Date: July 14th 2024
Opening Act: Sub-Radio

I’ve been down in Delaware for 2 full years now and haven’t been to Freeman Arts Pavilion in Selbyville…until now. Fitz and the Tantrums came to town and I decided to finally see them again. The last time I saw them was twice in 2011, Central Park Summerstage and at Terminal 5, both in NYC.

The first time I saw them, they opened for soul legend Lee Fields and the Expressions and then the next time they were headlining with Walk the Moon opening. Sub-Radio from DC was the opening act at Freeman Arts Pavilion. They very much had a Walk The Moon vibe going on. Full of energy, bouncing all over the stage and catchy tunes. They even had the Inflatable Wacky Waving Tube Man and confetti for good measure. The last song they played was “1990something.” Hearing that makes me feel extremely old since younger generations are singing about that era.

I was walking around the grounds and listening to the music while Sub-Radio was playing. I’m really impressed with Freeman Arts Pavilion and how clean and nice it is. Definitely one of the nicest outdoor venues I’ve been to. Although, a nice venue – obnoxious drunk people still exist at shows and saw one get escorted out by several police and security so the guy must have done something pretty awful.

Fitz and the Tantrums arrived on stage just as the sun was setting and the crowd was ready to dance, jump and bounce to the pop music they have been known for over 15 years. I’m mostly a fan of FATT’s first two albums where it was more soul-centric, especially the first album. I certainly enjoy songs from their new albums though. The newest album Let Yourself Free was heavily represented, along with All The Feels and their self-titled album. Songs from the first two albums included “Out of My League,” “6am,” “Walker” and “Moneygrabber” in the encore. Kind of bummed they didn’t play “Pickin’ Up The Pieces.” The soulful flute song is still one of my favorites.

I’m happy most of the original line-up has stayed in tack all these years, with multi-instrumentalist James King killing it with the baritone sax. The baritone sax adds so much to the live show, especially for songs like “Livin’ for the Weekend” which was played in the set later on. The main stars Fitz and Noelle are quite the dynamic duo when it comes to singing and on-stage presence. Other highlights include “123456,” “Moneymaker,” “Let Yourself Free” and the last song of the night, “Handclap.”

Fitz and the Tantrums still deliver when it comes to their live shows and I was happy to finally see them again after 13 years. Their style has shifted to more pop but that doesn’t mean their music isn’t fun.

Sub-Radio

Fitz and the Tantrums