I’m not liking this whole one month in between concerts thing, but I’m glad AWOLNATION was next up on the list!
At this point, I’ve seen AWOLNATION so many times that I’ve lost track. I do know that I probably started about a decade ago after being a fair-weather fan for so long. This band is pure talent and creativity, so I always look forward to what they have in store. And while this tour is technically in support of The Phantom Five, it also has been celebrating the tenth anniversary of Run, which is the album that really got me hooked.
Starting off the show with “Jump Sit Stand March” was the right move, and even though Linkin Park’s new leading lady wasn’t there to lend her vocals, Aaron Bruno did just fine. In fact, I was under the impression that she had inspired her performance on his unique vocals (obviously wrong, but still). I was a bit surprised that only two other songs from the album made it onto the setlist, but they were the singles, so a win for me. Otherwise, the set was peppered with plenty of fan favorites from their debut album, such as “Kill Your Heroes” and “Not Your Fault.” Could I have done without “Soul Wars?” Absolutely. But they gave me “Knights of Shame,” so I can forgive.
Speaking of, ‘Knights of Shame” was incredible! My friend isn’t familiar with that particular 14-minute track, so it was quite an adventure for her. In celebration of Run‘s tenth anniversary, we of course got the title track and “Hollow Moon (Bad Wolf),” but I was surprised to see “Like People, Like Plastic” show up in the middle of the set. The crowd went bananas for that one! “The Best” was the only other oddball that made it into the show, but for my money, it was a really solid lineup of songs.
As I also come to expect, Aaron Bruno loves a weird little dance and he loves getting the crowd involved. He’s an odd front man, but an extremely effective one. Plus, he’s got a killer vocal range to back him up. My friend and I did feel that every glance up to the balcony was directed at us, and I can imagine that he was disappointed when he saw our almost motionless forms. Look, my excitement comes from my legs. Which you would not be able to see from the stage to the balcony. So sue me! Anyways, another great show that I’m almost positive won’t be my last from them.
