By Staff Writers Arpita Gaggar & Shreya Sridhar
“Cause all the cool kids, they seem to fit in,” shouted the crowd, nodding their heads, the words ringing in their ears.
Indie pop band Echosmith, known for their debut single “Cool Kids,” started off their 23-concert tour in San Francisco’s Regency Ballroom at 8 p.m. on April 24. Although the venue was far from packed, the devoted fans who did attend made up for their small numbers with energy and passion that lasted throughout the whole concert.
The small venue was quite cozy and allowed all attendees to choose their own concert experience. Clusters of fans at the very front belted out lyrics while others rested on stools scattered around the room. The venue also provided a very relaxing atmosphere. This worked to Echosmith’s advantage by adding a more personal touch to the overall aesthetic. The audience was diverse, with age groups ranging from toddlers to newlyweds to reminiscing senior citizens.
Opening act pop singer Jena Rose started off the concert with her most popular song “Selfish,” which at first stirred little emotion from the audience. There was some feedback, which disrupted her performance and annoyed some audience members. However, she soon picked up the pace and left the crowd cheering at the end.
After a brief intermission, the second opening act, indie pop rock band The Score fired up the audience with their contagious energy, hyping up the crowd for Echosmith.
After an extensive 30-minute interlude, the wait didn’t seem to be worth it when Echosmith performed “Goodbye” since the audience was still in a lull. However, it was soon apparent that Echosmith could excite a crowd in an atypical manner, yet one that was executed just as successfully as Rose’s maneuver.
Echosmith also made the concert very interactive with the audience, much to their liking. Towards the end of the song “Let’s Love,” lead vocalist Sydney Sierota brought up an enthusiastic fan to perform alongside her, which touched the hearts of other audience members. During “Future Me,” Sierota held a competition between the two halves of the room to see who could sing the chorus, “Right Now,” the loudest. This was a huge hit and made the whole venue vibrate from the audience’s shouts.
Sierota also displayed her caring personality through her chats about inspiration for songs. For instance, Sierota explained how she wrote “Dear World” when she was feeling overwhelmed by negativity around her, discussing how she wanted to express her feelings in a love letter to the world. She also chatted about their hit song “Cool Kids” by explaining that she wanted everyone who didn’t think they fit in to stand tall and know they are loved. Because Sierota’s speeches were universally relatable, her messages heavily resonated with the audience. Sierota’s overwhelming positivity warmed the hearts of the audience and left many misty-eyed.
To conclude the night, five large balloons holding confetti were thrown to the audience and bounced around above everyone’s heads until they popped. This was the perfect activity for all ages as both children and adults had a fun time tossing around the balloons. Although Echosmith should have been highlighted more than Jena Rose and The Score, the night was still one to hold close to the heart for years to come.
Rating: A-
Photo by musicinsf.com
