Concert Review: Switchfoot at The Pageant

Tuesday night, Switchfoot brought their Native Tongue tour to The Pageant to a highly enthusiastic audience. The show kicked off with acoustic opener Tyson Motsenbocker, a California native who brought a charming aspect to the stage as he bounced a couple jokes back and forth off the audience, and even weaving some comedy into his songs. Being a different style of music than the other two performing bands, he still seemed like he belonged on the tour. After Motsenbocker’s set, Colony House took the stage, amping the audience up for the headliner’s anticipated performance. Colony House, from Nashville (Franklin, Tennessee to be more specific,) seemed to have a big following in the St. Louis area, this being the 5TH time they’ve performed at The Pageant.

​Before Switchfoot came out, Motsenbocker took the stage once more to speak to the audience about a cause all three performers were quite invested in, being the “Food for the Hungry” campaign. Having a video accompaniment of Switchfoot’s travels to other countries and featuring children that they sponsor, the video and speech urged audience members to make a difference and visit one of the two booths set up at the location that evening to learn more about how they too can help sponsor a child and donate to the cause.

​And at 9 PM, Switchfoot came out to an already rowdy crowd. They started the show off with a hit off their latest album, “Let It Happen,” going right into the crowd favorited “Meant to Live.” (Which by the way, seeing performed live is such a different experience. The song is truly phenomenal and is only enhanced when being performed twenty feet in front of you.) Lead singer and guitarist Jon Foreman really embraced the crowd, coming down into the pit and walking along the ledge surrounding the pit, being supported by fans and hands as he circled the crowd interacting with everyone. The band then continued with hits such as “Voices,” “Dark Horses,” and “If the House Burns Down Tonight.”

​Midway through the show however, Foreman decided to stray for the setlist – as he reminded the crowd that setlists were meant to be broken. He then went off stage and was joined by fellow bandmembers on a little platform out in the middle of the venue, taking signs from the crowd and reading the songs listed on them, creating a medley of requested crowd favorites. The medley consisted of “Chem 6A,” Twenty-Four,” “The Shadow Proves the Sunshine” and “All I Need.” The medley was performed smack-dab in the middle of the audience, creating a powerful and emotional moment between the band and the audience that was truly amazing to witness. To say that Switchfoot has an incredible relationship with their fans would be an immense understatement.

​After again reminding the crowd the purpose of the tour, that our (the collective) native tongue is Love, the band then continued to vibe with the audience and stray from their setlist playing hits like “Float,” which was accompanied by bubbles being spread around the pit and anthem, “Prodigal Soul.” Switchfoot was gladly welcomed back to the stage, joined by Colony House and Tyson Motsenbocker once more, to go out with a bang and an exciting encore consisting of the self-titled song “Native Tongue,” with a snippet of “Hope is the Anthem,” and finally closing the show out with a powerful performance of “Where I Belong.” I had yet to see Switchfoot perform live over the two decades that they have been making music, but I can say, it was one of the most amazing live performances I have ever witnessed. The musicality was incredible, the interaction with the audience was astounding and their energy was just amazing. T​his is definitely a band that I recommend everybody see live at least once in their life.