If there is one person on this green earth who appreciates nostalgia and spending more than a few hours in the “way-back machine” it’s me. And I appreciate people like me who embrace it and pay homage and are genuinely fascinated with it. Lately there have been a few bands who have been coming up with a voice that is reminiscent of days of yore and many of them have done a pretty bang up job. There are, however, a small amount of bands that are just doing it to be ironic, kitschy, clever, or worst of all: slick. I am not totally sure if Fitz & The Tantrums are one of these bands, but whatever they are, it’s just ok.
Fitz and the Tantrums is one of those bands that looks like a lot of fun. They have a sax player and a tambourine player and there are many bright colors and hooky singles. They look a lot like a bunch of bands I secretly love who were big in the 80s when I was a kid. One of the standouts of this era is Huey Lewis and the News. I was immediately struck with the thought of them as Fitz and the Tantrums took the stage. The atmosphere was similar to what I assumed the atmosphere at a News concert would be: very well put together hip people, very happy, ready to boogie.
This band is very well presented. Their stage banner is huge, the name boisterous and jazzy, and their set-up is top notch. Everyone in the band looks clean, fun, and colourful, like extras from Cocktail. There is a lot of energy on stage right away and it hits the crowd just as quickly.
Everyone in attendance was obviously already a fan because they knew all the lyrics and were quick to burst into white man dancing a minute into the first song. I remember thinking at that moment that maybe this band had succeeded in crystallizing that sound from back when it was Hip to be Square. They had a fluid delivery and looked good while they were up there and it wasn’t until the second song that I noticed their failing: they lack real conviction and passion. They wanted everyone to wave their hands and groove with them but eventually the lack of variation and substance just made everything start sounding tired.
Another problem I found was with the vocal delivery. Fitzpatrick’s voice sounded strained, loud and a little tone deaf. By about five songs in, it was actually getting quite grating. The bellows sound like the ones coming from the hired band’s mic at about 3a.m. at a wedding reception. Like you kind of wanted to tell him it was time to go home. When he attempted to harmonize with singer and overall firecracker Noelle Scaggs, the result was completely off and almost hard to listen to. Which is too bad; Scaggs herself has a strong voice but it is often lost behind Fitzpatrick’s grandstanding.
Special shout out should go to bassist Joseph Karnes whose tone was large and slappy, and it rumbled at you over and over with a jaunty delivery. Also good at what he did was James King who wielded an arsenal of brass instruments and was able to hit baffling low notes on the sax. He also played a jazzy flute solo that got everyone’s attention right quick.
All in all the band is talented but the voice is weak. And the shtick is a little uninspiring. I think the band should bust out on their own and make some albums of instrumental party music. Now THAT would be a drug that won’t make me sick.
The parallels between this band and the News are there. They both have hooky tunes, they both have cutting edge hair and hipster chic wardrobes, Huey with his scrunched up blazer and Fitz with his…well, scrunched up blazer. But the difference lies in the enthusiasm. I feel when I watch this band that they aren’t being honest about what they are about or into. I feel like they are trying to convey something and unfortunately someone discovered them too soon and decided to dip what they were in plastic before they ripened. I think the problem is they tried to get too cute too soon.
Fitzpatrick once said that the formation of the band was so seamless…”It was literally like five phone calls, one rehearsal, and we could have played a show that night.” I know this is a clever exaggeration but I also think this band rushed their voice and now they are trying to hold it up to the light, stagnant, and look like they are having fun while doing it. But hey, the crowd seemed to dig it so what do I know.
I’m gonna leave you with an example of this stuff done right. With a voice that has the conviction to back up the choice to make pop music. Cause it’s a valid genre, you just have to own it. And take the time to discover what it is about it besides the irony that you like.
Words by: Jennie Orton | Photos by: Camillia Yuen
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