Young The Giant Was Cool For A Hot Summer Night In Saint Louis
–by Laura Tucker
On Saturday night, June 24th, St. Louis Music Park welcomed three bands to perform sauna style, at our cozy outdoor venue. It was still steamy even after sunset, but headliners, Young the Giant, Milky Chance and Talk performed like they were St. Louis natives, unaffected by the weather that we are all accustomed to.
At 7:00, First out was Talk. It’s a bit hard to pinpoint the style of this musician. But don’t be fooled by the sparkles and star-studded pink overalls, giving the impression that he might be more of a pop artist, he actually rocked! His three-piece band was dressed in matching coveralls with name patches like mechanics providing visual continuity that allowed the frontman to shine. They also had his back with solid rock musicianship.
One look at the artist and you find that theatrics are front and center of the persona that is Talk. In his video for “Runaway to Mars” with misty vocals, he has a star-shaped eye patch painted on. This inspired a couple of fans to show support by painting their faces in solidarity. It paid off when he came down after the show and walked along the barricade meeting those in the front row and signing autographs.
Glistening from the heat, he took a moment to pull back his curly, platinum-blonde locks for a little relief and kept going with “Afraid of the Dark” and “A Little Bit Happy.” The fans seemed more than a little bit happy to start the night of with this performance.
At 7:50, the sun was staring to dip below the bleachers and bring some welcome shade to the venue. And, it was time for Milky Chance to take the stage. I’m not that familiar with the majority of their music, I only really know “Stolen Dance” which is as catchy as a cold. So, I was ready to get to know them a little better. The German-based band came out looking as laid back as you would expect a band with that name to be. They started with “Cocoon” and from the first word out of Clemens Rehbein, the audience was geared up. His unmistakable vocals lead the group comprised of Philipp Dausch on bass, Antonio Greger on guitar and Sebastian Schmidt on drums. Rehbein is also a composer and actor. He was a little reserved at first, feeling out the audience with a few smiles and smaller movements. Once he got confirmation that we were welcoming them with open arms, he began to cut loose and by the end of the set, gave a rowdy performance that resulted in cheers that seemed to be almost deafening at times.
In true indie rock form, the vibe was cool even though the weather was hot. I always tend to feel a bit guilty for hosting amazing bands in our city on scorching days with 40% humidity. Like it’s my fault for not being more accommodating. But, as genuine professionals, they never complain.
The breaks seemed short and kept the flow moving. And at 9:20, the moment we had been waiting for… Young the Giant. I had actually been waiting for this moment for the past couple of months. You know how you sometimes just latch onto a band and go through a phase where they are on repeat and you just can’t get enough? Well, that’s where I am currently. Feeling like I have suddenly opened a magic music box. And I am not alone. They were greeted with earnest cheering that didn’t stop until the last note of the last song.
They opened with the title track to their latest album: American Bollywood, and the stage was set in a coordinating theme for the Tour. A screen plays the start of the music video as a girl swings over water to introduce us to the Indian-American upbringing of lead singer, Sameer Gandhi. However, YTG are comprised of many backgrounds and I found an NPR interview with Sameer that explains a little about the lineup of talent. “My parents are Indian. Francois (Comtois), our drummer, is from Montreal. Jacob (Tilley – guitar, synthesizer, mellotro) I met the first time he ever came to America, the first day of middle school. He’s British. Payam Doostzadeh – bass guitar, synthesizer, vocals is of Persian descent, and Eric Cannata – guitar, vocals, keyboards is Italian and Jewish. They somehow came together in Irvine, CA.”
The five members fill the stage that is complete with a giant disco ball that is surrounded with an enormous, crescent-shaped lamp shade of sorts. It seems to be made of flowers and looks a bit like an orange octopus. There are also glowing orbs and incense burning on stage as well. Sameer is wearing a dark yellow shirt and pant combo that screams “rock-star.” He is an incredible front man and keeps moving throughout the entire show. More laid back is Payam, who literally sways in the background like a cover model with wind blowing his long hair throughout the show only steeping forward for to keep a steady beat for “My Body.” Cool.
The crowd is engaged from the beginning but after “Something to Believe In” and “Cough Syrup”, there is no dialing down the excitement meter. The hits keep coming from there.
Slowing things down a bit mid-way, they played “The Walk Home” from their latest album. Sameer explains that its inception came from our time as a world in quarantine and living through the uncertainty of the pandemic. It seems that many artists used that time wisely and so much good music has come from it. We all experienced it in our own way and that is the message here. The soothing notes and dreamy guitar make you somehow feel happy to realize that we are on the other side of it.
Up next, “Mind Over Matter.” The title track to their second album. Talk about dreamy. This is where the fans were really engaged. Singing and swaying along as they seem to return the positive energy to the band. After three more songs, they step off stage to prepare for the encore. We find ourselves quiet as Sameer takes the stage solo with his guitar for “Metropolis.”
Taking the time to speak to the audience, he mentions how at home he feels here in the Lou. While they haven’t performed for us in four years, they have fond memories of strolling through the Delmar Loop.
Remember the aforementioned disco ball? Let’s break that puppy out and light up the whole venue with gleaming beads of light dancing on the ceiling while the band plays “Superposition.’ Yeah, it was super-perfection!
Rounding out the evening with “Tightrope”, Silvertoungue” and lastly, another major crowd- pleaser, “My Body” was a great way to end the show.
What a great experience! Three very cool bands in one incredibly hot night!
Young the Giant Setlist:
American Bollywood
Wake Up
Something to Believe In
Cough Syrup
Apartment
Nothing’s Over
The Walk Home
Mind Over Matter
Cult of Personality
Heat of the Summer
Tonight
Encore:
Metropolis (Acoustic)
Superposition
Tightrope
Silvertongue
My Body
