I walked into Stubb’s with the strange realization that for the first time in my life I was going to see a concert by the band with the current #1 single in the nation – I don’t frequent too many Lady Gaga or Katy Perry shows. But I’m not ashamed to admit that “We Are Young” is a guilty pleasure of mine, and I was excited to see former The Format frontman Nate Ruess break it out in concert.
Of course, that song wouldn’t come until the end of fun.’s set, and the restless crowd at Stubb’s had to sit through a full slate of subpar emo pop to get to it. As the show wore on – and my tired feet got harder to ignore – I was struck with a tinge of disillusionment, wondering whether the band’s headlining spot was well-deserved. Just as I was beginning to convince myself they hadn’t “earned it,” though, fun. broke out their hit. The song didn’t completely save the generally lackluster set, but the chorus of “We Are Young,” sung by Ruess and a thousand other youthful voices, struck a chord in the midst of SXSW’s madness. By the time the set closed, I felt like falling down, and the echoes of that chorus helped carry me home.
