Young the Giant sold out the Rialto Theatre for their show on Wednesday, Feb. 8, touring with their new album “Home of the Strange.” The political album features tracks such as “Amerika,” “Silvertongue” and “Mr. Know-It-All.”
Lewis Del Mar opened for Young the Giant and was just as amazing as the headlining band. The New York band has a distorted sound and still manages to bang heads. Lewis Del Mar received a great amount of applause by the end of their set. They set the bar for Young the Giant.
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Concert-goer Betty Hurd is a long-time fan of Young the Giant and is newly interested in Lewis Del Mar.
“The opener was super good, I’ve never heard of them before,” Hurd said. “It was shaking my body. The main singer’s voice was so different and awesome. All of it was great.”
Young the Giant’s set kicked off with “Jungle Youth,” and the crowd matched the high energy that the band brought with their opener.
The band has changed with the times, using synthetic tones and a hint of Coldplay-inspired riffs. Young the Giant uses different elements in their music, which rounds their sound and gives an edge.
Concert-goer Danny Badillo has listened to Young the Giant for two years now and is impressed with how the band has changed over time.
“Their music is really multi-dimensional,” Badillo said. “They have some that are really rock and some that are pop.”
The set-up of the stage was nothing short of spectacular. It embodied the cover art on the album, which displays a mountain range surrounded by different flags and people from different backgrounds.
“Their album is really topical because it talks about moving to America,” Badillo said. “It’s a whole band of immigrants or first generation citizens, which I think hits close to home in Tucson.”
The lights changed with every movement of the songs. A white backlight and different colorful lights decorating the stage matched the essence of the music. The background of the mountain range would often resemble an American flag, and other times it would replicate a starry night sky. The Rialto Theatre is an intimate space, which was perfect for Young the Giant.
“It was amazing, I just listened to them on Spotify and hearing them in person it was incredible,” said Noura Tanbal, a senior majoring in business. “I’ve listened to Young the Giant since middle school. I love the venue, it’s classic and it’s simple and you just look around and see so many different people and you just know they’ll love it in the end.”
Concert-goer Jill Tronziger was front and center for the show. She had even seen Young the Giant the night before, and she said the Rialto is one of the best concert venues she’s been to.
“Right away I bought both tickets for both Phoenix and Tucson,” she said.
The sold-out show had an energetic audience. Young the Giant said, “jump,” and the crowd said, “how high?” Hands in the air and phones out for photos, the audience was excited and ready for good music.
“I don’t even know what to say, it was so good,” Hurd said. “They were so energetic, the lights were great, they went perfectly on time.”
Young the Giant gave an incredible performance at the Rialto. Closing with “My Body,” the band really left the stage with an outstanding ovation. Selling out the Rialto Theatre on a Wednesday evening is amazing, and a band like Young the Giant is able to pull it off.
Grade: A
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