YOUNG THE GIANT/MILKY CHANCE – LIVE @ THE AMP
Young the Giant brought their summer tour to the Hartford Healthcare Amphitheater on June 14th with Milky Chance and Talk for support.
It’s a rainy Wednesday night in Bridgeport and Rich Russo (my photographer) and myself are off to catch Young the Giant‘s rescheduled show at the AMP. We hit a few rainstorms along the way but the skies are clearing and it looks like it’s going to be a beautiful evening to experience some awesome music. We were offered YTG’s VIP experience passes which was a surprising plus. The band played a short acoustic set directly in front of their devoted fans and answered a few questions from the audience. You can tell that they truly appreciate their fanbase and the entire band was warm and unassuming.
The show started with Talk which is the brainchild of Canadian singer/songwriter Nicholas Durocher. Talk had a massive 2022 hit single entitled “Run Away to Mars” which Sirius’ Alt Nation totally loved. It stayed in their heavy rotation for months. Talk came out on fire. Durocher’s band was tight and full of energy. The most positive aspect of Talk was Durocher’s sublime attitude. He was funny and easily captured the crowd’s attention with his witty banter. At one point he flipped his shoes in the audience but asked for them back as it seems his foot size is large and it’s difficult to find shoes that fit. The lucky catchers quickly obliged. I loved his nonchalant sense of humor.
Talk came out with “History” and quickly segued into “Train” off his 2021 EP Talk To Me. His 2023 single “Afraid of the Dark” came next. Then Talk played a new song that was actually dropping in two days. “A Little Bit Happy” went over well with the crowd as well as the next song, “Wasteland”. Talk closed out strong. “Run Away to Mars” got a great reception with almost everyone singing along. He finished with “School Of Rock” which was an inventive cover.
Milky Chance was up next. Milky Chance is a German rock band that consists of original members Clemens Rehbein (Vocals/Guitar) and Phillip Dausch (Bass/Percussions). Antonio Greger (Guitar/Harmonica/Bass) joined in 2015. Touring drummer Sebastian Schmidt round out the group. Their sound is an exotic mixture of electronica, rock, EDM and pop. Rehbein’s vocals are singular with a romantic lilt and imaginative accents. Milky Chance’s songs are addictive and quite lively.
Their set encompassed tunes from all their spectacular releases including this year’s Living In A Haze. Opening with an energized rendition of “Synchronize”, Milky Chance had complete control of the venue. Everyone was on their feet. “Cocoon”, “Down by the River” and “Golden” followed. “Living In A Haze” had the audience dancing like a “disco boy”. “Fado” faded in and out with the Gloria Jones/Soft Cell cover, “Tainted Love”. The arena was loving it. The Jack Johnson collab, “Don’t Le Me Down” was next with “Flashed Junk Mind” and “Stolen Dance” right after. Their big hit “Colorado” kept the house alive. Milky Chance finished with “Running” and “Sweet Sun”.
When Young the Giant hit the stage , the excitement level went up 100%. This is who everyone was waiting for. Touring off the success of their recent full length, American Bollywood, the arena was ready for a fantastic show. YTG is comprised of Sameer Gadhia (Lead Vocals/Percussion/Keys/Guitar), Jacob Tilley (Guitar/Synths), Eric Cannata (Guitar/Vocals/Keys), Payam Doostzadeh (Bass/Vocals) and Francois Comtois (Drums/Percussions/Vocals). Their sound is a hypnotic blend of psychedelic alt, folk, world and intoxicating pop. Their songs are suburb mainstays in today’s American music.
YTG‘s set was broken down into 4 acts with a short film dividing each segment. Act 1 featured “American Bollywood”, “Wake Up” and their huge hits “Something to Believe In” and “Cough Syrup”. Throughout, Sameer was magical. He mesmerized the arena with his smooth vocals and appealing demeaner. Garbed in Indian attire, he flowed effortlessly like the amazing music the band was letting loose. Act 2 brought more dynamite with “My Way”, “I Got”, “Nothing More” and their recent single, “The Walk Home”. The AMP was rocking with the stunning Young the Giant rhythms.
Act 3 ushered in “Dollar $tore”, “Cult of Personality” and “Heat of the Summer”. Act 4 was just as impressive with “Tonight”, “Mind Over Matter” and “Dancing In The Rain”. The band was extraordinary throughout. Each member carried the audience to aural bliss. Every song, every note was a sonic masterpiece. The encore was equally dazzling. The band played an acoustic version of “Metropolis”, an unreleased track. it was followed by YTG‘s biggest anthems. “Superposition”, “Tightrope”, “Silvertongue” and “My Body”. The venue was starstruck. Young the Giant plainly slayed. YTG will go down in history as one of the most inventive and innovative bands ever.
A SHORT FOOTNOTE
This is AMP’s 500th feature. It has been an amazing ride with a ton of ups and some downs. Scott Steinberg and myself have cried, pulled hairs and called it quits several times yet we persevered. In fact, we have thrived. Myampmusic.co has become a sort after outlet for astounding new and local talent. Scott and I would like to thank all our staff. They provide remarkable write ups and phenomenal photos.
We are blessed with the likes of Anne Estella, Kate Carroll, Richard Demko, Marisa Torrieri Bloom, Anthony Mastromarino, Mandy Reed, Holly Borden, Donna Eriquezzo, Zack Eriquezzo, Rich Russo, Lea Caffrey, Shannon Wilk, Jody Wilk, Joe Perusse, Kat Gullage and Eric Rauert. We would also like to thank all the PR agencies that have allowed us to work their artists. Hopefully there will be an 1000th review. God bless to all our loyal readers (over 290,000). We love you all.
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2 thoughts on “YOUNG THE GIANT/MILKY CHANCE – LIVE @ THE AMP”
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A terrific line-up, as I love both Young the Giant and Milky Chance. Saw Young the Giant in L.A. in 2019, with Fitz & the Tantrums and COIN. And congratulations on the immense success of your blog, Ralph! You’ve build quite a respectable team and blog.
All three bands were excellent. It was a wonderful night if music.