Walk the Moon maintains alternative pop-rock sound while promoting album

Walking into the Upstate Concert Hall, you could feel a hum of excitement in the crowd filing in. Tickets for the Press Restart tour had sold out almost instantly upon their release back in December, and when more tickets became available later, there was still incredibly high demand. This show was highly anticipated and packed to the brim.

As the lights lowered and the opening act, Company of Thieves, entered the stage, the venue grew quiet. Slowly, a low guitar riff picked up, and a deep, feminine voice came through the speakers. Quickly, the crowd began dancing. The energy presented by the band was matched wholly by the audience, and that exchange of excitement only built through the entire set. Being a not quite as well known, and likely less of a pull for the audience than the headliners, Company of Thieves definitely built something of a fanbase in the Albany venue that night.

Then came what most of the people were waiting for. Starting with their classic Lion King introduction, the stage lights flared. The opening notes rang out and the audience cheered. Then, the unexpected: the classic tune transitioned into more of an indie-electronic beat. Walk the Moon stayed true to where they have come from, with an exciting new twist.

The band ran on and, brimming with anticipation, the audience roared. Jumping right into “Press Restart,” the first track off their new album What if Nothing, the band raised the already-extreme energy of the crowd to a new level. Everyone was dancing and singing along, clearly enjoying every second of it. Nicholas Petricca, the incredibly charismatic frontman of the band, found himself center stage. He conducted the audience like an orchestra song after song, never once letting the energy die down.

One of the remarkable things about this band is the way they handle a crowd. It seems as though their key, however, is being as excited about being at every show as the audience. It is so incredibly clear how much they love what they do as you see the smiles spreading across their faces. During the show, they made a comment that captured the intense passion they felt when performing. They said that they couldn’t believe that the words that were once in their heads are now in the world, and that they are incredibly grateful to be able to share their music with their fans.

As their set was coming to a close, the energy remained high. The band began to exit the stage, as is the norm preceding an encore. However, what followed was different. Instead of fully exiting, the members gathered in a huddle on the exit and stayed there for a couple minutes. Then they all re-entered the stage fully and just noted that there wasn’t any reason for them to stop then because they wanted to continue playing. Their “encore” concluded with their first real hit single “Anna Sun” and seemingly left all attendees satisfied. The lights came up, and the active energy began to die down and people began to filter out.

Any show with Walk the Moon is almost guaranteed to be one of non-stop high energy, and this was no excuse. If you are ever considering going to a show of theirs in the area, and are on the fence, just go. Even if just for the experience of being in an environment of a shared passion, you will not be dissapointed. For anyone who even mildly interested in alternative, or pop-rock, Walk the Moon is a must-see.