Yet Again, Andy Frasco and The U.N. Blow the Virtual Roof Off at Atomic Pavilion in St. Louis

— by Carrie Zukoski

 

The feels like temperature hovered around 100ºF-plus on this Friday evening in St. Louis, Missouri. Not the most ideal conditions for an outdoor concert, although the slightest of breezes helped a smidge. But that did not stop fans of Andy Frasco and The U.N. from leaving their air-conditioned homes for a night of danceable debauchery at the Atomic Pavilion in The Grove neighborhood. Dressed to be as comfortable as one can be knowing they’d be drenched in sweat, the enthused, packed crowd gathered early, sure not to miss co-tour mates Kitchen Dwellers. 

 

Without a hint of sweltering on stage, the Bozeman, Montana-based four-piece Kitchen Dwellers (formed in 2010 in — yep, someone’s kitchen) began the boisterous night with 70 minutes of their progressive bluegrass, psych-rock fusion music and jams as the sun faded behind them. From the fast-paced picking on “Guilty” to a cover of “99 Luftballoons” that makes the song bearable, to the sweet, more traditional bluegrass love song, “Visions of Mohr,” to a rambunctious bluegrass/rock fusion jam, Kitchen Dwellers proved to be a perfect compliment for Andy Frasco and The U.N. During the last 20 or so minutes of their set, Mihali, who would perform an after show indoors, joined them on stage adding his electric guitar to the banjo, mandolin, upright bass, and acoustic guitar mix. 

 

Primed, the sold-out crowd emitted an excitable energy that hung in the steamy air, so when Frasco and Co. came on stage at 9:40 p.m., everyone’s cheers erupted into the dense night sky. The lineup looked a little different this time. Bassist Nick Chamian was filling in for Floyd Kellogg; Mike Gantzer is the newest guitarist/singer, and St. Louis’ Allie Kral, who joined about a year ago as violinist/singer. Remaining but (still) newer members include Sam Kelly on saxophone and Andrew Cooney on guitar and vocals, while long-time member Andee “Beats” Avila continues to drum and sing. And, of course, piano-playing, rabble-rousing, vocalist and frontman extraordinaire, Andy Frasco was at the helm. 

 

See all photos from the St. Louis concert here. 

This genre-blending bluesy-rock band that really defies any category has been mixing it up since 2007. In the 19 years that Frasco’s been on the road, they’ve been coming to St. Louis for 18 of them. At one of his sentimental moments during the 90-plus minute set, Frasco thanked the crowd for being along for the ride. Another St. Louis moment occurred when former bandmate, saxophonist Ernie Chang (who resides in St. Louis) joined the band on stage about halfway through the night. “Let’s have a battle of St. Louis,” Frasco joked while Kral and Chang played their respective instruments in a short duel. 

 

Let’s face it. When a band shifts members, especially a few in a relatively short amount of time, it’s going to feel and sound a little different, especially when each member brings their own personality and sound to the stage. And that is part of what makes Andy Frasco and The U.N. what it is. Ever evolving. Ever changing. In fact, early on, Frasco said he’s been in a “punk rock era” as they performed his newest single, the rowdy pop-punk “The Out Crowd.” Was the high-octane energy that exudes from the stage of an Andy Frasco ever so slightly shifted? Maybe. Maybe it was playing outdoors in August during an extreme heat warning, or perhaps the newest members were still meshing. Maybe the person writing this was off on feeling the energy because, good golly, there was an abundance, including an extended crowd surfing moment from Sam Kelly. And when Kitchen Dwellers as well as Mihali joined them on stage, the dial cranked to 10. 

 

At one point, Frasco dialed the heat down for a moment when performing his sentimental “Somedays,” informing the crowd that his mom just finished her last chemo treatment as he shed a little tear at the end. But that moment only lasted a moment as he quickly turned it back up. He also included a quirky short melody of songs that he claimed all sound alike: “Don’t Come Around Here No More,” “The Joker,” “Angel,” and others. 

 

All in all, Andy Frasco and The U.N. remain one of the top must-see live bands within a 100-mile radius for one raucous, sweaty, and all-around feel-good concert. And this one was no different. 

 

So many more photos from the night are here. 

 

As of this writing, a partial setlist can be seen here.