The Wrong Party with Andy Grammer and Fitz & The Tantrums
Hi, all. Darren here and we’re back again for some more summer concert coverage. This time we were out at the St. Louis Music Park for the co-headlining The Wrong Party tour with Fitz & The Tantrums and Andy Grammer.
We’ll get to the show in a moment but I have to mention this venue. STL Music Park is fairly new and this was my first time being there….kind of. After the summer concert season, the stands and stage are taken down and the space is converted to an ice rink for the winter, which I’ve played on but I was excited to see how the setup was and it did not disappoint. Just through the entrance, there is a large open field complete with concessions, merch tables, and of course, cornhole boards to pass the time before the show. Everything about the place was top-notch and I can’t wait to return for some more great shows.
The evening started with Maggie Rose supporting her latest album Have A Seat. I’m not sure what expectations I had, if any, for Maggie but I was extremely impressed. Drawing from a southern sound with a little bit of soul and pop along with her powerful voice made for a great combination. Well-written songs and the harmonies with keyboardist Kaitlyn Conner set a precedent for an awesome night. Unfortunately (fortunately for us) this was the last night of the tour for Maggie but please go check her out and support her.
Just before sunset, the house lights went down and it was time for Andy Grammer. Before Andy and his band took the stage, Grammer’s publicist came out on stage and a giant QDR code appeared on the screen behind the stage. He went on to encourage fans to text the number and 2 lucky concert-goers would get the chance to come backstage after his set for a meet-and-greet. I have to say, I’ve never seen this but it’s a really cool way to connect with fans. Grammer began his set with a speech about his journey to find himself just before going into “Damn It Feels Good To Be Me.” While it’s not a new concept for artists to use their platform on stage to speak to their audience, I must say that Grammar did this more often than any other artist I’ve seen. It was good to get some insight and perspective on his songs. He would do this again in a spoken word/poetry style speech before “New Money.” Honestly, it was pretty impressive. He would mix his hits throughout the entire set which made for a nice balance for people who weren’t necessarily too familiar with his discography.
Spirits were high after Grammer’s set and everyone was excited for Fitz & The Tantrums. The lights went down and drummer John Wicks sat behind the kit and started the drum intro to “OCD.” Fans were clapping along to the beat as the rest of the band and vocalists Michael Fitzpatrick and Noelle Scaggs came on stage. Up next was “Complicated.” Towards the end of the song, there is a saxophone solo from saxophonist James King. He absolutely crushed it and the crowd was going crazy.
Going into the show, I was aware of Fitz and knew they’d had some success over the years, but I have to admit that I was surprised at the number of hits they’ve had. As with Andy Grammer, these were sprinkled throughout the entire set. The crowd for this was very diverse and was a nice change of pace from the shows I’ve been covering this year. The entire vibe of the venue was just great during their set. It was really cool to see parents, kids, teenagers, and everyone in between dancing and singing in the pit and in the aisles.
As with most shows, Fitz saved the best for last with the encore including “HandClap,” “All The Feels,” and “The Walker.” Even if you’re not super familiar with anyone on this bill but enjoy a good show and good vibes, please check this tour out. Especially in today’s climate this was a great way to just kind of check out and enjoy yourself.
Click Here for the Full Gallery of the Evening!
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