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It’s not hard to keep fans happy when you have a setlist full of hits and favorites. But just to get things warmed up, why not treat your audience like a congregation and ask them to tap someone nearby they don’t know and tell them you’re glad they’re there? The audience didn’t need the warming in Atlanta’s humidity, but it brought smiles and a brief hubbub of conversation through the amphitheater. Leader/singer/songwriter Stephan Jenkins was obviously thrilled with the audience, stating that it’s the largest crowd to see them in their many trips to Atlanta. Add a massive lighting system, lasers, and a black and white video feed for contrasting large side-stage screens, the visuals were great.
And importantly, Jenkins was enjoying himself. On the road since June with fewer than 10 dates remaining, he was clear that they’re still having a great time. As expected, the band was tight, but nothing seemed unnaturally orchestrated in band movements, chit-chat between songs, or worse, going through the motions. Each member of the band seemed to be having a great time, notably ace guitarist Kryz Reid who made the most of his solo opportunities and an almost always smiling Colin Creev who “plays anything,” but mostly keyboards and guitar.
The set was loaded with eight songs from their bands eponymously titled 1997 debut, which was an indulgence of fan favorites, and featured a front stage acoustic set complete with couches, pillows and a couple stuffed animals. Stuffed animals? Jenkins was clear that he would let the group become a jam band, but this was as close as they’d get. Possibly an unintended “feature,” long time drummer, Brad Hargreaves, effortlessly twirled drumsticks in a pause between songs. Drummers… always moving.
But Stephan Jenkins is the story, whether live or on a recording. It’s expected for entertainers to engage an audience, and Jenkins does all of the expected or hoped for things: roaming the stage, eye contact with fans within site, expressive delivery, rocking hard when the music calls for that, contemplative consideration when there is more depth. Jenkins is better than most. Closing with three fan favorites is a great way to send an audience out for the night, and, the fans kind of love it when you promise to return after your next album.
More photos follow.
Setlist:
Acoustic:
End of set:
Encore:
Self-titled albums are often the first released by an artist. Yellowcard reserved that for their last, back in 2016, when they called it quits.
They returned in 2023 with the backing of Live Nation, celebrating the 20 year anniversary of their first release and playing to larger crowds than they gathered when they were active. A 5-song EP last year and a new single this year might beg the question whether they will move forward with a new album.
This was my first time seeing this group, who played pretty much a career-spanning set, including some of their bigger hits and some deeper cuts before finishing up with their biggest hit, expectedly, “Ocean Avenue.”
Live, a pleasant and unexpected revelation was finding violin (Sean Mackin) as the on-stage visual draw. That’s expected for bluegrass and maybe Kansas or ELO, but a band living under the emo/pop category? Well, good show! It was lively performance all around, with Ryan Key in fine voice, enjoying the crowd and hopefully finding inspiration to record more songs for their fans.
Setlist:
Hailing from New Jersey, A R I Z O N A name picked their name from the iced tea company printed on a hat that a band member was wearing because “it doesn’t matter.” Funny, Asia chose their name because people start with the A’s in the album racks. Hello streaming.
Singer Zach Charles figured out early on that it didn’t matter what he did onstage as long as he looked like he was having fun doing it. Where his style began is unknown, but today he’s definitely a borrower from Freddie Mercury: muscular, tight shirt and jeans, pumping an arm to reinforce his message to the crowd, and the mustache.
It’s tough duty opening relatively early to an arriving crowd at a large venue, but they made the most of the opportunity. Known more as an electronic alternative rock band, the set highlighted Zach roaming the stage and Nate Esquite’s guitar solos.
Setlist:
