Fitz And The Tantrums Get The Crowd Clapping At First Avenue

Usually I live by an adage I fondly heard on an episode of Broad City a few years ago: phone, keys, wallet. It’s something I actually say aloud to myself before I leave my house to go anywhere and it was something I said to myself before heading out to First Avenue when I realized I was missing the only thing that would help get me into the venue. My wallet was in the glove box of my partner’s car from the night before when we took our dogs for a run and I neglected to grab it at any point before she left for the Stillwater Food Truck Festival. Before I even made it to First Avenue for Fitz and the Tantrums and COIN, I trekked over the opposite way to the food truck festival and luckily made it in the venue as COIN started playing the first notes of their opening song. I consider myself extremely fortunate that I was able to make it from East St. Paul to Stillwater to downtown Minneapolis in just shy of 60 minutes.

There’s nothing like rushing into the venue already drenched in sweat hearing the only opener of the night start their set. I finagled my way into the photo pit for a band I had casually listened to a long time ago and was instantly relaxed. COIN, hailing from Nashville, the synthy, alternative rock band wasted no time working the crowd, a few dedicated fans right up front on the barricade. COIN filled First Ave with chill summer road trip or beach vibes, the energetic quartet speeding through their set to the cheers of the crowd. It’s been a little while since I’ve walked into a set of a bad I’m not very familiar with and wanted to see their set again, but COIN struck something in me that got me impatiently waiting for their return to the Twin Cities.

Last but not least, Fitz and the Tantrums took the stage promptly at 9:15, as advertised. Similar to COIN, Fitz wastes no time getting into the groove of their 17 song set. As soon as the band took the stage, the crowd erupted into cheers while signing and dancing along to the sound emitting from the stage. Yet another band I’ve heard when I’ve sparingly listened to the radio, I found myself going “Oh this is song is by them!?” more than once (ahem “Out of My League” and “Don’t Gotta Work it Out,” I’m more than a few years behind on radio music). Honestly, even though I was a tad bummed to be missing out on Coheed and Cambria and Every Time I Die at The Armory, Fitz and the Tantrums made me forget about the other show altogether, with their quirky and energetic set keeping me captivated and enjoying my night at First Ave.