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| Luke Spiller of the Struts performing at the Capitol Theatre |
Going into my 6th Struts show on Saturday night, I was pretty certain I was not going to be disappointed based on the last five times with them. But, what I didn't expect, was how much it was going to mean to me.
After the last two shows I posted about (Guns N' Roses and Rise Against), I was scheduled to go to two others in the coming weeks. But both were canceled—one only 15 minutes before doors!—and so now I've been trained not to look forward to shows until I'm standing inside the venue. Of course this is a negative attitude to have. But in 2021, it is what it is til we find a groove to settle in with all this confusion.
After openers Nick Perri and the Underground Thieves, a Philly band with a Classic Rock vibe, it was party time. The Struts have impressed me every I have seen them play, whether it was in the tiny Stone Pony back in 2016, or to a festival crowd at MAPFRE Stadium when they were on the bill at Sonic Temple in 2019. I knew I could count on them to snap me out of this anxiety haze that I (and probably most of us) are still living in. It was time to give my brain a break from pure stress.
I was right!
Opening with "Primadonna Like Me", the crowd cheered when Adam Slack (guitarist), Gethin Davies (drummer) and Jed Elliott (bassist) took the stage, but really went wild when singer Luke Spiller walked out, signaling the start of a night of excitement. It was a nonstop climb to a level of happiness I forgot I was capable of experiencing. My favorite song of the night was "Wild Child," a collaboration they did with Rock legend Tom Morello. It's got the kind of swagger I look for in music that's clever, catchy, and just sleazy enough without coming off contrived. It's perfect.
I think the main reason this show kicked my ass into a happy stated was how contagious this band's energy is. If any of them were having a bad day, I feel like I'd never know it. And that's why we're all there- to escape into each other. Mission: accomplished.
