Music Fest - GMF Review
#49: Guster - Live from House of Blues Orlando - Full Review
#48: New Politics at Florida Southern College - Full Review
#47: Cherub - Live from State Theatre - Full Review
#46: Modest Mouse set at Gasparilla Music fest - GMF Review
#40: Gogol Bordello set at Gasparilla Music Fest - GMF Review
#39: Rob Thomas - Live from the Paramount Theatre - Full Review
#38: Avett Brothers - Round 1 at House of Blues Orlando - Full Review
#37: Portugal the Man - Live in Heaven - Shaky Knees Review
#36. Robert Delong set at Next Big Thing - NBT Review
25: Train - Live from the Amphitheater - Full Review 24: Walk the Moon set at Next Big Thing - NBT Review 23: Old Crow Medicine Show - Live at Jannus - Full Review 22: Third Eye Blind - Live at House of Blues Orlando - Full Review 21: Catfish & the Bottlemen - Live at the Fonda Theatre - Full Review
20: Third Eye Blindat St. Augustine Amphitheater - Full Review 19: Dr. Dog - Live from the 9:30 Club - Full Review 18: The Kooks - Live at Toad's Place - Full Review 17: Florence and the Machine set at Voodoo Music Fest 16: Dawes - Live from the Variety Playhouse - Full Review
15: Avett Brothers - Round 2 at House of Blues Orlando One line summary: The second night of selling out House of Blues Orlando proves to be the better show, as Avett's put together a great setlist.
14: Frank Turner - Live from the Underbelly One line summary: A quick there and back trip from Tampa to Jacksonville is completely worth it as the hardest working man in live music puts on the best show of his I had seen to date.
13: The Struts set at Voodoo Music Fest One line summary: Remember this name! This young British rock group win Voodoo Music Fest with great songs and an even better stage presence.
12: Twenty One Pilots set at Next Big Thing - NBT Review One line summary: Local radio station 97x could not have picked a better headliner, as Twenty One Pilots return to headline after opening the show three years earlier.
11: Mumford and Sons - Live from Merriweather Post Pavilion One line summary: Mumford and Sons display their brave new sound at a packed amphitheater show, playing Wilder Mind almost in its entirety.
And now for the top 10......
10: Twenty One Pilots -Night 1 from the Hammerstein Ballroom One line summary: The Pilots display well why they're having a huge year, playing new tunes off Blurryface in their largest NYC show to date.
9: Frank Turner - Live from The Fillmore One line summary: One of my absolute favorite guys packs 29 songs into a two hour set at this legendary San Francisco venue.
8: Walk the Moon - Live at State Theatre One line summary: Ohio based alt-pop group Walk the Moon ride the success of their second album to a wild and packed show at State Theatre.
7: Noel Gallagher set at Shaky Knees Music Fest
One line summary: The legendary Noel Gallagher mixes his solo materials well with the fan favorites of Oasis, ending with a captivating 'Don't Look Back in Anger.'
6: Avett Brothers set at Shaky Knees Music Fest One line summary: Avett's prove to be a worthy headliner, delivering a two hour performance jammed with their most sing-a-long friendly tunes.
5: Foo Fighters - Live from Fenway Park One line summary: It's tough to top one of the greatest rock bands of all time playing at Boston's iconic Fenway Park.
4: Florence and the Machine - Live from Merriweather Post Pavilion One line summary: Florence proves her capability of headlining any festival and shows her one of kind energy in the middle of a huge year,
3: Foo Fighters - Live from RFK Stadium on the 4th One line summary: The stars seemed to align for this one as Dave Grohl and company played for their hometown of DC on the 20th anniversary of their debut album....best 4th of July ever.
2: Twenty One Pilots - Night 2 from the Hammerstein Ballroom One line summary: Once again, Night 2 proves to be the better show as Pilots play their final NYC club show for the foreseeable future with some very special guests.
1: The Strokes set at Shaky Knees Music Fest One line summary: The Strokes top the list on a very impressive 2015 with a monster setlist, and get some assistance from the best crowd I've been in all year.
