Story and Photos: Audrey Wright
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Now back to the story....
Fitz and The Tantrums played the last show of their summer tour at Stir Cove in Council Bluffs, IA Saturday night (6/25) with St. Paul And The Broken Bones, and Devon Gilfillian. It was one of the best shows I've ever attended. The energy was outstanding and so was the music.
Devon Gilfillian took the stage at 8:00 that evening. This cool dude with an amazing afro and 70s sunglasses walked out and absolutely blew my mind when he started singing. Now, I’ve listened to my fair share of soul music, but never like this. He engaged with the crowd several times, telling them how grateful he was to be on this tour doing what he loves most, singing for all to hear. At one point he told the masses to hold their phones high in the air, then said, “Now type in my name, Devon Gilf. It stands for Grandpa I’d Like To Friend.” The whole crowd chuckled. After his set he went to his merch table and as he was walking up there, everyone cheered for him. Devon really made an impact on Stir Cove and I hope he returns to play.
Up next was St. Paul And The Broken Bones. I’ve dabbled in their music before but I was curious to see them live. I told one of the photographers from Go Venue Magazine, Dean, that he was never going to believe the voice that comes out of this guy. The band took the stage with a drum solo playing, and some rather mystical “out of this world” intro. Their lead singer, Paul Janeway, walked out shortly before the intro was finished. As soon as he started singing, I knew it was going to blow the minds of everyone at Stir Cove. They were phenomenal to say the least. So much passion and energy went into their set. They played one of my favorite songs, The Last Dance, while shooting. After I left the pit, lead singer Paul, walked out into the crowd, twice, and sang while meandering through the venue. He even went up onto the VIP deck, stood up on a table, and sang to the crowd. St. Paul And The Broken Bones definitely left the crowd wanting more.
After St Paul And The Broken Bones dazzled the crowd, Fitz and The Tantrums made their way to the stage for the last show of their tour. Fellow photographer Dean and I got the crowd riled up and had them cheer on the band just before they made their appearance. It was a great show. I had never seen Fitz And The Tantrums before but I really enjoyed their energy and the great tunes. There were plenty of band solos to go around that evening and a couple of the members even played with the opening acts as well. They had an amazing light show, which I think I can speak for any photographer, is a major plus, along with the wonderful energy and interaction with the crowd.
I would like to thank Stir Cove for always having superb hospitality and for letting us continue to come back to the venue and shoot. The Stories team loves you guys! Thank you to all the wonderful artists that played and for going out with a bang on your last day of tour. Until next time, friends.
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Crowd Pics
Fitz & The Tantrums
St. Paul & The Broken Bones
Devon Gilfillian
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