by Jacklyn Lipscomb
Irving Plaza presents: Walk the Moon's 10 Year Anniversary Tour November 13th, 2022, in New York City.
For some bands, delivering a live performance that is powerful enough to impact concertgoers on a deeply personal level is something some artists can only dream of. For Walk the Moon, this is just part of what it means to share their music with the world. Anyone who was in the room this past Sunday at Irving Plaza can attest to how they have effortlessly perfected that craft. Celebrating the 10-year anniversary of their self-titled album, the band brought their tour of special intimate performances to a finish on November 13th in New York City.
With no opening act and a crowd of 1,200 people to impress, the band- consisting of front-man Nick Petricca, guitarist Eli Maiman, drummer Sean Waugaman, and touring bassist Lachlan West- took the stage for two and a half hours, displaying nonstop enthusiasm and radiating pure joy along the way as they played a barrage of old and new songs that define who they are as a band in three distinct acts. As this final stop on tour was also being professionally live-streamed across the globe, the foursome started off act one of the night illuminated by a wall of LED lights, flowing effortlessly through their entire self-titled album, start to finish, featuring tracks like “Quesadilla”, “Anna Sun”, “Jenny”, “Lions”, and “Iscariot”, and “I Can Lift a Car”.
Proceeding to only take a brief pause away from the stage, act two of the show began with Nicholas returning solo in front of the piano for a stripped-back rendition of their song “Surrender” that put his impressive singing capabilities on full display and left many devoted fans with tears in their eyes. For the following acoustic takes on “Avalanche”, “Different Colors”, and crowd-pleaser “Anywayican”, each member of the band would be added to the mix having a moment to showcase their individual talent alongside Nick’s lead vocals. They took adequate time to address the crowd, incorporate improvised banter that had the room erupting in laughter, and even reminisced on the story of how they were initially formed as a band after their debut music video for “Anna Sun” caught the attention of major label executives who flipped their worlds upside down. The third and final act of the night was filled with an additional 11 tracks of content spanning every album, such as “Tete-A-Tete” (Walk the Moon-Expanded Edition), “Up 2 U” (TALKING IS HARD), “One Foot” (What If Nothing), “Population of Two” (HEIGHTS), and of course the inclusion of fan favorite “Shut Up and Dance” and unreleased track “Mono No Aware.”
As the night came to a close, one fact became overwhelmingly apparent-Walk the Moon is band that loves what they do and wholeheartedly adores the people that have supported them over the years. Every performance is more than just another show to them, it is a cherished opportunity to be present with everyone else in the room and make them feel seen, heard, and valued. Petricca proved this time and time again, as the long chats he shared with the audience that some critics argued to be too boring, actually provided crucial moments of insight and connection. Amongst the most notable talking points were the stories Nicholas recounted of his father’s journey with Alzheimer’s and his own experiences of coming out in the LGBT+ community, putting the healing powers of music on the forefront of every defining life encounter. Between leading an exercise that had everyone in the crowd clearing their minds of their darkest worries, encouraging them to live in the moment, and reciting a mantra of “I love you, and I love myself”, it was impossible not to feel inspired by the energy exuded onstage. Although it is crucial for every performer to maintain a barrier between their personal lives and how they present themselves to the public, Petricca goes above and beyond to share a piece of his soul with all of those who are willing to embrace it, his authenticity and genuine spirit shining through with vibrant colors.
Everyone in the room that night was able to leave with a strong understanding of who the band was, not only as musicians, but as real everyday people too.
The takeaway from the past decade?
Everyone, no matter where they come from or what they have endured, is welcome at a Walk the Moon show, and that is why fans from all over the world are able to feel safe enough to call the band’s concerts home.
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