Thirty Seconds to Mars is back with a new album, America, and a new tour, “The Monolith Tour,” which hit the San Francisco Bay Area’s Shoreline Amphitheater on a balmy Wednesday evening with touring veterans and fan favorites Walk The Moon, K.Flay, and Welshly Arms.
The evening kicked off early with a bluesy ripper of a set by Welshly Arms as the setting sun beat down on the amphitheater stage in front of a respectable number of fans who braved the rush hour traffic to catch their 6PM set. Channeling the likes of Hendrix and Prince, front man Sam Getz tore through their brief set that no doubt grabbed the attention of the gathering crowd.
Next up, K.Flay, an artist who has been touring relentlessly for the last several years while continuing to evolve as a singer, songwriter, and performer, and seemingly now really hitting her stride. Genre bending and raw, K.Flay always demands attention and never disappoints.
Headliners in their own right, Walk the Moon picked up the direct support slot as the sun finally set on the Shoreline. With spastic lighting and an infectiously energetic set, WTM had everyone on their feet and singing along from the first notes. Those not familiar with their latest release were likely shocked by a surprisingly heavy rendition of “Headphones” that cut through the pop and lingered in the air through their set closer and breakout hit, “Anna Sun.”
Anyone who caught Thirty Seconds to Mars the last time they passed through town would immediately notice that they took a slightly different approach this time around, opting for the simplicity of a sparse stage banked by LED panels above and behind. With Shannon Leto’s drum riser off to the side and Stevie Aiello’s bass tucked in the back corner, front man Jared Leto took full advantage of the ample space to spin around in his fuzzy spider cape (apparently the more ludicrous the outfit the better for Jared when it comes to Thirty Seconds to Mars).
Ever with the flare for the dramatic, 30STM strategically placed flags in the audience which suddenly emerged waving as Leto took the stage, Shannon’s pounding drums of “Monolith” building up the anticipation before segueing into “Up in the Air” which had the 15,000 strong crowd singing loudly along.
Even with the relatively sparse stage set-up, the band kept things lively. Giant balloons, audience members on stage, and oodles of confetti kept things energized but were probably not necessary; the crowd was there for Thirty Seconds to Mars and were sure to sing along through to the last song regardless.
THIRTY SECONDS TO MARS
Thirty Seconds to Mars
Thirty Seconds to Mars
Thirty Seconds to Mars
Thirty Seconds to Mars
Thirty Seconds to Mars
Thirty Seconds to Mars
Thirty Seconds to Mars
Thirty Seconds to Mars
Thirty Seconds to Mars
Thirty Seconds to Mars
Thirty Seconds to Mars
Thirty Seconds to Mars
Thirty Seconds to Mars
Thirty Seconds to Mars
Thirty Seconds to Mars
Thirty Seconds to Mars
Thirty Seconds to Mars
WALK THE MOON
Walk The Moon
Walk The Moon
Walk The Moon
Walk The Moon
Walk The Moon
Walk The Moon
Walk The Moon
Walk The Moon
Walk The Moon
Walk The Moon
Walk The Moon
Walk The Moon
K.FLAY
K. Flay
K. Flay
K. Flay
K. Flay
K. Flay
WELSHLY ARMS
Welshly Arms
Welshly Arms
Welshly Arms
Welshly Arms
Welshly Arms
Welshly Arms
THIRTY SECONDS TO MARS SETLIST
Monolith
Up in the Air
Kings and Queens
This Is War
Dangerous Night
Do or Die
Hail to the Victor
Love Is Madness
Great Wide Open (with Nicholas Petricca)
Rescue Me
Remedy
The Kill (Bury Me)
Walk on Water
Closer to the Edge
