After settling a minor mishap outside of the Harrison Auditorium, I had already missed the beginning of Fun's set. I was definitely bummed, but was really excited to use my new prime lens. Turns out it's harder to focus and I don't like having to move around as much, but still worth it overall.
This was the third time that I've seen Fun live, and they sounded better than ever. They seriously have the best band name, because their music is really just that, fun. With Nate Ruess's unique vocals, Andrew Dost's melodic keys, and Jack Antonoff's contagious energy, their live set is one not to be missed. There was definitely a specific part of the audience that came out solely to see Fun, and I don't blame them. Nothing against Deer Tick, I just think that they cater to different crowds. One guy in the audience had a very simple review, saying "Good, good, good."
Set list: One Foot / Walking the Dog / All the Pretty Girls / It Gets Better / Barlights / Carry On / The Gambler / At Least I'm Not As Sad (As I Used To Be) / We Are Young / Take Your Time
Deer Tick is the only third of Middle Brother that I had yet to see live. I don't count the Free at Noon a while back, as frontman John McCauley was sick and they were without a drummer. One of the first thing's McCauley said was, "I'm sober and I'm miserable, but I've got beer on the way," setting the mood and energy for their performance. The crowd had no choice but to cheer in response. That was pretty much the peak of their energy, as these Penn kids apparently don't really know how to have fun at a rock show. I think I blame the odd venue for this one. Anyway, Deer Tick definitely won me over with their raw, energetic set. Now I just need to see Middle Brother in action...
Set list: The Bump / Easy / Baltimore Blues No. 1 / Main Street / Walking Out the Door / Funny Word / Miss K / Ashamed / Smith Hill / Clownin' Around / These Old Shoes / Let's All Go to the Bar / On A Plain (Nirvana cover) / La Bamba
