Every time I go to the House of Blues, I get an amazing show by one band or another. This was one of those times. I love the House of Blues, and Fun. certainly did not disappoint. The show sold out months ago, but I was lucky to be hipster enough to have bought my ticket before “We Are Young” was covered by Glee (muahaha!).
The show started with Miniature Tigers, a quirky 5-piece band from Arizona. They played synthy jams from their new album Mia Pharaoh, and began with “Female Doctor,” and continued with “Boomerang,” and “Sex on the Regular,” which has dance number potential. They also played some of their catchier old songs, “The Wolf” and “Cannibal Queen.” The singer, Charlie Brand, sings in a kind of monotone falsetto. It’s interesting, but not incredibly inspiring. Although, their songs did make me feel like I was on a beach or somewhere warm and fun like that, so I couldn’t complain.
After much anticipation by the crowd, Nate Ruess of Fun. appears with crazy energy. The set opened with a bang as the band pounded out “One Foot,” during which Ruess proceeded to jump all around the stage, clad in a Celtics jersey––a much appreciated display of Boston love. I wasn’t sure the songs from Some Nights would sound as good as they do on recording, but, with a few minor exceptions, I was wrong. They also played “Walking the Dog” off their old album Aim and Ignite, and then the slower jam “Why Am I the One.” They shifted between upbeat and slower songs, keeping the audience in a constant state of emotional flux. Near the end, the band played their radio hit “We Are Young,” which was probably the most disappointing song of the set. It was heavily auto-tuned, which was pretty unpleasant. Their set officially ended with the Stones’ “You Can’t Always Get What You Want,” which suited Nate’s personality and voice quite well, though it was a weird song to end with. Of course, Fun. came out for an encore like the nice guys they are and played “Some Nights,” which was also tragically auto-tuned. Their final song was an underrated track from Aim and Ignite, “Take Your Time (Coming Home).”
Overall, I was extremely happy with this show. Although I had heard Fun. was good live, I wasn’t expecting such unbelievable energy. Fun. played a decent amount from their old album while playing all the best tracks off their new one. The one song I wish they would have played that they didn’t was “Be Calm,” my favorite song off of Aim and Ignite. I went into the show with relatively low expectations, despite my love for the band. Ruess infused each song with an energy that isn’t quite present in the recording, which is what a live performance should do, no? Fun. lived up to its name, as they were, indeed, a fun band to watch. Definitely a must-see band.
By: Carole Ann Vetter