Live: The Struts @ Stage AE 7/21
Seeing The Struts live is, in a way, a rite of passage. Ask around and you’ll find fans at their fourth or fifth show with friends who are one their second or third who have, in turn, brought someone along for their first, insisting that they’re gonna love it, and they’re probably not wrong.
The Struts were last in Pittsburgh in early December for alt-rock radio station 105.9 The X’s annual Kick-Ass Christmas show, and around seven months later, they returned as part of their tour promoting sophomore album Young & Dangerous. Pittsburgh was eager to welcome them back, especially those of us who went last time.
The night kicked off with opener JJ Wilde, a rock singer with a bit of rasp in her voice who’s packed with energy and attitude, making her a perfect choice for the bill. Her half-hour set included songs from debut EP Wilde Eyes, Steady Heads, with highlights such as “State of Mind” and ballad “Gave It All.”
Canadian rock The Glorious Sons were included on the Kick-Ass Christmas lineup as The Struts’ supporting act, and they returned with their high-energy, raucous show. The setlist included new track “Panic Attack,” released days before the show, as well as tracks from 2017 album Young Beauties and Fools, including “My Poor Heart” and fan favorite and a staple in the X’s rotation “S.O.S. (Sawed Off Shotgun).”
The Struts commanded the stage for over and hour-and-a-half, delivering one of the best live shows in new rock music starting with “Primadonna Like Me,” with frontman Luke Spiller demonstrating where the band got their name and proving that he’s a born entertainer who’s learned from the greatest lead singers in rock. The band then continued on with other singles such as “Body Talks,” “In Love with a Camera,” “Fire (Part 1),” “One Night Only,” “Kiss This,” and “Dirty Sexy Money.” They slowed things down with an acoustic “Mary Go Round,” giving the track a more somber feel than its album version and providing one of the only slow, calm moments of the evening. The party continued with “The Ol’ Switcheroo” and “I Do It So Well,” and their pattern of dance-themed covers continued — while last time they took on Bruce Springsteen’s “Dancing in the Dark,” this time they featured their newly released version of the classic and oft-covered “Dancing in the Street.” Also like last time, they took the time to acknowledge a young fan onstage during “Put Your Money on Me,” even though the special guest wanted to hear a different song. And while most bands would opt to close with their latest single, The Struts instead end with “Where Did She Go,” the final track on 2016 debut Everybody Wants which provides an all-too-perfect moment for fans to sing along and wave their hands in the air to the rhythm of the music. For their encore, Spiller sat at a piano for breakup song “Somebody New,” before wrapping up with the uplifting “Could Have Been Me.”
Spiller praised the Pittsburgh audience as one of the loudest and most enthusiastic on tour, and the reaction is deserved — The Struts deliver an excellent show, and the city was certainly glad to be spoiled with getting to see it twice in less than a year.
The Struts’ tour continues through the fall — JJ Wilde will open through July 23, while The Glorious Sons will remain on the bill through the summer. You can catch JJ Wilde opening for Incubus in early August, then Reignwolf, and The Glorious Sons will play with Welshly Arms in November.
