Headliner: The Devil Wears Prada
Openers: The ’68 and Fit for a King
Venue: Exit/In
Date: 10/11/2018
The Devil Wears Prada’s “With Roots Above and Branches Below” album is turning 10 years old; and in celebration the boys in TDWP have embarked on a tour in support of their ground-breaking album. Whose branches have extended and affected the lives of fans both young and old alike in Nashville, TN. Which is undoubtedly the reason why Nashville’s Exit/In was packed to the brim on a Thursday night. The electric energy which radiated from this packed crowd only grew throughout the night; thanks to some help from openers The ’68 and Fit For A King.
The ’68 broke ground with the Nashville crowd by getting them to laugh, smile, and generally jive along to their raucous 80’s-style tunes. In between those tunes, the jokesters in The ’68 managed to create an authentic performance and set by throwing out the typical conventions that you hear from artists nowadays. Where they pitch who they are and where you can find their music; The ’68 disregarded this and instead opted for their own approach by stating that they could be found “on google.com.”
On the other hand, Fit For A King followed a routine script but DEFINITELY not a routine performance; as their high energy antics and dynamic performance drew in the local crowd. Thanks to their ability to create a performance which was utterly engaging and hard to ignore; as all eyes [and ears] were drawn to “Tuck” O’Leary’s animated spin kicks and Ryan Kirby’s absolutely crushing performance of ‘Backbreaker’ and ‘Pissed Off.’
By the end of Fit For A King’s set, there was a physically palpable energy which emanated from the stage and encompassed the entire venue; as attendees eagerly waited for The Devil Wears Prada to take the stage and perform “With Roots Above and Branches Below” in its entirety. An album, which, according to many in attendance was an album that impacted them personally.
Granted this was a concert and interviewing each fan about the personal impact of “Roots” would’ve been impractical, let alone annoying. However, interviewing fans about the impact wasn’t necessary; as you could see the crowd enthusiastically singing along with songs like “Sassafras” and “Wapakalypse.” Both of which tackle heavy subject matter such as the meaning of life and the necessity for political engagement.
Which The Devil Wears Prada is adamant about; as they claimed that their concerts are “a safe place where we take care of each other” be it spiritually, politically or even physically; as the artists subtly advocated for a better approach to life. No grand speech, no bravado; just a damn good album which managed to subtly impact the hordes of people who had packed into Exit/In on a Thursday night.
The Devil Wears Prada’s 10 Year anniversary tour will resume packing rooms across the country starting on November 23rd in Chicago, IL with stops in New York and Denver before ending on Sunday, December 16th in Columbus, OH.
Tickets are available at the following link: https://www.tdwpband.com/tour/
If you’ve already been to a show or are interested in how politics can help ensure a better tomorrow. Websites such as https://open.lib.umn.edu/americangovernment/chapter/8-1-what-is-political-participation/ are unbiased sources of information where you can go to study up on civic engagement.