Wolves with lasers coming out of their eyes! Ferocious fangs everywhere! Men running around with swords! No, this is not the plot to some new action/horror movie. This was premise of the Too Fast for Love tour featuring Cobra Starship, 3oh!3, Travie McCoy and the Lazarus Project and I Fight Dragon. And yes, that photo above does brilliantly combine the 3oh!3 hands with the Cobra fangs. HOLLA!!!
Chicago’s I Fight Dragons had the most to prove opening for acts that had been part of the same music family for quite some time and playing for a crowd that hadn’t heard too much about them. Before the group even came out, video screens flashed old school gaming images. The band triumphantly emerged to music that even Zelda would have been jealous of and they jumped into a set filled with rock infused with NES sounds. The product was a set that matched the sound and energy of bands such as Motion City Soundtrack (although, MCS is untouchable when it comes to lyrical quality). I Fight Dragons’ drummer was celebrating his 21st at the show, so they took some time to call him out and give him a solo on the foot gaming-pad. To prove that they weren’t just playing games and really had jerry-rigged a Rockband guitar to play like a cross between a real guitar and a synthesizer, they free styled a fun jam before entering their final number.
I Fight Dragons:
Then the dynamic Travie McCoy and the Lazarus Project took to the stage. And no, ‘Travie’ is not a typo for those who know him better for his time fronting Gym Class Heroes as ‘Travis.’ I guess the ‘Travie’ moniker fits the style of his new act a little better. Think Gym Class, but more soulful and jazzy. Then, picture Travie in suspenders and bowties, but still with all the tattoos and piercings and you have the vibe of this new act. To be honest, Travie could be yodelling and he’d still be enjoyable to watch — he has some of the most spectacular facial expressions you could ever see on a performer. Plus, he’s witty: “Who likes to be supabad? Like Michael Cera Superbad? This one’s for you.”
When the debut Lazarus album drops, I doubt GCH fans will have anything negative to say.
Travie McCoy and the Lazarus Project Set List:
Intro
Dr. Feelgood
Critical
Bad by Myself
We’ll Be Alright
Supabad
Money/Billionaire
Can The Drummer Get Some?
Need You
As much as the misogynistic lyrics (I’m sure we’re all familiar with the “Shush girl, shut your lips; do the Helen Keller and talk with your hips,” by now.) and the overly cock-y attitudes might make you want to hate Colorado’s 3oh!3, they’re actually quite lovable. Seriously. I’m not joking. The come skipping out, throwing their own hand signs up and immediately get audiences jumping along with them. Whether you heard their songs or not, they’re easy to singalong with and so catchy, you’d find yourself doing that even if you didn’t want to sing. 3oh!3 are bringing out some of their new songs off their upcoming summer release, and since you don’t have suffer through Ke$sha, even those songs are fun, although, not quite as catchy as their older material. Plus, remember when I mentioned wolves with laser beams at the beginning? 3oh!3 has mother-fucking wolves with laser beams and if for some reason you don’t immediately spot them, they’ll point the critters out and sing plenty of tunes about them.
3oh!3:
3oh!3 Set list:
Beaumont
Starstrukk
Punkbitch
My First Kiss
I’m Not Your Boyfriend
Richman
House Party
Touchin on My
I Can’t Do It Alone
Colorado Sunshine
Chokechain
Don’t Dance
Don’t Trust Me
Cobra Starship admits that they’re ‘guilty pleasures,’ and if you were a fan of Midtown, you probably aren’t going to be too thrilled by Gabe Saporta‘s current project. However, if you love keytar, heavy dance beats and anything related to Samuel L. Jackson, then you might enjoy Cobra Starship. This is a group you do want to approach fresh with a relaxed attitude because as I said and will repeat: this is not Midtown. Why am I repeating? I think a lot of people kind of forget that and take it out on the band. Now, while I can see why the goofy lyrics or Gabe’s intense personality might be a turn off for some people; and stunts like this sour reaction in the video below to a kid flipping the band off might either make a person love or hate Cobra Starship, just remember. They came here to make you dance tonight. So seriously. Relax, enjoy the light show, toss your fangs up and just dance…or get off the dancefloor.
Cobra Starship (“Snakes on a Plane” preceded by Gabe reacting to a kid giving him the finger):
Cobra Starship Set List:
Intro/City
Smash It Up
Kiss My Sass
Kinda Guy
Summertime
Snakes
Paparazzi
Dancing
Hot Mess
Guilty Pleasure
//
Good Girls Go Bad
