Sept. 9 the Blue Note was packed full with eager fans for both the opening performers, Tidal Volume, and The Mowglis. Crowding to the stage in hopes of getting the best possible concert experience.
Tidal Volume, the St. Louis-based band, got the crowd pumped. The group of musicians had an exceptional stage presence that got the crowd excited for The Mowgli’s. Zach Sullentrup, the lead singer, was very personable and interacted with the crowd.
Their set list consisted mostly of their own personal original songs, with the exception of a few cover songs towards the end. Often the opening bands at local venues are average bands or even below average, just a half hour to kill time before the real band comes on, but Tidal Volume was just the opposite. Their music was fun and relatable from the lyrics to the melody. “Icing”,their most popular song was known quite well by the crowd, and I found myself learning the words and dancing along. Their pop rock sound was a great open for the indie pop sound of The Mowgli’s. It got me in the concert mindset of dancing and having fun.
The unique sound that the Mowglis have varies from love songs that are relatable to summer vibes where you can easily let lose and have fun and everything in between. From their most popular song “San Francisco” that got the crowd dancing and singing along, to “Love Is Easy” that had the crowd swaying and humming along.
The Mowgl’s brought in a large college fan base, and along with the young fan base were the marriage proposals. Both Colin Dieden, lead male singer, and Katie Earl were both proposed to, and as expected they both said no. However they seemed flattered and conveniently was a transition into a few of their love songs.
Their last set song of the night was a very special song for a male fan who was brought up on stage to play the tambourine and sing San Francisco alongside Dieden and Earl. He owned the stage and seemed almost as if it wasn’t the first time he had performed. He knew every word and was on cue with the tambourine, wowing the audience.
Once The Mowglis had exited the stage after their hour and a half performance, the audience demanded an encore. When the band came back out, the crowd went wild, just as wild as they had been when the Mowgli’s came out the first time. Their encore lasted only one song but satisfied the crowd.
The Mowglis are a spectacular band from their songs to the members and the concert certainly reflected that. I was not very familiar with their music before I went to the concert but I was not let down. I highly recommend seeing both The Mowglis and Tidal Volume. Their performances gave me a night where I was able to enjoy myself, and I discovered a band that I have now come to appreciate and listen to.
By Ashley Tanner
