NEEDTOBREATHE Took DC “Into The Mystery” Along with Switchfoot and The New Respects
Date: October 10th, 2021
Venue: The Anthem
Washington, DC
What’s up everyone! Derek here, a.k.a. The Photographic Ginger and I’m back again with another incredible night of music in our nation’s capital. As someone born and raised in the Carolinas, I was beyond excited when NEEDTOBREATHE announced they were going on tour again and that Washington, DC was one of the stops. These southern boys from South Carolina took full advantage of last year’s quarantine as they released Out of Body then shortly after found themselves writing and producing another album that explored the thought of what the future would hold while taking a journey Into The Mystery. In fact, the tour has begun but the story of Into The Mystery has just begun, but more on that a little later.
As I arrived at The Anthem just before 7pm, fans had already started making their way in and claiming their spot along the barricade. At the top of the hour it was time to get the night going as The New Respects made their way onto the stage. For those possibly unfamiliar, they are a family band from Nashville, Tennessee that know how to rock and groove. The band normally consists of bass player Lexi Hill, guitarist Zandy Mowry, and drummer Darius Fitzgerald as well as their cousin Jasmine Mullen on lead vocals. Although, this evening it was a bit different as Zandy’s twin sister Lexi was at home with her newborn baby. Don’t worry though, bassist Zachariah a.k.a. ProdByBlackxneck held it down.
During their time on stage they had us all moving and jamming out as they gave us hit after hit off of their album Before The Sun Goes Down. Songs like “We Ain’t Going Nowhere” and “Something to Believe In” got the night started in the best ways. Along with the powerful feeling brought by “Come as You Are,” it was clear that if you didn’t already have their music in your library that you were taking a moment after their set to download their entire catalog.
Up next was a group that has been touching the hearts of many for years and on this evening they reminded me along with everyone else “Where I Belong.” I am of course talking about the Grammy Award Winning Rock Band Switchfoot. From the moment they took to the stage, it was clear that DC was ready to welcome them with open arms as fans began to sing with passion while throwing handmade banners to lead singer Jon Foreman.
It wasn’t long though before the energy level took us to new heights. As “Float” began to play, Jon removed a cloth from a disco ball set in center stage and from there, the party had begun. I don’t think I have ever had so much fun in a photo pit but disco balls, bubbles, and good music just make you want to dance. Yep, I said bubbles!! Brothers Jon and Tim gave us their best dance moves and air time as they literally floated off the stage as they jumped around. The party was so good, Zandy from The New Respects had to join in as she arrived to help out on guitar.
Celebrating their latest album interrobang they serenaded us with “i need you (to be wrong)” and gave us pulsating guitar riffs and clap along moments with “fluorescent.” Before ending their time, Jon reminded us all to love one another as he mentioned “If you don’t look like me, if you don’t vote like me, I still love you” before singing “I Won’t Let You Go.” While “Stars” had the crowd waving their hands back and forth as fans continued to throw gifts on stage, it was the stripped down version of “Dare You To Move” that proved DC’s love for this band even more as the music faded and it was a room full of fans singing together to close out their set.
The time had then come. As the lights faded, the screens at the back of the stage began to show portraits of each member of NEEDTOBREATHE before then flashing the words “We Are Back.” We were instantly filled with energy all over again and felt so “Alive.” As the lights shone on Bear and the boys, the crowd roared and I began to dance and sing along too. It was clear that it was truly going to be a “Great Night.” A short distance into their set they brought the high energy rock to raspy soul filled moment with “Washed By the Water” that prompted lead singer Bear to welcome everyone to the show “that has no rail” as they then led into “Lay Em Down” accented with a guitar solo. At one point, he even threw it over to the background singers to help out. Those weren’t just any background singers though. They were The New Respects.
It was shortly after this that the lights went down and a video began to play. It was a trailer for ‘Into The Mystery’ that was created across three weeks as they all lived in the same house and invited a few friends including Switchfoot’s own Jon Foreman to join in the process. This wasn’t just a promotion for the album though, this was a teaser for their upcoming film that documents the creation and experience of creating this album. Make sure you follow them on social media to stay up to date on its release.
As the evening continued, for me it was filled with hit after hit as there’s not a single song of theirs that I don’t love and they did not disappoint across their 26 song setlist. You read that right, 26 songs! Technically around 30 if you consider the number of total songs. Some standout moments include the power of “Testify” and “Something Beautiful” in a room filled with 5000 plus people. But perhaps one of the most impactful moments was when another video drew our attention as a young lady began to sing “Child Again” before Bear’s voice introduced us to the organization For Others. As the video came to an end, the band appeared on stage and sat on stools for an acoustic set as Bear explained that a portion of each night’s tickets go back into the community to help kids without a home through the support of For Others. They ensure that DC’s ticket sales help kids in DC and the same occurs for each city they visit.
This acoustic setup led them to perform the powerful “Multiplied” followed by “Difference Maker” before journeying back into newer songs like “Banks” and “Carry Me” which introduced Jon Foreman back to the stage to wrap up this acoustic set moment. They then kicked the energy levels into overdrive as “Riding High” transitioned to drummer Randall Harris who treated us to a Rolling Stones cover of “Honky Tonk Women.” Bear then hit us with his powerful vocal with “Who Am I” before leading us towards the end of the set with “When the Levee Breaks.” The latter brought all three bands of the night together for a jam session as The New Respects and Switchfoot took center stage as everyone on stage had a blast making music. This time keyboardist Josh Lovelace hit us with some strong harmonica solos while bassist Seth Bolt took the role of drummer. It was an amazing way to end the night, but it wasn’t over yet.
Returning for the highly demanded encore, a spotlight illuminated Bear’s hat upon the mic stand before the band returned to perform a cover of Creedence Clearwater Revival’s “Midnight Special” before transitioning into an high energy “Mercy’s Shore” that built up to confetti covering the stage and crowd. Following this, the boys took us back to their roots as they went on to perform five more songs acoustically, three of which weren’t on the planned setlist thanks to requests from the audience. The final song of the night though just so happens to be the last song on their latest album. “West Texas Wind” is a beautiful song by itself but for the last verse they all stepped to the edge of the stage and away from the mics and sang at the top of their lungs into this room filled with people. You could hear a pin drop and it was a moment that would give you goosebumps and such a beautiful moment to end on.
If you’re able to, I highly encourage you to get a ticket to see this tour. You can find tickets and tour dates by clicking here. If you aren’t able to make it out to a live show, don’t worry we’ve still got you covered. On October 29th, 2021 you can watch their show live from Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, TN beginning at 9:30pm EDT. It’s a live event and will not be available for rewatch so mark your calendar and buy your ticket now to watch this live stream and prepare to be blown away.
If you happened to capture any shots of the night, feel free to tag us on social media at Shutter 16 Magazine and throw in #Shutter16 and #TwitFromThePit for the world to see.
