Young the Giant – Live in 2018

Atlanta’s Coca-Cola Roxy was sold out on Saturday, October 27th for Young the Giant. The stage was set for the band as the crowd packed into the venue. There were several YtG songs that have lingered in my playlist for a couple of years, so I was curious how the band would present those songs live. Overall, the band gave a very convincing performance. They shared upbeat renditions of their best-known songs, some treasures from their online vault, and dappled in some unexpected stage antics to liven up the welcoming audience. The music defied any genres, as their songs meandered from ethereal mood pieces to sparkly rock tunes. I was baffled how a band captures melancholy lyrics with such upbeat tunes.

On the left, Jacob Tilley was set up with several guitars positioned on stands. In the middle, the mic was set for singer Sameer Gadhia, along with several percussion and electronic sound tools. Behind him was Francois Comtois’s drum kit, and just to the right of the drums was the Ampeg bass amp of Payam Doostzadeh and two full sized keyboards. Second guitarist Eric Cannata was staged to the right side of the stage, but during the live show, only one member stayed in place: backup singer/drummer Comtois.

Gadhia started the show banging a crescent tambourine and singing, and then he moved around the stage, dancing and projecting a lot of positive gazes to his bandmates and the audience.  The overall mood of the show was lively, and Gadhia was spry and engaging with his vocals. Cannata began “Heat of the Summer” off with tight intricate riffs on guitar, but it was bassist Doostzadeh’s wonderful rhythm that carried the song. As the show progressed, the audience was drawn to Gadhia’s charismatic and vivacious delivery, but I was amazed how essential the bass line melodies were to the driving force to the live delivery. There was a glowing wire ball passed from the stage to the audience several times, and Gadhia held that during the third song “Apartment”. Clearly a fan favorite, the song quickly became an audience sing-along.

During the songs “Titus” and “Something to Believe In”, many in the audience became captivated with Tilley’s Fender Jazzmaster. I wondered if that’s the same guitar that he had borrowed from Jason Soto. During “Something”, Doostzadeh started moving and grooving around the stage, and remained in motion for the rest of the show.

During a song transition, Gadhia talked about the newest record Mirror Master (QRO review), and told the crowd that this was only the third show of the tour. The purple lights were easy on the eyes. During “Simplify?” then “Nice Loser”, Tilley showed some strident dance moves. Then they played “Oblivion”, and the guitars came out with sonic potency and created resonance in the hall full of animated fans. At times, Tilley’s guitar work was delicate, and other times harsh and penetrating.

Gadhia talked about their online series “In the Open” and the band played two songs in that casual style. Blue lights accented a slowed down version of “Amerika” that started a sing-along. By now, Doostzadeh had moved over to play two keyboards at once, both with intricate melodies. After that short set, Gadhia jumped around during the popular song “Cough Syrup” – it seemed like he shared some of that special cough syrup with the front half of the audience, as they were engaged and amazed by the performance. For the next song, Gadhia picked up Tilley’s Silvertone, and the bassist moved to the front during “Mind over Matter”. Both Gadhia and Doostzadeh were very animated and bouncy through the last songs, and Gadhia played an artsy looking two-tone cowbell. Gadhia had major charisma, and was very engaging to watch. By the end, all members of the band were dancing as well as the audience (except Comtois, who was still anchored to the drum kit).