REVIEW: A Night of Neon with iDKHow and Young Rising Sons at Empire Live

Apr 19

04/12 @ Empire Live, Albany

“The audience at Empire Live became a part of the performance, not just observers.”

Unlike the claim in I Don’t Know How But They Found Me’s (iDKHow) tongue-in-cheek song “Nobody Likes the Opening Band,” Empire Live was more than excited to see Young Rising Sons. The group, fronted by Andy Tongren on vocals and guitar, came on stage with an energy that reminded me of mid-summer sets at 2010s Warped Tour. Powering through a tight set that included well known tracks like “High” and “Sad (Clap Your Hands).” Young Rising Sons were a fun, solid opener for iDKHow, bringing a little more of a pop rock vibe to the room ahead of iDKHow’s more electric headlining set. I hadn’t known much about Young Rising Sons before I saw their performance, but I am sure to check them out again now that I know how fun their songs can be.

Despite having seen iDKHow before, I was still pleasantly unprepared for how fun and interesting their performance at Empire Live proved to be. Albany was the second of seven headlining shows in what was branded a “tour within a tour.” The crowd was quietly buzzing when the blue and purple stage lights suddenly went out and the whole venue went dark. The members of iDKHow came onto the stage under the cover of darkness, tossing their instruments on before diving straight into “Leave Me Alone.” Band founder Dallon Weekes, doubling as their singer and bassist, held control of the crowd the entire set, causing the cheers of attendees with just a raise of his arms. The band played songs from both albums, Razzmatazz and GLOOM DIVISION, and their debut EP 1981 Extended Play. The setlist was a treat for both long-term fans and those only familiar with the more popular tracks.

iDKHow are an incredibly tight live band, fitting into their backing tracks so well it was hard to tell they even needed the tracks. Weekes poked fun at the backing tracks multiple times, saying that attendees should buy a t-shirt before leaving so they could afford to bring a “real saxophone” on tour and no longer have an invisible synth player. Despite this alleged “set back,” iDKHow put on a show that won’t be easily forgotten. Weekes continued to brandish the ring-leader energy as he occasionally pressed his bass pick, printed with a “third eye” on the back, to the middle of his forehead, creating yet another way to watch the crowd.

One of the highlights of the set was during “The Visitation of the Ghost” when Weekes split the crowd in half, gesturing down the middle for everyone to clear an aisle. Once he had the space, Weekes jumped down off the stage and over the barricade to run down the aisle brandishing an iDKHow-branded megaphone. The audience at Empire Live became a part of the performance, not just observers. This performance piece is part of why iDKHow sets are so addictive and magnetic. Weekes, and the rest of the band, put on a show that highlights the group’s impressive discography while simultaneously creating a memorable performance.

Overall, iDKHow and Young Rising Sons gracing the stage at Empire Live was a treat. I’ve been a fan of the band since the original EP debuted, so I was excited to see them in one of the cities I love. I just hope that iDKHow had as good a time as I did and will be returning to the Capital Region soon.

Find I Don’t Know How But They Found Me on Instagram at @idkhow and idkhow.com. Find Young Rising Sons on Instagram at @youngrisingsons and youngrisingsons.net. Follow Empire Live for more upcoming events on Instagram at @empirelivealbany and at empirelivealbany.com.