Florence, The Lumineers, Cold War Kids, Silversun Pickups and more rocked Radio 104.5's birthday show
CAMDEN -- How big; 25,000-strong in Camden, who chanted the mammoth motivator "Shake It Out" as Florence Welch conducted from the stage.
How blue; a pale, translucent gown enveloped the celestial vocalist, and fluttered whenever she galloped, pirouetted or collapsed to all-fours -- as if the weight of leading her own magnificent rock numbers had become too much to bear.
How beautiful; a wholly captivating performance, bestowed exclusively for the rule of love and freedom -- complete with a timely stance of solidarity -- and anchored by an inspiring sonic showcase. One couldn't dream a more enchanting 90-minute set.
But when the indie titans' (talk about an oxymoron) namesake prefaced her title track, off 2015's acclaimed Florence and the Machine LP "How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful," she cohered the performance's timeless quality.
Welch asked politely for the BB&T Pavilion audience, some eight hours deep into Radio 104.5's all-day "Birthday Show" festival, to put its smartphones away for one song.
"Can we just remember this with our eyes and ears, and with each other?" she wondered.
And as Welch began the tune, a number written in homage to "falling in love, the kind of love that makes you fall in love with everyone," she said, no screens were lit.
In that moment, as the ethereal singer wailed beneath untamed, auburn waves, the performance could have been transplanted 40 years earlier and revered in the same way.
Welch and her 11-piece band played before a shimmering, silver backdrop -- with no oversized video screens or graphics -- and with phones to snap photos, the audience was forced to (gasp!) pay attention to the music itself.
Moreover, the popular Brits harness a sound seemingly unshackled to genre; nine years and three albums in, its blend of triumphant pop, rock and Welch's classically inspired explorations of romance and death have allowed the group an appeal to multiple generations.
Though a '70s audience might not have entirely embraced Welch's expression before the dance-pop jam "Spectrum," as she unfurled a rainbow flag to signify her support for the LGBT community, in the wake of last week's massacre in Orlando.
"We are shining, and we will never be afraid again," Welch sang and rose the pattern above her head. Deafening cheers rained as did tears from some fans.
Afterward, the 29-year-old urged: "the world needs your love, and from what I can see, you have so much to give."
Welch herself seemed to inject all of her being -- both a tremendous songstress and whimsical sort of character -- into Friday's performance. With grace, she thanked the crowd over and over for visiting her How Beautiful Tour's penultimate date (her band has traveled the past two months), and with those rarified chops she unceasingly commanded the crowd -- howls on throwback "Rabbit Heart (Raise It Up)" and the "How Big" lead single "Ship To Wreck" exploded across the lawn.
EARLIER BANDS
This festival was a full day and night of rock-centric music, featuring 10 other bands. Here are a few highlights.
- The Lumineers won't blow any minds with their orchestral convolutions, but the fluidity of the Colorado folk-rock group's live performance was something to behold. The band of as many as seven constantly repositioned itself throughout the hour-long set, to play small percussion kits or plink a few extra piano keys. Even the striding dance moves from lanky singer Wesley Schultz, originally of Ramsey, flowed smoothly.
The Lumineers perform at Radio 104.5 Birthday Bash at the BB&T Pavilion in Camden, NJ 6/17/16 (Alex Remnick | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com) Though the set still enjoyed its show-stoppers. Midday through "Big Parade" the whole band froze in time, as a Broadway production might to allow a soliloquy. After a few moments of deafening cheers, each member returned to his or her instrument and the tune concluded beautifully on a full head of steam. Added kudos to Schultz for:
1. Singing new tracks "Ophelia" and "Sleep on the Floor" to precise album quality.
2. To manage the tongue-tangling verses of Bob Dylan's "Subterranean Homesick Blues" while he jogged around the amphitheater, high-fiveing fans without missing a syllable.
- Cold War Kids' studio work does no justice to Nathan Willet's formidable pipes. The frenetic singer's propulsive shouts leapt from the PA and perpetuated what was a terrifically energetic set. And ten years later, the pulsating "Hang Me Out To Dry" remains a killer alt-rock jam.
The Lumineers perform at Radio 104.5 Birthday Bash at the BB&T Pavilion in Camden, NJ 6/17/16 (Alex Remnick | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com) - You have to respect any band where the lead singer is also the lone guitarist, and Brian Aubert, of California's dreamy rock stalwart Silversun Pickups, pulled skillful double duty. The jam-and-wail combo was tops on the band's best-known "Lazy Eye," and the vocal dynamic between him and female bassist Nikki Monninger was sharp.
- Is there a band more indifferent to their greatest hit than Violent Femmes and its jangly jam "Blister in the Sun"? They played it first -- ostensibly to get it out of the way --and the set didn't begin in earnest until the classic was listlessly finished off. Embrace the singalong, you guys!
Bobby Olivier may be reached at bolivier@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @BobbyOlivier. Find NJ.com on Facebook.