Fitz & The Tantrums, St. Paul & The Broken Bones bring jovial vigor to Meijer Gardens

The double-header of energetic bands energized a sold-out crowd at the outdoor amphitheater on Sunday. The review and photos at Local Spins.

 

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Erupting in joy and wonder, a gorgeous Sunday evening at The Gardens started with a pleasant and anticipatory crowd, but would very soon burst forth with vigor as the third concert of the Frederik Meijer Gardens & The Sculpture Park Series commenced with openers St. Paul & The Broken Bones and headliners Fitz & The Tantrums.

Spirited, funky and smooth, the eight Alabama natives of St. Paul & The Broken Bones brought an undeniable fever-pitch that immediately beguiled every person in attendance.

Only a few songs into the set, vocalist Paul Janeway took a stroll through the audience, swooning to an enchanted crowd on a sensual and jazzy number, rubber-necking everyone as he made his way to the very back to perch atop the highest point in the venue, finishing the song with impassioned singing as the audience rose to its feet.

Drenched in vivacity and rich with humor, the evening was jovial and celebratory as they carried on.

A departure from their signature Southern soul, a guitar solo showcased deeply-embedded rock with the perfect amount of dissonance, balanced with precision and distortion. In wondrous harmony, Browan Lollar sang with his guitar in harmony with smooth, walking bass, crisp drums, funky keys, trombone, trumpet and alto sax.

In the middle of the set, Janeway made a soulful plea to a captivated house in a slower number, bringing a sweet moment of silence followed by the first standing ovation of the night.

While the incredibly skilled musicians on horns, woodwinds, strings and percussion took turns in the spotlight, they knew exactly when to build and fall to accompany the ardent vocals. Janeway took the time to show off his dancing chops in his sparkly Nike kicks; seemingly unintentionally demanding the crowd to join in on the fun.

Before ending its 75-minute set, the group offered an emotional outpouring on “Grass Is Greener.” Janeway crooned “I can’t have you leavin’ me” as the showman rolled around on the floor, desperately lamenting unrequited love. Another standing ovation from the crowd closed out a remarkably fervent opening set.

FITZ & THE TANTRUMS BRING INDIE-POP DANCE PARTY TO THE AMPHITHEATER

Once the audience finally caught its breath, an alluring cinematic introduction followed by driving drums and sparkling tambourine was the calm before a disco storm once indie-pop band Fitz & The Tantrums sashayed onto the stage.

Within seconds, a full house of fans were back on their feet bouncing, clapping and singing along to lyrics “It’s 3am and we got nowhere to be…maybe you could dance with me…” to their opening number “OCD.”

It was promptly apparent that the dynamic between vocalists Michael “Fitz” Fitzpatrick and Noelle Scaggs was indisputable.

Bringing a heated energy, every set of eyes was fixed on them while they danced and sang with and around each other.

Choreographed at times, the entertainers were captivating and natural in their element; truly the life of the party. It wasn’t long before saxophone player, James King, inserted himself into the duo’s soiree, stealing the show with lightning fingers and an intense stance that had listeners reeling with excitement.

As the sun receded and the evening came to a close, the bombastic track “Livin’ For The Weekend” had dissolved all inhibitions from the audience, jolting nearly every person to his or her feet.

Thrusting hands into the air, the amphitheater lit up with an inferno that only fueled the flames of a scorching encore including feverish renditions of “Handclap” and “Sway,” making for a warm way to end a perfect summer night.

PHOTO GALLERY: Fitz & The Tantrums, St. Paul & The Broken Bones at Meijer Gardens
Photos by Chelsea Whitaker

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