Fitz and The Tantrums @ Iroquois Amphitheater - Louisville
July 20th, 2023: Fitz and The Tantrums, Sub-Radio @ Iroquois Amphitheater - Louisville, KY
Fitz and The Tantrums - Photos Courtesy of: Emily May
Fitz and The Tantrums brought their Let Yourself Free Tour to Iroquois Amphitheater on July 20th, in support of their latest album Let Yourself Free, and it was a party from start to finish! There was a crowd of fans lined up before the doors, waiting to get inside to get their seats, get food and merch, and dance the night away. Starting out the evening was Washington, D.C. pop rock band Sub-Radio. These guys had a super fun and upbeat energy, with singer Adam Bradley jumping around the stage and engaging with his fellow bandmates! There was plenty of crowd interaction, as well, with Bradley leading everyone in sing-alongs, crowd participation, and just chatting with everyone between songs, making everyone laugh at one point when saying how his hair was going through the 5 stages of grief in the heat. Telling a funny story early in the set, he said how “Last time we played here, it was in a bar downtown in 2019. There was actually a fight while we were playing and we had to evacuate the bar momentarily because of shattered glass. This is much better!”. Performing songs from their 2016 album Same Train // Different Station and their newly released EP Past Selves, as well as some singles, they had the crowd dancing along and having a great time! “I am a queer man,” said Bradley about halfway through the set. “I’m bisexual and came out at 27, which is a long time to wait. I am lucky to have a supportive family, friends, and bandmates. I have a support system, but not everyone does. I knew a lot of people growing up who struggled to find a community to accept them. This next song is about that. If you are a queer person who has found a community to come out to, I’m happy for you. If you haven’t, I see you. This song is called “Cool”.” Bradley later gave the crowd a challenge. “Try to figure out what our drummer Michael is doing in this next song and copy it. It’ll be about 3 1/2 minutes. I don’t think anyone will get it right!”, as Michael proceeded to then do a series of snaps, body taps, and hand/arm movements. “Did anyone get it right?”, asked Bradley after the song. He then joked that if anyone did, for them to come and claim their prize at the merch table after the set. These guys really had the crowd in a fun mood after their set and ready for the evening ahead.
Closing out the evening was LA indie pop band Fitz and The Tantrums! “How are ya’ll doin’ tonight Louisville? We’re going to need a lot of crowd participation!”. Starting things off with “Sway”, “Heaven”, and “OCD”, they had the crowd singing and dancing with their hands in the air. It was a major party vibe! Michael Fitzpatrick (lead vocals/keys) and Noelle Scaggs (co-lead vocals/percussion) were dancing around the stage throughout the set, sometimes separately and sometimes in coordinated and choreographed moments of dancing together. Saxophonist James King (who also plays flute/harmonica/keys/percussion/guitar), bassist Joseph Karnes, keyboardist Jeremy Ruzumna, and touring drummer Blair Sinta rounded out the songs nicely. Fitzpatrick and Scaggs are so much fun to watch together on stage and they really make sure to engage with the crowd and make sure everyone is having a good time. Towards the middle of the set, Scaggs asked everyone to put their hands in the air and form a heart with their hands, saying “This next song is dedicated to each and every one of you” before the band launched into the crowd favorite “Out of My League”. She later asked “Louisville. Where are all my ladies at?” before singing “Fool”. Fitzpatrick then asked the crowd for help on the next one, “MoneyMaker” and the crowd did not disappoint. “I’m loving your energy tonight! Thank you for being here.”
Ending their set with “The Walker”, the band left the stage briefly before coming back out for a 3-song encore with Fitzpatrick telling the crowd “Ya’ll want more? Everyone’s passed out in the back so ya’ll gotta make a lot of noise for them!”. He then asked if any of the children in the crowd would want to come up on stage for a song, with him directing them on where to go and who to talk to come up. They then sang “MoneyGrabber” with a stage full of kids, singing their hearts out and having a great time! After the song, once they had all left the stage, Fitzpatrick told the crowd the band’s origin story. “I had a dream that felt like destiny. I knew I was destined to be on stage singing for you and went to school for music and was in two bands and put out an album with each and no one cared. My dad sat me down and said maybe it’s time to be realistic and get a job. So I decided to be responsible and get that job and worked a couple of months and then said no! I don’t want to do this. I started Fitz and The Tantrums at 38, released the first album at 40, got our first number 1 song at 42, and I am now standing here at 53.” He then joked with the crowd, saying “I know what you are thinking. Damn, he looks good!”. “I know there are people here tonight desperately trying to hold onto their dreams. I had to wait until my 40s, so don’t give up! This next song, from the new album, is about that.” They then launched into “Ahhh”. With one final song, they closed out the evening with many a fan favorite, “HandClap”. They had the entire crowd singing along at the top of their lungs and when the lyrics “I can make your hands clap” were sung, the crowd clapped along each time! It was a really fun way to end the set and the evening. It was a truly fun and unforgettable evening!
Sub-Radio