Wow...great year to say the least. Not sure how this one is going to be topped in 2016. Thanks for everyone that came out to a show.
December 5th, 2015. This day had been circled on my calendar for the past 3 months. The annual 97x Next Big Thing. This 1-day festival is always one of my favorite days of the year and has a great track record for booking young bands before they break through. (2014 full review here) A prime example was this year's headliner - Twenty One Pilots. The Columbus, Ohio duo started this very show back in 2012. This year they closed things out.
In the past three years the transformation for Twenty One Pilots has been huge. They went from a hard working club band that couldn't sell out the Ritz Theatre to one of the most demanded bands in music. They're the most voted on artist on the 97x app and were the perfect headliner given their prior experience playing shows in the Tampa Bay area.
The venue for Next Big Thing had to be increased to the 20,000 capacity Amphitheater in Tampa to match demand. All of the seating was sold out within a few days and the lawn eventually sold out weeks before the show. Basically...expectations and anticipation was at an all time high.
When the day finally arrived, here is who I was able to see: Glass Animals, Saint Motel, X Ambassadors, Robert Delong, Andrew McMahon in the Wilderness, The Neighbourhood, Walk the Moon, Of Monsters and Men, and of course Twenty One Pilots. Here is the review.
Out of the early bands on the day, I'll give the best credit to Saint Motel. The Los Angeles based indie pop band has a unique sound, most credited to their saxophone use. Lead single 'My Type' helped them have a breakthrough year. They also have great contributing singles in 'Cold Cold Man,' 'Benny Goodman' and 'Puzzle Pieces.' They remind me a bit of Capital Cities, and definitely have a bit of a different sound to help them breakthrough the alternative seen. I'd love to see them in a club gig. Look for these guys to release a full length album in 2016.
The other stand out act from the day time bands was the incredibly talented Robert Delong. I've seen Delong once before, opening up for the Pilots back in 2013, and man has this guy come a long way. He has had two radio singles this year - 'Long Way Down' and 'Don't Wait Up.' By hearing these songs on the radio, you wouldn't expect that Delong is in fact a one man band. He plays keyboard, drums, some kind of video game controller, and everything in between. He kind of combines the alternative and electronic genres and is very fun to watch on stage. I gotta see this guy in a club next year. He was awesome!
If it were not for the eventual headliners, 97xNBT would have been won by fellow Ohio based group Walk the Moon. I reviewed a club show by this pop-alternative favorite earlier in the year, and was excited to see them again in a festival setting. Right from the start they came out with crazy energy, opening with 'Jenny' off their self titled debut album.
Of course, the album that's brought them to their current level of high popularity is sophomore effort Talking is Hard. This is one of my favorite albums on the year, and Walk the Moon performed 5 tunes off it, including 'Different Colors' which fit very appropriately as fans raised their various colored thunder sticks. Between hit single 'Shut Up and Dance' and greatest song 'Anna Sun' to close the set, these guys showed they could headline this festival one day. Look for them to return in two years.
Poor Of Monsters and Menprobably had the worst time slot of the day. They were stuck in between the high energy Walk the Moon and the much anticipated headliner - Twenty One Pilots. Therefore, it was tough for the Icelandic indie rockers to match the excitement of those two. The large band sounded good, but were very mellow, losing the crowds attention. These guys would be great in a club, but unfortunately, Next Big Thing wasn't their best performance.
The 20,000 crowd was still going strong at 9:45 when Twenty One Pilots took the stage. I've had the pleasure of seeing these guys two times already in 2015, (reviews here and here) so I was familiar with the opening of the set.
Current single 'Heavydirtysoul' set the tone well for the Pilots performance. I've always thought of these guys more as entertainers rather than your standard band. Lead singer Tyler Joseph raps the verses from a suspended microphone while Josh Dun provides the rhythm on drums. Joseph then stepped away from the mic for the chorus, giving Tampa a chance to show off how well they know the lyrics.
