Concert Review: Fitz and the Tantrums

Fitz & the Tantrums lived up to all their hype and more in a spectacular concert at the Riviera, bringing the crowd to a roar before, during and after every song.

In the beginning of the night the opening act Big Data proved to be less than a big hit. Outside of their well known song “Dangerous,” the majority of their performance came across as incoherent as their sound was lost over the noise of the audience.

However, Fitz & the Tantrums made up for mediocrity of Big Data with an amazing set list. After bursting onto the stage they started off the night energizing the crowd, giving a big shout out to Chicago and opening with “Get Away.”

Front man Michael Fitzpatrick and fellow singer Noelle Scaggs immediately brought the audience to ear-deafening screams and the sold-out venue, from the balcony to the pit, provided the perfect atmosphere for the self described “soul-influenced indie pop” band.

The band rocked one song to the next from its sophomore album “More than Just a Dream” with an energetic rendition of “Out of My League,” the song that propelled them onto mainstream radio and an incredible performance of its latest single “Fool’s Gold.”

A major highlight included the band’s cover of the ‘80s hit “Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)” by Eurhythmics that had the entire audience singing along word for word.

After an hour plus of a fantastic show, Fitz & the Tantrums bade the audience goodnight, but came back for an encore when Fitzpatrick jumped back onto the stage, riling up the crowd, and had everyone make as much noise as possible to get the attention of his five other band mates.

After the rest of the band returned, Fitzpatrick and the band launched into their classic hit “MoneyGrabber.” After a saxophone solo from James King, a blast of confetti rained down on the audience as the band closed out the night with “The Walker.”

Bottom Line: For the ultimate concert experience, Fitz & the Tantrums delivers with an interactive and incredible performance in one of Chicago’s oldest venues, the Riv. 4.5/5 paws