Walk The Moon Packs the College Street Music Hall...

It was a chilly night in New Haven, Connecticut but that didn’t keep people from lining up to get into the College Street Music Hall. This evening’s show featured pop rock stars, Walk The Moon along with opening band, Bear Hands. Local production company, Manic Presents once again put together a show that had people of all ages packed into the venue for a sold out show.

Indie-rock band Bear Hands was formed in 2006 and hails from Brooklyn, NY. They have released three full-length albums and their latest, You’ll Pay For This was released in 2016. When a band opens a show for a band that has a large and loyal following, not to mention a different sound, it can be a tough spot. Not this evening though as the crowd truly enjoyed their set of artfully performed songs and no doubt, Bear Hands garnered many new fans who had not been exposed to them prior to this drop-dead performance. Their blend of grunge and indie post punk sounds energized the crowd and set the stage for the headliners.

For those not familiar with Walk The Moon, this US band was formed in Cincinnati, Ohio 2002. They have released four studio albums and a live album, which was released in 2016. In that same year, Walk The Moon was awarded the prestigious American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publisher’s Vanguard Award. This annual award is given in recognition of “the impact of new and developing musical genres which help shape the future of music”. To say this is quite an achievement is an understatement as some of the previous winners are Beastie Boys, Nine Inch Nails, The Killers, Arcade Fire, and a large list of other influential and popular bands.

When Walk The Moon hit the stage with “Lisa Baby”, the crowd hit the ceiling with excitement. Many of the frenzied die-hard fans had various symbols painted on their faces, which is the standard for the truly loyal Walk The Moon fans. Singer and founder Nicholas Petricca took command of the stage as he danced about with a non-stop smile, which fueled the overwhelming good feeling in the room. Dancing and moving about the stage is a mainstay with this band as guitarist Eli Maiman and bassist Kevin Ray also moved about in a seemingly perpetual state of motion. The band appeared humbled by the outpouring of love from the crowd as Petricca thanked the crowd for supporting them and professed his, and the bands, gratitude for the affection from the audience that continued throughout the show.

As the familiar opening guitar riff of their wildly popular “Shut Up And Dance” began, the crowd roared with appreciation. There wasn’t a still body in the crowd as everyone swayed, danced and sang along as this was the moment of the show many had been clearly waiting for. They followed up this commercial radio favorite with a song they had been asked to record, the theme for the remake of the 1984 box office smash, Ghostbusters and once again, the audience went wild. Along with the great music, the audience was treated to a light show that was on par with some of the best concert light shows out there today adding to the total entertainment experience.

In closing, a Walk The Moon concert is an experience not to be missed! They have an unending energy that is virulent. Their music is a breath of fresh air as it is happy and joyous in these days of music, which seems to dwell on the negative aspects of society and life in general. One leaves the concert hall in a state of elation but also with a sense of sadness as one wishes the show would have continued. Fear not, this band is a hard working band and will no doubt be performing for many years to come!!!