It was a night of Bay Area music at San Francisco’s Brick & Mortar Music Hall on Saturday, May 23, as Finish Ticket put on a secret show as “Squirtle Pond” in front of a sold-out crowd of their biggest fans.
The night kicked off with newcomers The Headlands. For a young band that hasn’t played many shows, they were quite impressive. From the music to their stage presence, I found The Headlands to be solid. I hope to hear more from them in the future.
Next up was indie pop singer FRANKIE, who kept the room abuzz with her energetic set. The crowd sang along to her popular single, “Problems Problems,” as well as her boppin’ cover of the Jackson Five’s “I Want You Back.”
As the lights dimmed once again, elated screams greeted Finish Ticket’s Brendan Hoye (lead vocals), Alex DiDonato (guitar), Michael Hoye (bass), Gabe Stein (drums), Nick Stein (keys) and Crim Nguyen (guitar) as they hit the stage to the Pokémon theme song. Following a brief hello to the crowd, the band quickly set the tone for the rest of the evening, as they launched into “Doctor” off their 2013 release Tears You Apart. They followed up with “In The Summer” and the crowd enthusiastically danced and sang along.
The band’s set mostly featured songs from Tears You Apart, including “Lying Through Our Teeth,” “Catch You On My Way Out,” “Pockets” and “Tranquilize.” Additionally, the raucous crowd treated was treated to two new songs.
For a band claiming that they needed to “shake off the rust,” there was a genuine sense of passion and exuberance throughout Finish Ticket’s set. Whether they were performing one of their own songs or tackling The Darkness’ “I Believe in a Thing Called Love” or The Killers’ “When You Were Young,” they always looked like they were having a great time and fed off the seemingly never-ending supply of energy from the crowd.
One of best moments of the night was during the fan favorite “Bring The Rain.” Not even the intensity of the song could keep smiles off of the band’s faces as the crowd sang along. Interactions between a band and their fans is really kind of what experiencing live music is all about and Finish Ticket completely embodied that vibe at Brick & Mortar Music Hall.
Check out finishticket.com more info and the band’s upcoming tour dates.
Wait...WHAT? 