Young the Giant’s Victory Garden Tour Blooms Bright at Saint Louis Music Park
— by Carrie Zukoski
On the next-to-last night of the 43-city Victory Garden tour, Young the Giant with openers Cold War Kids and little image brought even more heat to Saint Louis Music Park on the already steamy August Saturday night.
Kicking off at exactly 6:30 p.m., the young trio (with touring guitarist), little image, hailing from a Dallas suburb, won the hearts of those early attendees with 30 minutes of their alt-pop rock. Playing up to the growing crowd, their short set included their 2023 Billboard chart single “Out of My Mind,” and they ended on their newest, hard-hitting single, “Kill the Ghost,” that’s making the rounds.
Celebrating not only their 20th anniversary of the release of their acclaimed debut album, Robbers & Cowards, Cold War Kids’ Nathan Willett said it was bassist Matt Maust’s birthday (several members of Young the Giant and others waited in the wings at the end of their set donning tiny party hats to cheer Maust). The indie rock band regaled the growing crowd with an hour of hits spanning their discography, including a more sentimental version of “We Used to Vacation,” and they layered in a mini garage-style jam sesh midway through “Something is Not Right with Me.” They also performed the bluesy-gospel-sounding “There Goes the Night,” which Willett shared was originally written for Robbers & Cowards, but was left unfinished until recently. The band endures, and Willett’s vocals remain strong and unique.
The ever-indie/alt rockers from Irvine, CA, Young the Giant kicked off their set with what’s sure to be the ever-popular, ever-catchy “Evergreen” from their sixth studio album, Victory Garden. A stunning backdrop of giant, billowing stemmed flowers that almost danced with the lighting changes helped set the mood during the glorious 90-minutes of atmospheric driving rhythms, guitar hooks, and soaring, soulful vocals. Dressed in white, loose clothing, frontman Sameer Gadhia appeared cool and composed on the outdoor stage the eve of yet another heat wave hitting St. Louis.
Early on, Gadhia told fans that after 22 years, it’s hard to craft a set list. He shared that since Jesse Walsh was sitting in for their regular drummer, Francois Comtois, perhaps they’d play a few songs they hadn’t played yet (“Anagram” and “Dollar $tore”). He also shared that some songs they played that night might not have been performed in St. Louis for 15 years as he reminisced a little about Delmar Loop and The Pageant.
Seasons may change, yet the enduring songs from Young the Giant and Cold War Kids (and someday little image) continue to give us something to believe in as time goes on.
See all photos here: https://bit.ly/YTG26cz
Young the Giant St. Louis setlist: https://www.setlist.fm/setlist/young-the-giant/2026/saint-louis-music-park-maryland-heights-mo-734b5621.html
Cold War Kids setlist: https://www.setlist.fm/setlist/cold-war-kids/2026/saint-louis-music-park-maryland-heights-mo-6b4b561a.html
little image setlist: https://www.setlist.fm/setlist/little-image/2026/saint-louis-music-park-maryland-heights-mo-5373e705.html
