Bleachers and Wild Club take Soundstage

The Baltimore Soundstage and an enthusiastic audience of a few hundred young adults welcomed Bleachers and opening band Wild Cub on Saturday, Nov. 22.

The night began with Wild Cub, an indie-pop band composed of singer Keegan DeWitt, percussionist Jeremy Bullock, drummer Dabney Morris, bassist Harry West and keyboardist Eric Wilson. As a very percussion-heavy band, Wild Cub really epitomized the title of their hit single, “Thunder Clatter.”

Once the thunder died down and Wild Cub fled backstage, the crowd grew restless waiting for Bleachers. In addition to prominent singer and guitarist Jack Antonoff, the band includes a bassist, saxophone player and two drummers on full drum kits.

Antonoff, who formerly belonged to the bands Steel Train and Fun, began writing songs for his first Bleachers album Strange Desire while on tour with Fun. The first single from the album I Wanna Get Better was released on Feb. 18 of this year.

Finally, Antonoff and his band took the stage, eliciting screams from the very young and mostly female audience. He appeared wearing a shirt that read “If u go to jail u still have to eat dinner” as homage to an obscure joke known only to the most inner circle of Fun fans. Antonoff performed with energy and confidence, as excited to sing as the audience was to see him.

Since the band’s album only has 11 songs, Antonoff filled the time with covers of classic rock songs that inspired him. He noted that he likes to cover songs that have to do with the city, so he sang “Good Morning Baltimore” from the Baltimore-based musical, Hairspray.

Even in such a small venue, Antonoff is very much a rock star. He swung his guitar around with bold gestures, and every time he neared the edge of the stage, the entire front row extended their hands in the hopes that he would give them a high-five. And he did — at one point he leaned over the audience, grabbing outstretched arms to support himself, still singing all the while. Antonoff tries to connect with his fans beyond simply playing for them.

At the very end of the show, confetti fell from the ceiling, raining down on fans packed close together, united by their love for Bleachers. Antonoff’s sound, while new and different, is still reminiscent of rock songs of the 1980s in the songs’ sentiments and that they bring people of different backgrounds together.