For those unfamiliar with the Pilots, some aspects of the set may seem strange. Sure, the skeleton suits worn by the band members come off as a bit odd in the Florida heat. And the Elvis cover thrown in the middle of the set might have been unexpected. But for the Tampa 'skeleton clique,' they were prepared and ready. I was consistently impressed with how well the crowd knew the music. Everyone knew each rap verse of 'Migraine,' and screamed the chorus with Joseph on 'Holding on to You.'
Per usual, set highlights were the visual aspects displayed by the Pilots. Josh Dun used a separate drum set that got pushed on top of the crowd during 'Ride.' Joseph departed into the pit and climbed a lone piece of truss to sing the final chorus of 'Car Radio.' And of course, nothing topped the expected encore of 'Trees.' Both members of this talented duo were in the pit for the final notes of the evening, closing the show with their signature drum off.
As I said, Twenty One Pilots have come a long way in three years. And I'd like to think that they were reminded of that on this night. Joseph seemed very genuine thanking 97x and the boys seemed a bit taken back as they gave their bows following 'Trees.' It was definitely my favorite 97x show of all time. Man...97x has their work cut out for them next year. I don't know how they're going to top this.
Twenty One Pilots Setlist:
1. Heavydirtysoul
2. Stressed Out
3. Guns for Hands
4. Migraine
5. Polarize
6. We Don't Believe What's on TV (House of Gold intro)
7. Can't Help Falling in Love (Elvis Presley cover)
8. Lane Boy
9. Holding on to You
10. Ride
11. Tear in My Heart
12. Car Radio
Playing this year's Mix Christmas show was singer-songwriter Rob Thomas. Mix has always put together a solid lineup for this fun holiday show. 2014 featured Train at the Mahaffey Theatre, reviewed in full here. This year they nabbed Thomas and fellow 90's veterans Third Eye Blind. The venue was bumped up to Ruth Eckerd Hall in Clearwater.
I know Thomas best through his work as the front man of Matchbox Twenty. Rob acknowledged this side project, citing that he has the best gig in the world in his free time, and promised that his original band would be back around. Many fans in attendance clearly came to hear Matchbox tunes, and were rewarded with both greatest hits '3 AM' and 'Unwell.'
While opening band Third Eye Blind (seeing them for the 2nd night in a row....Night 1 review here) stated that they are far from a Christmas band, Rob stated that he's the exact opposite. Thomas explained this was his favorite time of year, and performed 'New York Christmas' as a tribute. Rob wrote this song in fall of 2001, following the 9/11 tragedy.
Rob mixed in plenty of his own hits as well. Thomas released his third solo album earlier this year, entitled The Great Unknown. Current single 'Hold on Forever' displays Rob's song style well, with a happy beat and warm lyrics. He can easily get fans up to dance and sing along with him. I'll note he's especially popular with the middle aged women. I had a group in front of me that were having the night of their lives and were most likely stalking the tour bus after the show.
Some of Thomas' greatest solo hits helped fill in the gaps of the show. 'Her Diamonds' and 'Streetcorner Symphony' were obviously well received. Additionally, I was especially pumped to hear Rob's cover of 'Smooth,' the tune he wrote and sang for Carlos Santana as one of the biggest hits of the 90's.
Final tune of the night was 'This is How a Heart Breaks,' as Thomas departed the stage to dance with the fans. The 43 year old looked young climbing over chair backs and getting mobbed by the audience. Though the crowd and songs played might be older, Thomas proved that he's still got it. He has a large enough song catalogue to fill a 75 minute set and he does a great job of connecting with the audience. I definitely recommend seeing him.
Concert Rating: 3 Stars
SETLIST:
1. Give Me the Meltdown
2. Lonely No More
3. Her Diamonds
4. Wind It Up
5. Let's Dance (David Bowie cover)
6. 3 A.M. (Matchbox Twenty cover)
7. Hold On Forever
8. Real World 09
9. Someday
10. Streetcorner Symphony
11. A New York Christmas
12. Unwell (Matchbox Twenty cover)
13. Smooth (Santana cover)
14. This is How a Heart Breaks
