Fitz and the Tantrums brought down the sold-out house at the 9:30 club Nov. 13 with a unique blend of pop, rock, funk and soul.
The soulful sextet hailing from Los Angeles came onstage to screams from the crowd and launched straight into the opening power chords of “Don’t Gotta Work It Out.”
The saxophone, drums, bass, tambourine and irreplaceable organ built a wall of sound that shook the actual walls of the club. The infectious soul sound was inescapable, but, then again, no one was running away.
Frontman Michael Fitzpatrick had charisma to spare, and he certainly knew how to work the room with his presence filling the small club. On hits like “Pickin’ Up The Pieces” and “Rich Girls,” Fitzpatrick launched from one side of the stage to another in seconds, dancing the whole way.
The best dancer on stage was vocalist Noelle Scaggs, the lone girl in the band. She clapped, snapped, jumped and twisted throughout each song, all while singing and shaking a tambourine, setting herself apart.
Scaggs and Fitzgerald were stationed on separate sides of the stage, but managed to meet in the middle each time, flirtatiously dancing together to the loud approval of the audience. Their voices were made for each other, simultaneously sultry and powerful.
The band frequently took time in between songs to thank the audience, reminding them that D.C. was directly responsible for their recent popularity. Scaggs got emotional at one point, tearing up as she thanked everyone for giving Fitz and The Tantrums the ability to experience as much as they had.
Fitzpatrick and Scaggs, as well as the four backing band members, have created a sound that is both authentic and original. Each song could have been recorded in 1969 or 2009.
Even the instruments were vintage. When they performed “Dear Mr. President,” a defiant anthem of the working class, the commanding beat and indignant lyrics encouraged comparisons to the protest songs of the 1960s.
The club was filled to capacity with Fitz fans, so each song was greeted with deafening cheers.
Fitzpatrick took advantage of the crowd’s obvious familiarity with the band’s catalogue by introducing call and response sections and sing-alongs into some of their hit songs. “L.O.V.” and “Breakin’ the Chains of Love” got the whole room dancing, clapping and singing along.
The band played a couple of interesting covers, namely The Raconteurs’ “Steady As She Goes” and Eurythmics’ “Sweet Dreams,” both of which fit the band’s signature soul groove perfectly.
“Lovesick Man,” the newest song from Fitz and The Tantrums, went over in a big way with the sea of people packed into the venue. It’s currently unavailable as a studio recording, but is gaining popularity as the band works it into their live shows.
It seemed as if the group finished the night with “News 4 U”, an in-your-face declaration of independence, but after about five straight minutes of applause, along with a solid chant of “Fitz! Fitz! Fitz!” the band returned for an energetic encore.
Their biggest hit, “MoneyGrabber,” had been conspicuously absent from the performance, but as the final song of the night, they put everything they had into the retro jam.
