Indie pop outfit Fitz and the Tantrums is band that has always struggled to put out albums that match the quality of their singles. Although the band has had a great deal of commercial success with individual tracks such as “Out of My League” and “Moneygrabber,” their albums as a whole have not been up to par. The fusion of live instruments, electronic sounds and indie vocals came across as cluttered at times, overly ambitious at others. It is disheartening to listen to, especially in a genre that has so long emphasized whole projects over single releases.
However, the band put the concerns of skeptical listeners (myself include) to rest during their performance at the Civic Theatre on Tuesday, July 19. Much like local New Orleans artists, the band put on a memorable live show that went far beyond their recorded studio albums. Their undeniably live chemistry lifted the performance out from the heap of NOLA tour pit stops and placed them in category usually reserved for local performers: their music was best as a live experience, just like much of the finest music coming out of New Orleans.
Photo by Ian Monroe
The Los Angeles-based band performed an assortment of the older songs that brought them into stardom and newer tracks from their latest record. Their energy was nonstop positivity. Vocalist Noelle Scaggs was particularly fascinating to watch. She had a seemingly endless variety of dance moves, all done in striking glittery pumps (I winced as I watched her dance in them for the entire 1.5-hour set). Her onstage chemistry with co-vocalist Michael Fitzpatrick contributed to the energetic ambiance. In particular, their musical compatibility shined during “Out of My League” and “HandClap” as they strutted across the stage and sang into each other’s faces.
The band’s ability to engage the crowd was notable as well. Fitzpatrick and Scaggs repeatedly responded to the crowds’ liveliness with equally enthusiastic gestures. They introduced “Roll Up,” one of the more popular tracks on their most recent album, by showing the audience a dance move that they wanted them to do whenever the chorus came on. Silly and fun, their patrons loved it. Saxophonist James King was a crowd favorite as well. His two solos had the audience going crazy—although who’s really surprised to hear that a NOLA crowd dug the sax?
By the time they got to “The Walker,” the final song of the night and another one that earned the band a plethora of fans back in 2013, Fitz and the Tantrums had succeeded in putting on a show for the books. Although their studio albums struggle to bridge the gap between their unique blend of instrumentation and vocals, their live performance is more than enough to make up for it. They won over the crowd and proved that they sound best when they’re playing music as it should be played: live and in front of dedicated fans.
