Concert review: PromoWest Fest’s first night wows

Ashley Layne
Sat, 16 Jul 2016 18:54:23 +0000
Arts & Life, Music, banners, fitz and the tantrums, McFerson Commons, Noel Gallagher, PromoWest Fest, PromoWest Fest Day 1, PromoWest Fest Friday, promowest productions, ryan adams, The Flaming Lips, The Wombats, x ambassadors

Fans line up at the barricade during the first night of PromoWest Fest on July 15. Credit: Ashley Nelson

Wayne Coyne, lead singer of The Flaming Lips performs at PromoWest Fest on July 15, 2016. Credit: Chris Baggott | For The Lantern

Wayne Coyne sits on the shoulders of a dancer in a Chewbacca suit while performing at PromoWest Fest on July 15, 2016. Credit: Chris Baggott | For The Lantern

Wayne Coyne of The Flaming Lips strikes a pose at the end of a song at PromoWest Fest on July 15, 2016. Credit: Chris Baggott | For The Lantern

Lead vocalist Wayne Coyne of The Flaming Lips performs at the PromoWest Fest on July 15, 2016. Credit: Chris Baggott

Michael Fitzpatrick, vocalist for Fitz and The Tantrums, performs at PromoWest Fest on July 15. Credit: Chris Baggott | For The Lantern

Michael Fitzpatrick of Fitz and The Tantrums gestures to the crowd while performing at PromoWest Fest on Friday. Credit: Chris Baggott | For The Lantern

Noelle Scaggs singer for Fitz and the Tantrums plays the Columbus Makes Art Stage at PromoWest Fest on July 15. Credit: Ashley Nelson | Sports Director

Fitz and The Tantrums vocalist Michael Fitzpatrick performs at PromoWest Fest on Friday. Credit: Chris Baggott | For The Lantern

Noelle Scaggs performs on the Columbus Makes Art Stage at PromoWest Fest on July 15. Credit: Ashley Nelson | Sports Director

Michael Fitzpatrick performs at PromoWest Fest on July 15. Credit: Chris Baggott | For The Lantern

Michael Fitzpatrick and Noelle Scaggs of Fitz and The Tantrums dance onstage while performing “Out of My League” at the PromoWest Fest on July 15, 2016. Credit: Chris Baggott

Sam Harris, lead singer of X Ambassadors, picks up a saxophone during the band's set at the PromoWest Fest on July 15. Credit: Chris Baggott | For The Lantern

Sam Harris of X Ambassadors performs at PromoWest Fest on July 15. Credit: Chris Baggott | For The Lantern

Keyboardist Casey Harris of X Ambassadors performs at PromoWest Fest on July 15. Credit: Chris Baggott | For The Lantern

X Ambassadors plays “Love Songs Drug Songs” at PromoWest Fest on Friday. Credit: Chris Baggott | For The Lantern

Sam Harris leaps in the air while performing at PromoWest Fest on July 15. Credit: Chris Baggott | For The Lantern

Tord Knudsen, bassist and backup vocals for Liverpool-based band The Wombats, plays the Pepsi Stage at PromoWest Fest on July 15. Credit: Ashley Nelson | Sports Director

Dan Haggis, drums and backup vocals for The Wombats, plays the Pepsi Stage at PromoWest Fest on July 15. Credit: Ashley Nelson | Sports Director

Matthew Murphy, lead vocals and lead guitar for Liverpool based band The Wombats, plays the Pepsi Stage PromoWest Fest on July 15. Credit: Ashley Nelson

Michael Joseph Nelson, frontman of the Liverpool-based band Banners, smiles at the crowd during the first night of PromoWest Fest on July 15. Credit: Ashley Nelson | Sports Director

Michael Joseph Nelson plays on Friday at PromoWest Fest. Credit: Ashley Nelson | Sports Director

The festival audience is showered with confetti and balloons during The Flaming Lips set at the PromoWest Fest on July 15. Credit: Chris Baggott | For The Lantern

The first night of the inaugural PromoWest Fest took McFerson Commons in the Arena District Friday with a killer lineup and all the beer and food you could ask for.

Having only two stages and eight acts, Columbus’s first musical festival threatened to be a dud on its first outing.

However, the festival’s overall setup ended up being my favorite that I’ve experienced. With a stage at each end of the McFerson Commons and no overlapping schedule, I was able to easily see every act that performed. Every band started promptly at their start time and finished the same way (except for The Flaming Lips). The festival organizers must have made their expectations clear because most of everyone who performed mentioned at some point that they were trying to fill their hour with as much music as possible, and there was no time for chitchat.

The schedule ran like a well-oiled machine until the last hour. The Flaming Lips finally took the stage 15 minutes late, but made up for their tardiness with an amazing amount of confetti and lasers that rivaled any light show.

Frontman Wayne Coyne seemed happy to be on stage with a suit made out of a kid’s stuffed caterpillar. With no less than 50 huge balloons bouncing throughout the crowd, the energy was palpable.

Too bad it didn’t last.

After playing “Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots, Pt.1” about 15 minutes into the set, the energy seemed to be sucked from the venue. An unexplainable disconnect seemed to occur between the band and the audience, with people noticeably beginning to file out. Maybe it had been a long day for all of us?

The last half-hour of its shortened set was disappointing, but its incredible energy and stage productions at the start evened it all out.

Friday’s lineup was impressive overall. The crowd began filing in as the one-man band Banners took the stage at 4 p.m. for a half-hour set, followed by another half-hour set by local favorites Red Wanting Blue. When The Wombats took the stage at 5 p.m., the crowd had filled in considerably. The Wombats blasted through their 30 minutes with a tremendous amount of fun and energy.

The organizers also smartly designed the layout, making everything easily accessible. Vendors lined the sides of the McFerson Commons, but most of the food and alcohol was located in one convenient strip just up a side road.

I found the “cashless” wristband to be an overall winning concept. Just a tap of the wristband and my purchase was paid for. No digging around for money in my purse each time I wanted something.

Ryan Adams and his band The Shining were the penultimate performers. Opening the set with a rocked-out version of “Gimme Something Good,” they pulled the audience in and didn’t let go for the next hour. Managing to work in some banter with the crowd and even making up a song on-the-spot called “Cotton Candy” at the suggestion of someone in the crowd, Adams was an entertaining force of rock and roll.

Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds welcomed the evening with an hourlong set of fantastic rock music. Gallagher, having previously fronted Oasis, kept the setlist mainly to his current band’s catalogue, but he did indulge the crowd by playing four of Oasis’s hits including, “Champagne Supernova” and “Wonderwall.” Closing out the show with a perfect rendition of “Don’t Look Back in Anger,” the crowd seemed pleased and ready to head into the night.

Fitz and The Tantrums spent their hour on stage tearing it down and building it back up again. With fierce vocals by Michael Fitzpatrick and Noelle Scaggs, the pop/neo-soul group kept the crowd happy and moving with one hit after another. Playing lively numbers like “The Walker,” “Moneygrabber” and “Out Of My League,” Fitz and The Tantrums cemented their status as one of the best live acts in music today.

Popular radio band, X Ambassadors, were granted an entire hour, however, I feel like a half-hour would have been more appropriate. Running through songs I recognized from movie trailers and fall TV drama promos, the crowd seemed unable to connect with the band. They barely responded to the lead singer’s incessant need for attention and constant begging for responses from the audience.

This weekend may be PromoWest Fest’s first year, but it certainly won’t be its last. I predict this will become the city’s new favorite summer tradition.