There was a slight chill in the air on the evening of September 28th as I walked through the streets of industrial East Williamsburg on my way to Brooklyn’s latest music venue, Brooklyn Steel. The Ohio indie-pop band, Walk The Moon brought their Dream Plane Tour to Williamsburg. It was expected to be an effervescent evening filled with lots of dancing and good music.
Kicking off the show was indie pop/rap hybrid artist Jany Green. His high-energy performance and contagious smiles radiated throughout the venue as he captivated the audience during his short but powerful opening set. “I’m just a dude from Alaska, so to even be here in Brooklyn is amazing. Thank you all!” Jany Green said mid-performance. Fans turned to each other in shock that he came all the way from Alaska to bring his infectious pop/rap music to the stage that night in Brooklyn. It was clear to see that Jany Green was just getting started with his career, and it will be exciting to see where he takes off from here.
As the night went on, we crept closer and closer to the main attraction. Walk The Moon are no strangers to putting on a killer live performance. They were one of the first bands I discovered in high school after figuring out my taste in music. I fell in love with the band, their music, and their energy.
I saw Walk The Moon for the first time in November 2014 at Bowery Ballroom. It was the peak of their brightly colored face paint era, and for that one night only, everything felt unstoppable. I saw Walk The Moon again in Spring 2015 when they upgraded to the massive Terminal 5 in the Hell’s Kitchen neighborhood of Manhattan. Once again, the performance was to die for. So, heading into my third Walk The Moon show, my expectations were high.
For many inside Brooklyn Steel that evening, this show was about to be their first show back since pre-COVID times — what a way to kick off your return to live music! As the clock struck 9 pm, Walk The Moon took the stage. They opened up their set with the high-energy “Portugal” and “Avalanche” from their album Talking Is Hard. As I photographed the band, I could feel the floor beneath me and the barricade behind me bouncing up and down. The hundreds of people within the venue sang and danced along in unison.
The whole evening was truly one massive party and celebration of love and joy. Walk the Moon played a lengthy hour and a half long setlist that was chock-full with a variety of songs across their discography, both new and old. I watched from the balcony as lead vocalist Nick Petriccia thanked the crowd for coming out that evening, before jumping into their latest song, “Fire In Your House.”
Other favorites in the setlist included an acoustic rendition of “Kamikaze,” “Tightrope,” “Quesadilla,” and the hit single “Shut Up and Dance,” before one of the most epic encores I’ve ever experienced. The four-song encore featured a performance of “Drunk In The Woods,” only the second time the band performed it live since 2013, as well as the live debut of “DNA (The Keys)” before concluding the show-stopping evening with their hit “Anna Sun.”
There are truly no words to describe the feeling of attending a Walk the Moon show. Their vibes and energy are contagious, and I guarantee it is impossible to attend a Walk the Moon show without dancing — even if it’s just a hip sway! I cannot stress enough how good you will feel after a Walk the Moon show. I definitely encourage anyone reading this to catch their local date of the Dream Plane tour, doctor’s orders!
