The Fillmore Charlotte was “The Home of the Strange” on Wednesday Night

The youthful crowd was out early on Wednesday to wait in line to see their band, Young the Giant, play the Fillmore. The line wound out the front, around the corner, and up the street, passing by The Underground. It was evident to me that this was going to be a very young crowd. As you get older, you notice things like that; and when the kids checking your ID at the security desk make a comment about your grey, they remind you that you aren’t getting any younger.

Be that as it may, I enjoy hanging out with the kids because their energy does rub off on you. By the time I made my way in, there was already a crowd formed up front against the barrier, and they were still sprinting by me to get as close as possible to the stage. The one thing that is tough for me when I am shooting a show like this is, I can’t actually jump in there with them.

Opening the show was a really interesting band. Straight out Rockaway, Lewis del Mar kicked off the evening, and strong too. Now for those who don’t know, Lewis isn’t a person. Danny Miller (vocals) and Max Harwood (drums) make up the band known as Lewis del Mar; sampled percussion sounds and phrase rhythms.

Beats from old latin records pulled from old vinyl anchor down the weighty sound of the band. Obvious creativity with no limits give them a unique sound that had the entire crowd going nuts. I don’t normally hear the band during the three songs I am shooting, but I found myself distracted from my job trying to listen to these guys.

Max’s drums had everyone moving to their beat. Danny’s vocals were pure and lyrics were thoughtful and pulled you into a journey following him to wherever he was taking you. For sure, this is music I would buy and pay to see the band perform again; they had one of the best sounds I have heard in a long time.

These guys are not to be missed as they continue their tour. It looks like they are going to be on the road through at least June as they make their way across the country. You will love these guys when you see them. Check out their self-titled debut album.

9:15 finally rolled around, and the sold out crowd was ready for the headliners, Young the Giant, to hit the stage. Lights go down, spots go on; greens, purples, and reds flood the stage arcing up and down and side to side. Clad in a white jumpsuit with a gold medallion swinging from his neck, Sameer ran onto the stage and took it over for the rest of the evening. Everyone who was standing on the floor threw their hands into the air. They kept them in the air for the next two hours, bouncing and grooving with YTG.

I like to observe people at these shows, and seeing the young people there smiling and bouncing around singing the lyrics, gave me that energy I had hoped to get for myself before the show started. Looking into the crowd and seeing all races of men and women just hanging together ,having a good time, and listening to music makes you realize that things aren’t so bad afterall. Sameer, Jacob, Eric, Payam, and Francois gave a hopping, groove filled, tight performance. They looked very serious on stage while they were performing. At one point though, Jacob looked down at me, broke stride a little and stuck his tongue out at me, so I know he was having fun.

You never know what you might get down in the pit. This time it was a fun moment. As they played their encore, Sameer ended up the show with a bang. There was a guy just going crazy all night for both bands. To thank him, Sameer lept off the stage and into the crowd by this guy. If the kid’s evening wasn’t already going well, this topped off the night for him. As they are nearing the end of this first leg of the tour, it looks like the guys are wrapping up this leg of their tour with a few more dates in Atlanta, Tampa, a quick trip down to Mexico, San Antonio, and back to Knoxville. After a little break, they will be back on the road in August.

Great crowd. Great Music. Great Venue. What more can you ask for in one night? Not much. Get out and see both of these bands as they come to your city. I can say that I enjoyed both as they put on a flawless show. Get out and support music venues as well so they can keep providing music for us to enjoy.