City and Colour performed 'Thirst' off its new album, "The Hurry and The Harm." The band played at The Marquee in Tempe, along with Australian band The Paper Kites. (Photo by Kelly Kleber)City and Colour treated fans to an enchanting evening at the Marquee Theatre on Friday as Dallas Green brought his band of talented musicians to Tempe for a lengthy concert that packed the local venue.
Australian openers, The Paper Kites were the perfect introduction to the night. Lead singer Sam Bentley led the folk/indie quintet through a mellow set list of songs from the group's recently released debut album, as well as tracks from their previous EP's.
The band delighted the crowd as every member chimed in with amazing harmonies. Co-vocalist Christina Lacy charmed fans with her airy vocals, leading several songs in the band's set.
Starting his set with “Of Space and Time” from his new album, “The Hurry And The Harm,” it was immediately clear that fans were in for a very special night.
City and Colour balanced the low key atmosphere that the music provided with an incredibly colorful light show that perfectly highlighted each member.
Green played through a mix of old and new songs, including “The Grand Optimist” and “As Much as I Ever Could” to the delight of the audience. Green’s vocal range, backed by the perfectly supporting talent of his band, impressed the crowd as they continued to sing every word to the songs.
The Marquee was nearly full, but the enthusiastic crowd did not become pushy, instead opting to merely sway and enjoy the evening.
The highlight moment came early on in the set when Green asked fans to pull out their cell phones, raise them high and then put them in their back pockets for the next song, saying that he didn’t want people to spend so much time trying to make sure they remembered the show that they forget to experience it.
Green also led the audience in several sing-along moments during the evening to songs such as “What Makes a Man?” and “Comin’ Home.” The fans responded well, filling the theater with their voices to accompany Green and his acoustic guitar.
After a lengthy set, Green and the band left the stage, only to be brought back for a three song encore that included crowd favorite, “Sometimes.” The band’s interlude of obscene language brought laughter and loud singing to close out the night.
Overall, the evening was as magical as fans had come to expect, and even attracted celebrities like Frankie Muniz out for the show.
Reach the reporter at okhiel@asu.edu
