The Greeting Committee stopped in at Memorial Union to deliver their 19 song setlist for their “Dandelion” tour Friday night. This was their first show on a 20-stop tour that hits major cities all across the U.S.
The Greeting Committee’s setlist included an impeccable combination of songs from their new album, inserted between their bigger hits and a few slower songs — many about the lead singer’s girlfriend Elise.
For a free concert at the local union, it was surprising how few people were there, especially with a bigger band like The Greeting Committee. However, this emptiness was great for me and other hardcore Greeting Committee fans who were able to get right up close to the band. There were about four rows of people right up in front of the platformed band, and most of the tables in the room were full. Still, I definitely thought more Badgers would show up to see The Greeting Committee.
Because their performance was in Der Rathskeller, The Greeting Committee warmed up in front of the audience. Lots of people there didn’t know The Greeting Committee, so this was a great opportunity for people to preview the performance and excited to hear the band's tunes.
Band members were extremely interactive the whole night, which the audience loved. Addie Sartino, the lead singer, walked into and through the crowd while singing. She even pulled up two of my friends who were dancing up onto the stage, where she had them dance for the entirety of the song. She also talked to the crowd throughout the entirety of the show, and after the show, she came out by the merchandise line and chatted with all her fans.
During one of their songs, The Greeting Committee transitioned smoothly into “All Too Well” by Taylor Swift, which the audience absolutely loved. While the band's performance was incredible, there was one big challenge of the night. It was extremely hard to hear Addie’s voice, which was drowned out almost completely by the noise of the room and the background instrumentals. Sartino’s voice is incredible, so this was unfortunate. I was in the front row and could barely hear her, so I can’t imagine the sound from the back of the room. There were moments where the audience would quiet and the instrumentals would be low for a slower song, and in those moments her voice shone through. It was clear how great of a singer Addie is, so it was a shame that her mic was so low.
Addie’s performance of “Call in the Morning,” was one of the coolest things I have seen live. “Call in the Morning” is a chilling song that deals with discovering someone close is suicidal. The song starts slower and melodic and gradually builds up perfectly along with the background music. This background music included a beautiful saxophone performance and a crescendo on the drums. Everything lead up to a spoken verse, where Addie screams out the jarring words you’d scream when you find a loved one suicidal, “Call the Police, drain the bathtub.” She screamed and writhed and thrashed around on stage, and the song ended with her lying on the floor.
It was a brilliant performance to match an extremely powerful song, and the audience was blown away.
After The Greeting Committee exited the stage for the night, the audience successfully encored them back onto the stage where the band played “Hands Down” and “She’s a Gun.” Most of the crowd seemed to know these singles, so it was a great exit to the night. The Greeting Committee showed up to Der Rathskeller ready to rock, and everyone who showed up to see the indie rock band was left with an unforgettable night.
Grade: A
