On Thursday, April 2nd, The Crocodile hosted the sold out show of the super slick and smooth Finish Ticket and Saint Motel. Because this night offered both a slower, alternative band and a funkier, dream pop band, this concert was probably one of the more fun concerts I had been to in a while.
Finish Ticket, the opening band, graced the stage with their angst-y alternative sound. They walked on stage with their button-ups, rolled up sleeves, denim jackets, and floppy hair, looking fresh as hell. They opened with the catchy, “Doctor.” Their second song to the last song, “Catch You On My Way Out,” was a little more ballad-like and showed off lead singer, Brendan’s voice, which reminds me a lot of the voice of Walk The Moon’s lead vocalist, Nicholas. Considering they were jetlagged from just flying back from Europe, they put on a very impressive set. It’s the kind of music that you can’t really dance to because they aren’t quite slow songs but they aren’t upbeat either. So really, what we’re left with is awkward swaying, which is fine, but also still strange. With that said, their music is good and they definitely perform well live. Overall, if you like alternative sound similar to those of The Colorist and Hunter Hunted, you may enjoy this band a lot.
Saint Motel, the beautifully funky, dream-pop, alternative rock band from Los Angeles, put on a fantastic performance with their cutely lit microphones and their hella savvy horn section. After listening to slower, more alternative Finish Ticket, Saint Motel changed the dynamics into that of extreme energy. By the time they started playing their first song, my energy level was at its peak a.k.a I was ready to break it down. One thing I noticed about Saint Motel is that so many of their songs are so catchy that they hook you in instantly, almost as if they have a bunch of singles instead of collective songs on an album.
By their first song, “Feed Me Now,” everyone was already clapping and dancing along. Side note: this is basically how their entire set went, which was great—lots of clapping, dancing (and I mean real dancing, not swaying, and singing along). When they played “Benny Goodman,” which was one of my personal favorite songs of the night, the entire crowd was clapping along to the beat. This song was so much better live, especially because of the trumpet and tenor sax additions. As a fan of horn sections in general, I was so excited that they had a trumpeter and tenor saxophonist, especially because they played such prominent roles in pretty much all of the songs. The popular piano intro of “Puzzle Pieces” started and the crowd screamed, instantly recognizing one of their most popular songs. Overall, Saint Motel is hands down one of the most fun bands I have seen live because 1) their music is so darn catchy 2) they are really great guys and interact with the crowd a lot, especially when they ask for audience participation and 3) they have amazing stage presence.
April Jingco / A person who is excited for Quadstock / KXSU Reporter