Openers Twenty One Pilots breezed through an energetic set and had the crowd revved for Cincinnati new-wavers Walk The Moon. Having built a tangible buzz, WTM played with the energy of a headliner and the crowd responded in kind. Hits like Anna Sun and I Can Lift A Car had the crowd in a frenzy, dancing and chanting the hooks in unison. In most any other situation, this performance would have won the night, but Neon Trees have built a reputation on raved up live shows and they delivered once again.
The Trees kicked off with Moving In The Dark, off their latest disc Picture show and blazed through a flashy, bombastic set of new wave indie rock, turning the theater into kitschy 80s disco. Lead singer and songwriter Tyler Glenn provided enough energy to power the entire metro area for several hours. Some people were put on this earth for a specific purpose, and this guy (a mix of Freddie Mercury and Billy Idol) is here to make you dance your ass off. He can sing like you wouldn't believe and ran circles around the stage, with a saucy attitude and the swagger of tent revival preacher.
The light show was impressive, but the sound was a little iffy at times and seemed to wear on the crowd a bit. But Neon Trees delivered a good mix of old hits from their last album Habits as well as the newer, less familiar material. They closed out the set with the ubiquitous crowd pleaser Animal and added a local flare by tacking on a a hot refrain of Seven Nation Army before retreating from the stage.
