It was not too long ago that Adam Young, better known as Owl City, was just a guy making music in his parents’ basement late at night. His performance at the Daughters of the American Revolution Constitution Hall last Thursday did nothing but exemplify this fact and proved that his past is all too recent.
In an approximately hour long set, Young played under 20 songs and did little else. A sold-out venue filled with pre-teens and their parents, young couples on dates and diehard fans, Owl City had a captive audience and wasted it.
Everything about this show screamed mediocre the minute Owl City took the stage. From the childish light show to the overused synthesizer, there was nothing that this show had that a 12-year-old fan couldn’t get listening to the CD in the comfort of his or her own room.
The main problem was Young as a performer. The guy couldn’t stand still; he was in constant motion, whether that meant flapping his arms in an attempt to fly like an owl or simply twitching around the stage. It appeared that the Owl City front man was doing what he thought he should be doing, rather than what comes naturally. This left him looking somewhat like a drug addict jonesing for his next fix.
Young’s only real interaction with the audience was when he attempted a lame D.C. joke.
“I put the president on the guest list,” Young said. “So if he’s here … ‘sup?”
His inability to fill a room with his presence left the audience unsure of what to do, leaving most people simply standing listlessly watching as Owl City performed. Even the solo artist’s big hit, “Fireflies,” failed to engage a large portion of the attendees.
Despite the overall failure of the concert, there were entertaining moments. When Young picked up the acoustic guitar, his music was given more life and personality than when it is weighed down with layers of computer-generated noise. His band, which featured six performers, was also a highlight, especially the two young women on string instruments.
All in all, it was a night that did not disappoint true fans, but did not entertain anyone else.
Opening act LIGHTS did succeed in wooing the crowd, filling the theater with her voice (which sounds far less little girlish live than it does on her record). With her epic, side-swooped hair, she commanded the troops, fist pumping as she ordered the crowd to “pretend it’s a school assembly” and stand.
Paper Route also took the stage before Owl City, but proved to be nothing special. Their lack of stage presence fit in perfectly with the headlining act.
You can reach this staff writer at mhollander@theeagleonline.com.
