Junior Prom started the night off with a brief set. They opened the show loudly and confidently but I was a little underwhelmed with their performance. I have no doubt that with more practice and touring experience, they can further develop their skills and become better live performers. I can see them headlining their own tour someday especially if their releases become popularly played on young radio stations such as Alt Nation.

I was impressed with Hunter Hunted and their set the most tonight. I’m not going to lie, I was expecting another stereotypical indie pop band but was happily proven wrong. They had beautiful harmonies and a distinct, unique sound. I can definitely see Hunter Hunted headlining a tour in the near future. Their mature sound and commanding stage presence proves that they’re ready to give it all they’ve got.

Back in August, we saw Andrew McMahon on tour with Matt Nathanson at the Cleveland House of Blues. McMahon is commonly associated with the bands named Something Corporate and Jack’s Mannequin. He has since decided to pursue music under his own name for the first time since his career began. He enlisted the help of Mikey Wagner (bass), Jay McMillan (drums), and Zac Clark (keys) for his new independent project, Andrew McMahon in the Wilderness.

During tonight’s show, I appreciated his interaction with the crowd and lively sense of humor. He talked quite a bit about his brand new pants and how the pleasant night had already determined that they were a lucky pair. McMahon told the stories behind certain songs and how he found inspiration to write them. A lot of them are about parenthood, friendship, trust, relationships, etc. Something I love about McMahon is his performance technique. He sits at the piano with one mic facing forward and another facing the crowd. This allows him to interact with fans more and stand/dance while playing the piano. He even broke out the harmonica for a few songs tonight. McMahon and his band have a sickening amount of musical talent and lay it all out on the stage each night. Their passion for music and love of life evidently drives them and fuels their success. Overall, I thought their performance was exemplary and would strongly recommend catching them at a later date on this headlining tour.

– Victoria