April 3, 2014 - Fitz And The Tantrums welcome me to Oakland's Fox Theater

Thursday night, I had the opportunity to do a concert review of Los Angeles band Fitz And The Tantrums' show at the Fox Theater in Oakland. It was my first assignment (which was more of a request, really) for SF-based music blog Showbams.com. Now, between Showbams and Grimy Goods, I have concert coverage at my fingertips in SF, LA, and Vegas.

The marquee at the Fox Theater for the Fitz and The Tantrums gig. @MarkEOrtega

I had never seen a show at the Fox Theater in Oakland despite the high number of awesome acts that have played there. It is yet another awesome theater, though not on the level of the Orpheum, where I saw Noel Gallagher a few years back. It's also awesome because it is right off the 19th St. BART stop, making it easy for a public transportation troll like myself.

I was surprised at how well Fitz filled in the venue, which is a pretty good size. Openers Bad Suns and Nightmare And The Cat left an impression on me, definitely. I was unfortunately bookended by a way-too-PDA-happy-couple and a bald-overexcited-superfan, much to my dismay. Then there was this older couple where the female asked me in a douchey tone what tomorrow's weather was going to be as I took down notes on Fitz's set for my review. The husband with the Jew-fro kept throwing elbows at me accidentally and then had the gall to get in some lady's face for dancing too close to he and his lady. This was all three songs or so into Fitz's set, but luckily the lady said it was time to call it a night and the two left, to the applause and celebration of everyone around them.

Fitz are a must-see show if you get a chance, their energy is amazing. Go check out my review if you want to read more. I think this is the only concert in April I'm seeing that isn't on the Coachella bill, and I'm seeing seven or eight of them. Was definitely a good choice.

Afterwards, I met up with a friend of mine at a dive bar in downtown Pleasanton. She's a lesbian and it was highly enjoyable watching three guys take their swings, to which I told my other friend, "Don't they realize they lack the proper equipment here?" My friend shot back a nice comeback saying, "Well, two of the three of them actually have vaginas." I woke up with a hangover because I hate tequila, but luckily tomorrow's work didn't begin until the A's game at 7:05, which unfortunately wouldn't take place.