Article views: 15
On Tuesday, July 30, one of the hottest tours of the summer made a midweek stop at New York’s premier rooftop concert hall, Pier17The lineup consists of a trio of singer-songwriter Matt Nathansonreligious rockers Switch baseand Texas legends Blue OctoberA rotating stage rotation kept the show fresh throughout its six-week run. The New York concert came at the end of the first week of the tour, and all three artists had settled into the rhythm well alongside their tour mates.
Nathanson opened the evening with a beautiful blue sky slowly giving way to the sunset. Even with a tight schedule, Nathanson managed to find ways to bring the ridiculous jokes and hilarious feeling of Humor that his fans adore him for. He introduced his latest single: “Map At The Mall,” as a song about the midlife crisis, included playful jabs at the many private helicopters flying overhead, and mentioned how his young daughter had made fun of him for choosing the tour socks.
The singer is known for his religious appreciation of music and often pays tribute to his own favorites during his performances. Today’s show included a snippet of U2‘S “I still haven’t found what I’m looking for“inserted into his own song”Car accident.“ The choir of Fat‘S “You are the one I want” also became Nathanson’s hit single “Come, come higher“, before starting with a cover of Queen and David Bowie’s “Under pressure.”
Switchfoot left Nathanson’s acoustic guitar music behind and immediately rocked the stage. Singer Jon Foreman could hardly control himself and crawled over the railing and into the audience after only three songs, while “Elephant in a china shop.” Although the band proved that they were so much more than the “Christian rock” label that so many wanted to pin on them, their message of love, hope and friendship was palpable. It is clear that the musicians have a spiritual reverence for each other, their music and their fans.
Foreman’s guitar, which has the message “HOPE IS THE ANTHEM” emblazoned on it, really says it all. Bassist Tim Foremandrummer Chad Butlerand multi-instrumentalist Jerome Fontamillas were clearly having fun on stage, with beaming faces and a presence that everyone could feel. Also included in the set was the fan request “Chaos from me”, a cover of the Beastie Boys‘ “sabotage“Foreman’s solo track”I propose a toast”, and the hopeful anthem “Destined to live.” As true proof of the title of the tour, the band brought Blue Octobers Justin Furstenfeld to play Switchfoot’s most successful song to date, “Dare to move.”
Finally, Blue October took the stage under a star-studded New York sky. With their harder sound and more powerful energy, the band capped off an evening of growing enthusiasm. The band is currently in the process of accomplishing a daring feat – a triple album entitled Twisting the truth. Part I landed in October 2022, with Part II follows a year later in October 2023. Part III currently has a release date. The concert included performances of songs from Part I And Part II. It included songs like “Shut up, I want you to love me too” And “Waiting down here”, as well as the band’s latest release, “Everything we lost in the fire”, probably from the upcoming Part III.
As the 10pm curfew approaches, Justin Furstenfelddrummer Jeremy FurstenfeldMulti-instrumentalist Ryan DelahoussayeBassist Matt Noveskeyand guitarist Steve Schiltz wasted no time packing as much music as possible into their set. Also included in the program was their platinum single “Into the ocean” And “Hate me.” Despite a career spanning nearly three decades, Blue October managed to put together a setlist that showcased the best of their catalog while satisfying longtime, loyal fans.
