Cincinnati natives Walk the Moon played a sold-out show at the Regency Ballroom last week. This is a really interesting band that I first heard while traveling in LA over the summer. Their song “Ana Sun” was being played what seemed to be every 15 minutes on the radio. Yes, the radio. I was in a rental car with no auxiliary cable for Spotify. It happens.
Needless to say, the song Esquire magazine claims as their number one “must listen to” song of the summer was etched in my brain for good, and why not? It’s an incredibly catchy song, very well produced, and falling somewhere in between Imagine Dragons and Passion Pit. They seem to be a leader in this new cross-over, indie-rock synth-pop movement that is currently being blown wide open.
I was a bit surprised as I must have missed the memo about the face painting at the show. I kept thinking of the Seinfeld episode “The Face Painter” where David Putty paints his face to “support the team.” This was about the time I decided that I would never be a “face painter” for either sports or music, that is until KISS does their final-final-final farewell tour, which I am hoping for next year.
Apparently the band brings enough face paint to accommodate the entire crowd. It looked like some sort of neon war paint ritual as everyone’s faces donned colorful stripes that were illuminated from the glow of the elaborate stage lighting. It’s not really my thing at all, but it seems to be their shtick, and it also seems to work well for them.
As for the show, I have to admit these guys are pretty talented. They can write some crazy catchy songs and do a nice job of entertaining the crowd along the way. Having toured alongside Weezer, Panic at the Disco, Grouplove, and Local Natives, they can now clearly hold their own as a headliner.
Highlights of the evening included the opening number “Next In Line,” the ’80s throwback-sounding “Quesadilla,” a new song which I didn’t catch the name of, and of course their massively huge hit “Ana Sun” closing out the set. They’re an interesting band, and I will be interested in seeing what they do next: go more pop, or take a risk with something harder.
We shall all see when they release their new record early next year. Rumor is they’re listening to a lot of The Smiths for inspiration.
Check out more of the shots in hi-res in the gallery.
