After a long wait and two opening acts—the clock struck 9:30 and Fun took the stage, while the boys and girls cheered. Suddenly, the beautiful overture to “Be Calm” opens the show just as it does on the band’s album. The frontman, Nate Ruess, holds the crowd in anticipation as everyone awaits his opening lyric. The moment hits, and the fans don’t hesitate to sing-a-long. Fun finish the first song of the night and smile as the crowd continues to yell in excitement. Jack Antonoff keeps things going as he kicks off the band’s single, “Walking the Dog.” The audience bounces through the song’s chorus as Ruess demands the fans to sing louder.
Everyone manages to catch their breath for a moment after dancing vigorously to the upbeat number, “I Wanna Be the One.” It’s this moment that Ruess takes the time to thank the crowd and declare that tonight would be the night they bring a close to their debut album, Aim + Ignite, so they can begin the cycle of what will be their second record. He hints at what we can expect from the rest of the night, and then calls to Andrew Dost to start, “Light a Roman Candle with Me.” Following was an enthusiastic performance of the band’s final single, “All the Pretty Girls,” before they moved on to “Barlights.” Ruess has a seat at the end of the stage, as Fun reach the bridge of “Barlights.” He states that he wants it to be the loudest sing-a-long he’s heard. The audience begins to chant, “…and I feel alive—feel alive,” which leads into the song’s boisterous final chorus.
Fun’s touring bandmates, featuring members of Steel Train and Straylight Run, step off stage so the three can perform on their own. Antonoff takes leave of his guitar and sits down at Dost’s keys, while Dost stands with a trumpet in hand. The three then go into a a cover of “Dog Problems.” The crowd goes wild as Ruess starts off the title track of his former band, The Format’s, second and final album. The band continues on with the Fun original, “The Gambler.” Finally, fans get what they’ve been waiting for—a new song entitled, “Carry On.” It’s a stripped down number similar to “The Gambler,” but contains much more powerful vocals.
The additional members of Fun return as the band jumps into a playful cover of Queen’s, “Radio Ga-Ga.” During the end of its bridge, Ruess wails and proves just how great of a voice he has. The band ends their set with their first single, “At Least I’m Not As Sad (As I Used to Be).” Fans help to get things started with a number of “whoas.” The band finishes and walks off the stage. The audience begins to yell for more. They return for an encore and play another new song called, “We Are Young.” This new song was a much more Rock song with thunderous drums and a melodious chorus. It is sure to become a fan favorite. Fun end the night with their rambunctious album closer, “Take Your Time.” At the end of the bridge, Ruess fiddles with a fallen mic-stand. As he docks his mic—and impulsively cries, “Fuck it.”—he dashes into the crowd and dances with everyone while the rest of the band jams. Ruess finally returns to the stage and together everyone, Fun and the crowd, bring the night to an end with one final chorus before the song’s explosive outro. The band leaves once more, and the crowd is left with the memory of a wonderful performance.
Find the new song, "Carry On," below.
