Pedro The Lion @ The Ritz Ybor - Tampa, FL

Quite a diverse crowd came out to The Ritz Ybor to see mewithoutYou and Pedro The Lion during the middle of their August tour. Hoping to make the most out of these last few weeks of summer, fans old and new packed venue, surprising the legendary acts. Frontman of mewithoutYou, Aaron Weiss, was even quick to comment on the amount of parents who were there with their children, making him question who brought who to the show.

Of course, the show began with the eclectic, mewithoutYou. The sassy, dramatic, edgy rockers gave everyone the feels with their unique blend of post-hardcore and spoken word tracks. Highlights of their set included “Julia (or, ‘Holy to the LORD’ on the Bells of Horses),” “O, Porcupine,” and “Timothy Hay.” One minute, fans were head-banging and the next, they were hugging whomever accompanied them to the show. It was quite a ride.

Pedro The Lion just released a new album, Phoenix, which comprised most of their set. This album marks the band’s official return, having not released new music since the early 2000s. Projected behind the band were images that they took whilst in Phoenix, further immersing fans in the stories that are heard on the tracks. Between the colorful visuals and David Bazan’s calming presence on stage, it was hard not to feel relaxed. Before the band played their final song of the night, “Quietest Friend,” David made a lasting impression on the crowd, reassuring everyone that “we are all connected.”