Fun. delivers on name with stage effects, crowd engagement at The Wiltern

Chiddy Bang and fun.
Aug. 17
The Wiltern

Flashing lights, confetti shooting into the crowd mid-show and balloons falling from the ceiling would describe the lively visual aesthetics of fun.’s performance on Friday night. However, the combination of Nate Ruess’ incredible vocal range, ear to ear smile and high energy dance moves stole the show.   

Concert goers ranging from teenagers and beyond gathered at The Wiltern to see fun., renowned for their single “We are Young.” Friday night was the first of three sold-out shows the band played at The Wiltern.

The night opened with Chiddy Bang, a hip-hop duo from Philadelphia, sporting t-shirts and jeans. The two took the stage with drummer and producer Noah “Xaphoon Jones” Bersesin.

The crowd, whose energy level ranged from low to medium throughout the opening set, was very responsive to the performer’s attempts to interact with audience members. Those in the pit section looked like they especially enjoyed the portion devoted to the audience picking words for Chiddy Bang to freestyle rap about, which included: lobsters, apples, college and an audience member’s birthday. The duo delivered and executed it flawlessly.

Fun. started their set with “Carry On,” which the crowd automatically responded to with loud and booming voices as Ruess sang and danced around, looking sharp in his suit and pants. The energy of the crowd carried throughout the show as fans sang words back at Ruess in a chant-like manner. Much of the concert resembled an army screaming back and agreeing with every word said by their leader.

The band, which consists of Nate Ruess, Andrew Dost and Jack Antonoff, balanced the set with a fair share of songs from their latest album “Some Nights” and their previous LP, “Aim and Ignite.” The result of the combination worked out beautifully since the two albums carry a similar sound. Especially memorable was the moment when confetti shot from the stage during “At Least I’m Not as Sad (As I Used to Be).”

What made the show extraordinarily exciting was the way Ruess hit every note perfectly. The voice heard on album versions of fun.‘s music does not prepare the audience for his actual vocal range during a live performance. His mix of character and voice gave Ruess an eccentric stage presence that kept the crowd singing every lyric, laughing at every joke, and moving to every beat.

The concert utilized lighting effects that carried out perfectly throughout each song, including drastic changes that went with the beat of the music. The setlist also included a cover of The Rolling Stones’ “You Can’t Always Get What You Want.”

Fun. closed the concert with an encore that included “One Foot” and “Some Nights,” which ended with black and white balloons dropping onto the crowd from the ceiling. The effect first seemed very fitting for the moment, but as soon as the band left the stage and the lights turned on, fans began to pop them and the venue began to quickly clear out. Within a flick of a light switch, the ending effects transitioned from a beautiful ending to an incredible performance to weird and uncomfortable.

However, despite the chaotic atmosphere with the popping of the balloons, the show left fans chanting “fun” as they exited, something they all looked like they had while watching the performance.