Walk The Moon sang to a sold-out 9:30 Club audience at the 9:30 Club on April 16 and April 17, 2015.
Nearly two-thirds of the way through their Talking Is Hard tour, Ohio-based indie band Walk the Moon stopped in Washington for a doubleheader at the 9:30 Club starting Thursday. Joining them on the North America-United Kingdom touris Australian group The Griswolds. From the insanely bright lights to the nonstop dancing, Walk the Moon had three defining qualities: energy, energy and yes, more energy.
The Griswolds started the night strong, being everything you could want in an opening band. They had enough energy to get the crowd excited for Walk the Moon without wearing them out. Surf tones bumped through the speakers as the band rocked, with the song “Beware the Dog” proving its worth as a single.
[ READ MORE: Walk The Moon performs at 9:30 Club ]
Flanked on either side by large chevron brackets (< and >), the stage was filled with smoke, and two bright flashes of light revealed the members of Walk the Moon in silhouette. “The Circle of Life” played, “Nants ingonyama bagithi Baba” chanting throughout the club, before the bright neon lights hit the crowd and the band started “Different Colors” from its sophomore major-label album Talking is Hard. The crowd ate up the tune, singing along all the way.
The dynamic between the band and the audience was intense, with the success of the show built on the energy of the band intensifying in the crowd and reverberating to the stage in a positive feedback loop. The neon lights shone in the faces of smiling audience members, driving the band’s performance.
The set was predominantly filled with songs off the new album. “Spend Your $$$” and “Work This Body” were some highlights among the newer tracks. While the crowd was receptive to these songs, old hits such as “Tightrope” and “I Can Lift a Car” were huge successes with the club.
The last three songs of Walk the Moon’s performance were energetic and full of surprises. Closing the set was their hit song “Shut Up and Dance,” which the audience only partially obeyed, belting along with the band and dancing to their hearts’ content. A double encore followed the song with a cover of the Killers song “All These Things That I’ve Done,” which singer Nick Petricca introduced with the question, “Who liked 2003?” to which the confused crowd cheered before recognizing the opening lyrics.
It didn’t take long for the club to go along with Petricca as he sang the chorus: “I got soul, but I’m not a soldier.” It didn’t seem the performance could close on a better note, until the first notes of “Anna Sun” played out of the speakers. The band’s first single was a massive hit on the radio and in the performance as the audience and band made sure the show went out with a bang.
