When indie rock meets disco, you get a band that always follows through on their promise to make you dance, and boy did Fitz and the Tantrums follow through at The Westcott Theater.
Before they took the stage on Sunday night, Hunter Hunted [15], an indie-pop duo from California, warmed up the eager crowd properly. Fitz said it best later in the show: “You will be the people who get to say that you saw them first.” Their combination of soaring, thick vocal harmonies and catchy, danceable beats show a lot of potential in the future of Hunter Hunted, and the crowd was entranced immediately.
The audience was an equal mix between 50-year-olds and 20-somethings, but as soon as Fitz and the Tantrums took the stage, everyone felt 17 again. Opening with “Keepin Our Eyes Out“ and transitioning into “Don’t Gotta Work It Out,” the band proved immediately that despite how fun their music is recorded, hearing it live is an entirely next-level experience.
It seemed that every song was a crowd pleaser, warranting every ounce of energy from each member of the band. With such a momentous start, it seemed it would be impossible for this night to last very long, but to the pleasure of everyone in the room, it did.
After a series of songs from their 2010 release, Pickin’ Up The Pieces, Fitz and the Tantrums [16] introduced fans to a few songs off of their upcoming release. These songs flaunted a more dynamic feel, more rhythmic and danceable melodies, and more time in the spotlight for Noelle Scaggs, the vibrant stage counterpart of frontman Michael Fitzpatrick. The chemistry that the two had on stage was strong enough to fill the entire room with tension.
In the middle of their set, the band surprised the crowd with an unbelievably fun cover of “Sweet Dreams (Are Made Of This),” ending with Scaggs and Fitzpatrick competing to get their respective sides of the audience to give a better reaction to “Keep your head up!” with a heartier “Movin' on.” If it was possible, the energy that the band introduced to the stage with their first few songs had only gotten more intense.
Next was a new song that the crowd had already gotten familiar with through radio play. “Out Of My League,” was proof that once Fitz fans have time to familiarize themselves with the rest of the new record, the new jams will be even more cohesive in a live environment than the bands older tracks. Not a person in the room was standing still.
As soon as Fitz told the audience that there were “only two words you need to know for the next song-the first one is 'hey,' and the second one, well it isn’t really a word and it comes from deep inside you,” everyone knew it was time for another fan-favorite, “Dear Mr. President.”
Before finishing their set with the chant-along-worthy anthem, “L.O.V.” the Tantrums showed their darker side with “Tighter,” a song that is “all about regret.” After these songs were over and the band left the stage, the crowd at The Westcott Theater knew that there was no way the night was over yet.
When the band returned to the stage, a lone audience member begged for not one, but five more songs. When the band heard him, they announced that they had a special treat for Syracuse and that it had been their favorite show of the tour so far.
The band played their No. 1 hit “Money Grabber” and sent the crowd wild before announcing, “We weren’t supposed to do this one but f--- it!” and playing a cover of “Steady As She Goes” by The Raconteurs [17].
At the end of their four-song encore, all members of the band repeatedly thanked Syracuse for an amazing show and begged fans to stay and say hello before leaving for the night. Luckily for all parties involved, Fitz and the Tantrums promised to return to their new favorite city as soon as they possibly can.
