Expectations were high, as hundreds and hundreds of Bear Hands and Walk the Moon fans descended at Jannus Live for one of the last few dates of Walk the Moon’s winter tour. Well before the doors opened, the line to get into the venue was wrapping around the block with no end in sight. Decked out in colorful face paint, neon hair, and band merch, the concert-goers could not wait for the show to begin. As the lights went down and the pre-show music stopped, there was a deafening roar of excitement from the crowd.

Indie rock band, Bear Hands, enthusiastically greeted the crowd once they got onstage. They wasted no time going through their set, playing hits such as “Back Seat Driver (Spirit Guide)” and “Blue Lips.” For Blue Lips, they brought up Ursula Rose, who is featured on the track. The cheering from the crowd increased after each song, so when Bear Hands got to their last song of the night, “Giants,” the screams would have blown the roof off the venue–if not for the venue being outdoors.

Accompanied by electric shades of red and flashes of white lights, Walk the Moon kicked off their set with the energetic, “Lisa Baby,” from their first album. They continued to play all of their catchy hits, including their newest single, “Timebomb,” as well as a cover of the Ghostbusters theme song. The vibe got romantic very fast as they enchanted the crowd with the serene, “Aquaman,” halfway through their set. When Walk the Moon’s set started coming to a close, more and more fans started to let loose. The clapping got louder, the smiles became wider, and the dance moves became more exaggerated. The band left the stage, but after a lot of encouragement from the crowd, they came back to play two more songs. It was hard to hear Nick’s vocals during the final song, “Anna Sun,” as everyone in the crowd sang each word as loud as possible. Before exiting, the band took a moment to look at the crowd, take everything in, and embrace the love. They made it a point to return again very soon.

Walk the Moon

Bear Hands

By: Christine Sloman | Exclusively for @Music, Why Not!

****