Volapalooza had all the makings of a spectacular concert – a prominent headliner, the best in local music and an expected energy from a crowd relieved to have (almost) finished the semester.
Despite these ingredients, Friday night started off a little underwhelming – and it wasn’t necessarily the fault of the lineup.
Local country band Crab Apple Lane, who won their slot through the Battle for Vola contest, kicked things off for a small crowd at Thompson-Boling.
Fresh off a packed performance at an albeitly much smaller venue at Knoxville’s Rhythm ‘N Blooms festival, the group seemed to get more confident and energetic as their set went on. Singer Deena Robbins warmed up the crowd with her powerhouse vocals and infectious energy, and the audience finally caught on near the end of the set when Crab Apple Lane covered The Beatles’ “With a Little Help from My Friends.”
Yet when their set ended, it was as though the audience reset in terms of crowd engagement – this seemed to be in part because of the unceasing awkwardness of the emcee for the night.
The result was that Nashville-based bluesy rockers The Delta Saints started back at square one, though their stomping country-folk quickly got the crowd at least somewhat energized again. Both Crab Apple Lane and The Delta Saints, however seemed out-of-place in the venue – which was the main cause for the aforementioned underwhelmed vibe.
It’s difficult for a crowd to be consistently engaged when they only fill up a little more than a third of the floor in an arena that seats 21,678, no matter how good the music is.
Knoxville’s The Dirty Guv’nahs dealt with the lackluster energy in a way more conducive to crowd interaction because of their higher notoriety and experience with bigger shows. Frontman James Trimble is incredibly personable and exciting on stage, making it easy to see why the Guvs have been voted Best Band in Knoxville by readers of the Metropulse every year since 2008.
When Los Angeles-based Fitz & the Tantrums arrived on the stage, they seemed to expect a large party crowd, however what they got was a group of around 500 worn-out students. Luckily, live shows are Fitz and the Tantrums specialty.
The energy in their set was a slow build, carried largely by co-lead singer Noelle Scaggs, whose non-stop dancing and charismatic stage presence really pulled the crowd into the performance, much like she did when she sensually locked eyes with a male audience member, beckoned him forward and almost serenaded him while their hands were clasped.
A turning point in the set was the band’s cover of Eurythmics’ “Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)” which enthused and excited the crowd into a mass singalong. From there, the party had arrived. Fitz and the Tantrums kept the energy high throughout, playing several of their well-known singles including recent hit “The Walker.”
Between the killer saxaphone and the almost psychedelic effects of the lighting and Scaggs’ dancing, the 80s pop influences in the Tantrums’ music were apparent and popular with the Volapalooza crowd.
Despite the inappropriateness of the venue for the size of the crowd and acts, as the confetti rained down during Fitz and the Tantrums’ encore, there was no better way to celebrate the last day of class.
