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Walk the Moon at Geneseo

by Kris Kielich on January 12, 2015

The crowd buzzed with excitement all around me. The moment was finally here, and the face paint was everywhere. Hype had been building for this show ever since Walk the Moon had been announced as the first concert in Geneseo’s new two smaller concert plan, which had recently ousted the one large spring concert from years past. Walk the Moon is the definition of college-friendly rock, with an indie pop sound that's perfect for dancing, which is something that I can tell you from experience most college students like to do.

As soon as the band appeared onstage after a soft opening from duo Anna Sun (fittingly named after a WTM song), the crowd lost it. As the opening notes of the raging "Tightrope" blasted though the Union Ballroom, it was clear the band felt very comfortable here in their element, and the audience would continue to feed them energy throughout the night. They knew we would be ready for them, and expressed excitement for the show before it even started in an interview for WGSU. The band's new album release day was just around the corner, and boy did they make a great impression with the new songs they put on display. After the crowd was sufficiently warmed up and jumping, the band busted out new track "Spend Your $$$," one of the most fun songs I’ve heard all year, and one I and everyone enjoyed dancing like fools to. New tracks "Avalanche" and "Down in the Dumps" also shined bright, but nothing hit the crowd harder than the new album's single "Shut Up and Dance" to which a massive sing-a-long between band and crowd was THE highlight of the night. Of course, the band saved their most popular song "Anna Sun" for the explosive end to the delight of every person in the room who was ready to give their lungs a real workout. No concert is complete without an encore, and no one really wanted the party to stop; the band was happy to oblige, delivering a furious and spicy rendition of "Jenny," as frontman Nick Petricca stepped onstage and shouted, "Geneseo, be careful what you wish for!"

After the show, it was clear to me that these four gentlemen were firmly aware of the energy in the room, and it seemed the vortex of that energy only got stronger from start to finish. They felt the love, and the crowd felt the love from the band. That's what a successful show is all about. It was one of the most fun shows I've ever been to (and meeting the band was pretty cool too). It was intimate, explosive, and just plain fun. It really showed what music is all about: the emotion, and every person I saw leave that room after the show had a smile on their face. If that's not telling, I don’t know what is.