By Krystal Sidzyik, Senior Staff Writer
There’s a reason the band with the current No. 1 hit single in the country is named Fun. Fans who attended their show at Slowdown saw the band doing exactly what they do best-having fun.
The New York-based indie pop band is the latest sensation to sweep the nation with their single featuring Janelle Monae, “We Are Young.” Band members Nate Ruess, Andrew Dost and Jack Antonoff were welcomed with open arms by a sold-out crowd in Omaha last Tuesday night. The band is currently on a North American tour with Kentucky-based pop rock band Sleeper Agent.
Alex Kandel, lead singer of Sleeper Agent, described her band’s sound as “super manic fast pop-rock songs” in an interview before the show on Tuesday. The band is currently on tour to support their debut album, “Celebrasion.” The album was released through iTunes last year.
Fans who came to see Fun were in for a special treat when Sleeper Agent took the stage around 8 p.m. They kicked off the night at full speed ahead. Their high-energy music and garage-rock-like stage presence made it difficult for fans not to dance as they waited for Fun to take the stage. Arms flailed and bodies grooved as the band played through their set list.
“We don’t feel like we’re treading water anymore,” Kandel said. “It’s been a really crazy few months to where we’re starting to see some pay off, and I’m really excited.”
Most of the tour shows scheduled for the next few months are already sold out. Fans anxiously waited for Fun to take the stage, and once they did, the crowd went wild, dancing and singing along as Ruess bounced around on stage and belted out lyrics. The crowd was a mix of all ages, and there were just many men as there were women. It was unlike anything I have ever seen before.
According to Billboard.com, Fun’s “We Are Young” reached No. 1 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 on March 7 and continues to lead the Billboard Hot 100 songs chart for its sixth week. The song took off after it was featured in a Super Bowl XLVI commercial for Chevrolet Chevy and an episode of the hit TV show, “Glee.” “We Are Young” can be found on Fun’s sophomore album, “Some Nights.”
Surprisingly, Fun didn’t close the night with their hit song, “We Are Young,” but fans didn’t seem disappointed as they chanted for an encore once the band left the stage. The crowd cheered as the band returned to the stage and closed the night with two more songs.
The band will finish up their North American tour in June and will play one of the biggest music festivals in the country-Lollapalooza. The festival is Aug. 3 through 5 at Grant Park in Chicago. Tickets for the festival can be purchased by visiting lollapalooza.com.
