Abaca Press/MCTOneRepublic rocked the Trocadeo in Philly on Saturday, Feb. 2, playing a short but phenomenal show. Taking the stage at 10 p.m., the band played a range of songs off of their newly released album, “Dreaming out Loud” as fans sang along and enthusiastically cheered them on.
The audience contained a wide array of fans ranging from pre-teen girls to middle-aged couples singing and dancing as the band transitioned from song to song. Lead singer Ryan Tedder barely missed a note with flawless vocals on every song including popular hits such as “Apologize” and “Stop and Stare.”
Tedder didn’t skip a beat, making it a point to introduce each song by title for those not familiar with songs off of the new album. Tedder added more personality to the show by giving fans a glimpse into the background of songs and slipping a few jokes in between for fun.
Halfway into the show, the band decided to gain more audience involvement by covering popular radio hits such as Rihanna’s “Umbrella” and The Verve’s “Bittersweet Symphony.” Fans reacted instantly with applause and echoed the words as the band motioned for the audience to put their hands in the air and sing along.
The band performed for less than an hour when a look of confusion washed over Tedder’s face and he hesitated to move on to the next song in the set.
“How much longer do we have?” Tedder asked as he stood on stage waiting for a response from backstage.
After a long pause and words that could not be heard from afar, Tedder informed the audience that the show would have to come to a quick end by 11 p.m. because of a curfew at the venue that the band was previously unaware of. Sincere and apologetic, Tedder squeezed in two more songs before promptly ending the show.
Although the show lasted for less than an hour, it was well worth it. The band’s performance was absolutely spotless and if I didn’t know I was at a concert, I would think I was listening to the original recording from the album, which is rare in the recording industry today.
