When I saw that James Arthur, Fitz and the Tantrums and One Republic were coming to the Chula Vista Amphitheater, I knew I wanted review them. I was so excited sitting in the audience and could hardly wait for the show to start.
James made his appearance on stage and started out with the song “I Am”. The song is perfect to get the show started. It gets you moving along and has a great energy level. It didn’t take the crowd long to be focused on his performance and to have their attention on James. The next song “Sermon ft. Shotty Horroh” was so much fun. Throughout the song was a rapping part which he nailed. This part was a full success with the crowd. They cheered and stood up with their hands in the air clapping and dancing along while he rapped. He was great in entertaining his audience. He then went in to “Sober LYRICS” and from this song he went to the song that made him famous. James played “Impossible”. It was such a joy to see that almost everybody in the audience knew the lyrics and sang along. Even I knew the song very well from listening to the radio. Once again the crowd cheered and applauded James. Next he took his acoustic guitar and played the song “Can I Be Him”. The song started out fairly slow but then quickly picked up in speed. It was sad that his performance was already at the end but we had 2 more bands that were eager to be on stage. James finished with one of his other very well-known songs “Say You Won’t Let Go”. Once again James had the audience total attention and they were singing along as loud as they could. He put on a great, fun and entertaining show and I will go see him again….that’s for sure!!
Set List:
- I Am
- Sermon ft. Shotty Horroh
- Sober LYRICS
- Impossible
- Can I Be Him
- Say You Want Let Go
The second opening band for One Republic is also a well-known band; Fitz and the Tantrums who have had several great hits playing on the radio in constant rotation. The most memorable song to me being “HandClap.” I have so many fun and good memories with this song. Pretty much every time this song plays on the radio me and my daughter turn it up, sing along and clap along. It is like an addiction we have. We can’t listen to the song without singing and clapping along. The band started playing 9 Years ago and their new single is called “Fool”. Just watching them was enough to get me going. There was not one moment that they didn’t move on stage. They constantly dance, jump and move around. The band truly knows how to grab the audience attention and motivate everybody.
The first song the band started out with was “Get Right Back”. It is a very catchy song and it gets you moving quickly. Like I said before the band members always move and the high energy they put out just pulls you in. Next was the song “Sparks” which fit right in with the energy level. The audience took over and sang the “Oh Oh Oh…” part of the song and they really had a blast. This song got the crowd going and they cheered and clapped along with the next song “Out Of My League”. The party was on and from here on out it just kept getting better. Nobody in the Amphitheater was sitting still. If they even tried to sit down Fitz and the Tantrums got them right back up on their feet. “Break the Walls” showed off the gorgeous voice of the bands female backup vocalist. They both sang together in perfect harmony. “MoneyGrabber” was next followed by “Complicated”. This song also has a very fun beat and I loved the Saxophone solo on the end. I was not the only one who loved it and the crowed showed it by cheering and clapping. Now it was time for a song from the new album. What better song could he have picked besides the song “Fool.” Fitz stated to the audience that he is a 100% certified mama’s boy and all I can say is listen to the song. From this song he went in to “Sweet Dreams” which originally was sang by “The Eurhythmics” which featured Annie Lennox on vocals. With this song they once again got everybody standing up. The audience was singing along and the fun just got a whole lot better. They played “Fools Gold”, “Burn It Down” and “Roll Up” and then finally the song everybody was waiting for “HandClap”. Oh my god. The audience cheered, applauded and screamed; it was wild. When I looked around all I saw was clapping hands, smiling faces, and people singing along and having a great time. The sad part is that once again the good time eventually had to end so One Republic could take over the stage. Fitz and the Tantrums finalized their performance with “The Walker”.
- Get Right Back
- Sparks
- Out Of My League
- Break The Walls
- MoneyGrabber
- Complicated
- Fool
- Sweet Dreams
- Fools Gold
- Burn It Down
- Roll Up
- HandClap
- The Walker
After all this high energy fun the audience was heated up and ready for One Republic. The band had started out 10 Years ago in California. They toured on their last album for two and a half Years and they even made a new album while they were on tour. This is very impressive. In October, 6 Weeks after the release of their new album, the band got burned out. They pulled the plug on everything and they all went home and spent well needed time with their families and friends. Two and a half Years on tour and away from your loved ones is a very long time. I don’t think anybody can hold it against them that they needed a break. After spending enough time home One Republic decided to put this tour on sale and here they are. Recharged and ready to put on the show for all their fans. “Stop and Stare” was their first song for the evening and instantly the audience started picking up the words and singing along. “All My Secrets” had a cello and violin playing in it which sounded very nice. Ryan Tedder (Vocalist) made sure he covered the whole stage while he was performing which gave the audience great photo opportunities whether they sat stage left or right. They performed the songs “Back When We Were Kids”, “Gotta Be A Good Life” and ”I’ve Been Looking For You”. The song “I’ve Been Looking for You” had some cool laser lights moving along. The song “Anxiety” was dedicated to all the people that suffer from this illness. The next song was “I Feel Again” and the audience was excited and started clapping and singing. It just is a feel good song. They couldn’t have picked a better song to set off the confetti cannons too. It was an amazing moment. Laser lights, fog and confetti; the band created a magical moment. The crowd absolutely loved it and cheered, applauded and whistled. When the band performed the song “Halo” another magical moment was created. The light was dimmed and the piano was outlined with blue light ropes which made it stand out really nicely. People in the audience turned their cell phone flash lights on and waved along with the song. The song “Come home” was written about a friend who got send back to war for the 3rd or 4th time in 2008, two weeks after he got engaged. It is hard to believe that the saddest stories can make the best songs. The Evening went on with one great performance after another. “I did it all” was a huge hit with the audience and pretty much everybody sang along. Another great hit was “To Late to Apologize”. The audience also sang along with this hit. Young and old. Everybody in the audience had a good time. I had an 89 Year old lady sitting in front of me and she was also having the time of her life. One Republic is a group of very talented musicians. I had a ton of fun and I sang and danced along with every song. I will go and see them again and if you get the chance to see One Republic make sure you go and enjoy the show.
James Arthur, Fitz and The Tantrums, One Republic
Reviewed by RacerX / BackStage360
Email: Michelle@backstage360.com