LIVE REVIEW: FUN. AT SACRAMENTO STATE UNIVERSITY

Animated, passionate, lively, energetic, enthusiastic; these are all words to describe this one worded band. Although, nothing compares to their very own band name to describe their music. They are fun. Completely and utterly fun.

Music doesn’t only help the people who listen to it; it helps the performers of it as well. All three members of fun have previously been in bands before, but they finally found their calling in this one. You can see it in the lyrics that performing for so long, with only moderate success, was starting to get frustrating for them.

These guys are not ones to give up. Throughout everything they’ve been though, they have made one of the best records of the year. I finally got to see the highly animated trio (+ touring band mates) live at Sacramento State University. They started out very strong and to the point with one of their new songs “One Foot” and then proceeded to “All Alone,” “Walking The Dog” and a variety of new and old songs.

In the middle of their set they went from fun to funny. They talked about topics ranging from Burning Man, to their favorite vegetables, to how someone told them a story about how Mick Jagger eats an apple before every show and frontman Nate Ruess proceeds to say “I don’t want to fucking move like Jagger.” If, somehow, their music careers don’t last they would be amazing stand-up comedians.

They did a wide variety of old and new songs, but when “We Are Young” got played, second to last song, the crowd went completely wild. After that hit song was finished, some fans started heading out to their cars, either to beat the traffic or because they saw what they came for.

As a rule I don’t like to go into a show, for a band I have yet to see live, with high expectations. Fun is one of the exceptions, I knew they were going to be good and they didn’t disappoint. It would be impossible for someone to go to a fun concert and not end up having fun. I went with somebody who doesn’t care for concerts, or even that kind of music, and now she is completely in love with this band. This band is proof that good music still exists and that you can still have fun music all while keeping heartfelt lyrics. They are also proof that if you want something bad enough and you work for it, it will come to you.

Here are the remaining dates of this must see tour;

3/28 – San Francisco, CA – The Independent

3/29 – San Francisco, CA – Bottom of the Hill

3/31 – Salt Lake City, UT – In The Venue

3/31 – Sandy, UT – Graywhale Entertainment (In Store Event – Free)

4/3 – Fort Collins, CO – Aggie Theatre

4/5 – Denver, CO – Ogden Theatre

4/5 – Fort Collins, CO – Twist & Shout Records (In Store Event – Free)

4/6 – Boulder, CO – Fox Theatre & Café

4/7 – Kansas City, MO – Beaumont Club

4/8 – Iowa City, IA – The Blue Moose Tap House

4/10 – Omaha, NE – The Slowdown

4/11 – Madison, WI – The Majestic Theatre

4/13 – Minneapolis, MN – The Brick

4/14 – Chicago. IL – Vic Theatre

4/15 – Detroit, MI – St. Andrews Hall

4/18 – Grand Rapids, MI – The Intersection

4/19 – Columbus, OH – Newport Music Hall

4/20 – Rochester, NY – Water Street Music Hall

4/21 – Boston, MA – House of Blues

4/25 – Toronto, ON – The Guvernment

4/27 – Clifton Park, NY – Northern Lights

4/26 – Montreal, QC – Cabaret du Mile End

4/27 – Clifton Park, NY – Northern Lights

4/28 – Philadelphia, PA – Theatre of Living Arts

4/30 – Montreal, QC – Cabaret Du Mile End

5/3 – Washington, DC – 9:30 Club

5/4 – Washington, DC – 9:30 Club

5/5 – Charlottesville, VA – Jefferson Theatre

5/28 – George, WA – Sasquatch Festival @ The Gorge

5/29 – Portland, OR – Roseland Theater

6/5 – Flagstaff, AZ – The Orpheum

6/6 – Santa Fe, NM – Railyard Plaza

6/8 – Oklahoma City – Diamond Ballroom

6/9 – St. Louis, MO – The Pageant

6/13 – Indianapolis, IN – Deluxe at Old National Centre

6/14 – Cleveland, OH – House of Blues

6/15 – Pittsburgh, PA – Mr. Smalls

6/16 – New York, NY – Terminal 5