Date: February 28, 2014
City: San Francisco, CA
Venue: The Regency Ballroom
Artist: Walk Off The Earth
Opening Act(s): Parachute
Walk Off The Earth opened for Jason Mraz last year around the time “Red Hands” was getting video and radio play. It’s always fun to see a band go from opener to headliner. Their songs make you want to move and their energy is infectious. They played all but one song off of their latest album “R.E.V.O.” and a few covers.
They set the pace of the show with “Speeches”. The crowd was moving, clapping and jumping. The harmonies on “R.E.V.O.” sounded just like their album. I liked how they were semi-choreographed during “Red Hands” with everyone moving in unison as they played their instruments.
As they had done when I saw them open for Jason Mraz, they covered Gotye’s “Somebody That I Used to Know” with all of them playing a single guitar. I am still not a fan of this song, but I do think this performance is stellar. Other covers they did included B.o.B’s “Magic”, Bruno Mars’ “Natalie”, Jane’s Addiction’s “Stop”, “Taylor Swift’s “I Knew You Were Trouble”, Rihanna’s “Man Down” and “Malvina Reynolds’ “Little Boxes”.
There is no lead singer in this group. Gianni Luminati, Sarah Blackwood and Ryan Marshall switch lead vocals based on the song. I think this helps to make their sound more unique and prevents it from getting stale. They also switch their spots on stage depending on which song they are performing. The show ended with “Summer Vibe” and the crowd singing “Eh-oh, eh-oh, eh-oh bop bop away-o, summer vibe, summer vibe” along to the ‘spirit signs’ held up.
Parachute was the second opener of the show. I was not very familiar with the band, but I had heard a few of their songs before – “Can’t Help” and “Something to Believe In”. While their music was fun and poppy and the band sounded good, lead singer Will Anderson’s voice was not great during some songs. I’m not sure if he was sick, having a bad night or if his voice just isn’t as good live as recorded.
I missed the first opener, Camera2, due to flight delays. Even though I was tired from traveling, Walk Off The Earth energized me and got me moving. If you like their music you’ll love their show.
