Rock The Ruins is an annual series of concerts located at Holliday Park in Indianapolis, Indiana. The multiple events are spread throughout the summer season, and the line-ups consist of some pretty awesome artists. On Friday, July 21st, Pop icons Fitz and The Tantrums and Andy Grammer took their turns gracing The Ruins.
Fitz and The Tantrums took the stage first, setting the absolutely perfect mood for the evening. The group was founded by Michael Fitzpatrick in 2008 and slowly came to be after he was joined by colleague and saxophonist James King, who brought with him more talented musicians. Vocalist Noelle Scaggs, Bassist Joseph Karnes, and Keyboardist Jeremy Ruzumna joined shortly after, resulting in the quintuple clicking immediately.
The energy that the band brought for every single second of their set was addictive, and each member of the sold-out crowd, including myself, couldn’t help but match every ounce of it. Opening with songs such as "Sway", "Good Intentions", and "123456", each and every person in the park was up on their feet, dancing their hearts out.
Noelle then proceeded to announce that it was time for them to play their first number-one single. Screams erupted immediately as the instrumental intro to "Out Of My League" began, and the volume of everyone knowing the words was astronomical. The song is very nostalgic for me, and it was insane to get to hear it live.
As their time on stage came to an end, the band couldn’t leave until they were able to bring out a cookie cake in honor of Michael’s 50th birthday. The joy on his face as the entire venue sang him happy birthday is indescribable. Everyone was left with a comfy feeling in their hearts as the group exited the stage.
I highly recommend you purchase tickets to any of the remaining dates on Fitz and The Tantrum’s Let Yourself Free Tour. The dates are available below.
Next, the other half of the co-headliner, Andy Grammer, brought his act to The Ruins. After signing to S-Curve Records in 2010, Andy’s debut video won MTV’s "O Music Award" for most innovative music video. He has since debuted on the Billboard Top 100 at #94, and the sales of his freshman album earned him #1 on the Billboard Heatseekers Albums Chart.
Andy had a really neat stage setup, allowing him to enter via a door in the center of the stage. He began with his most recent hit single, "Love Is The New Money", which has accumulated almost 1 Million streams since its release in May. This might just be, and I say this in the best way possible, the most wholesome show I have ever attended. The happiness radiating in waves off of the families in the crowd warmed my heart so much.
If you’re looking for a family-friendly, energy-packed night, you can purchase tickets to one of the remaining dates on the Love Is The New Money Tour, which are listed below.
