Walk The Moon @ Fillmore in Charlotte, NC 2-8-18

The dance party was in full force this past Friday evening at the Fillmore as Cincinnati rockers Walk The Moon made a stop in the Queen City bringing their synth driven brand of pop-rock with them. Named after the iconic song “Walking on the Moon” by the Police, the band was formed by lead singer and keyboardist Nicholas Petricca back in 2006 while he was still a student at Kenyon College. In 2010, Walk the Moon independently released their debut studio album “I Want! I Want!” and it wasn’t long before alternative radio stations jumped on the single “Anna Sun.” Their early success led to being signed to RCA Records in 2011 and the rest as they say is alt-rock history.

After spending last summer opening for 30 Seconds To Mars, Walk The Moon is currently out on a headline run across the United States and hit the Fillmore in Charlotte Friday night playing to a sold out crowd. The atmosphere inside the venue was definitely amped up and fans were eager to party and dance the night away with their favorite band. As the band came out, the stage was dark with the exception of a few spotlights surrounding Sean Byron Waugaman’s drum kit. A taped intro of Elton John’s “Circle of Life” was playing over the speakers as the band members came out with frontman Nicholas Petricca leading the audience in a quick sing-along before the festivities got started. Kicking off their high energy set with “Lisa Baby,” Nicholas and company were a force to be reckoned with, going non-stop all night long. Petricca’s keyboards were set up at the front , center stage as he jumped, spun, and danced while keeping the synth grooves going. Bass guitarist Kevin Colter Ray as fierce as he kept the bass lines pumping as he posed, and spun all over the stage. Guitarist Eli Brose Maiman kept the riffs coming as he made his way up to one of the risers at the front of the stage to give fans at the barricade a unique perspective and one of a kind views. Waugaman was barely visible behind his massive drum kit as provided a solid backbone of beats with touring member Lachlan West rounding out the sound with additional keyboards and percussion. The set list was well rounded with a little bit of something from each of Walk The Moon’s releases and even a new song “Timebomb” which the crowd took an instant liking to. Petrrica is not only a gifted vocalist and musician, he is also a consummate showman with a stage presence that is second to none and had the audience engaged in the show from the very start. People were having a great time, dancing and jumping when the band launched into their version of the Ray Parker Jr.’s movie classic “Ghostbusters,” which was featured in the 2016 remake of the movie. “Shut Up and Dance” was another crowd favorite as was the set closer “Headphones” which ended with a short outro of Led Zeppelin’s “Kashmir.”

After a few minutes of screaming and shouting for an encore, Walk The Moon obliged the crowd by returning for two more songs. Nicholas and Kevin took a few minutes to thank the crowd and share a few laughs before kicking things into overdrive with a spirited and dynamic rendition of “Portugal” with dazzling lights swirling across the venue before coming full circle to end the evening with the song that first started it all, “Anna Sun.” Hands down, this was one of the most entertaining and enjoyable shows I have seen in a long time. The band absolutely gave everything they had to make sure the crowd had a great time which resulted in laughter and smiles as the audience began making their way out of the venue, fully satisfied from a one of a kind performance. Don’t miss your chance to dance, be sure to check out Walk The Moon when they make a stop in a city near you.

Set List:

Lisa Baby

Different Colors

One Foot

Quesadilla

Tiger Teeth

Timebomb

Feels Good To Be High

Ghostbusters (Ray Parker Jr. cover)

Avalanche

Surrender

Aquaman