Pop Break Live: Fitz and The Tantrums “Let Yourself Be Free” Tour with Sammy Rash at The Belasco in Los Angeles, California
If there’s one thing you need to know about Fitz and the Tantrums, it’s that they really know how to dance. The neo-soul, indie pop group from Los Angeles returned to their hometown for a high-energy Friday night show that proved how much people in the City of Angels love to party. Featuring up-and-coming performer Sammy Rash as the breakout opening act, the show gave way to a celebration of sound, joy, and people coming together for a good time.
Before Fitz hit the stage, 20-year-old TikTok star Sammy Rash – playing only his sixth live show ever – was hoping to present his lo-fi, bedroom-chill-pop songs to an attentive audience; what he didn’t realize was that more than half the crowd not only knew who he was, but sang along with practically every one of his songs. The Tantrums fanbase turned out to be the perfect group of people to connect with Rash’s understated but deeply addictive pop songs about young love that Rash wrote and produced in his own bedroom. The diverse audience – made up of everyone from preteens to a few older fans who’ve attended upwards of 50 Tantrums shows – were open-hearted and generous to the rising star who will certainly have more success in the coming years.
Before the energy in the room could remotely dissipate, Fitz and the Tantrums took the stage to “Sway,” one of their more recent singles that perfectly captures everything the band does best. The song is featured on the November 2022 release Let Yourself Free, and set the bar very high for the rest of the show. Even though this stop at the Belasco is an early date in their 17-city tour across the United States, the band was lockstep and matched each other’s usual fiery energy to a T. Co-lead singers Michael Fitzpatrick and Noelle Scaggs always seem to have an unspoken chemistry onstage that has only strengthened since the inception of the band in 2010. A little more than a decade later, the way they play off each other during the exquisitely catchy “123456” and harder, beat-driven “Complicated” proves how much this band has to offer.
Another moment that illustrated how far Fitz and the Tantrums have come in their musical journey happened five or six songs into the set just before the band played their first smash hit, “Out of My League.” Scaggs spoke passionately about the joy of playing the track to a hometown crowd – the track that really catapulted them on the radio, onto major festival billings, and into venues around the world. As monumental as the song was to their career, it’s notable how many hits and even bigger tracks the band has had since then – like “The Walker” and “Handclap” just to name a few.
While the night’s setlist heavily featured Fitz’ two most recent records, the crowd welcomed every new song with the cheers that most artists dream of. The energy and dancing remained high even after an hour into the set. Newer tracks “Moneymaker” – which feels impossible to not dance to – as well as “Let Yourself Free” were notable standouts. When the most obviously Motown-inspired throwback “MoneyGrabber” opened the encore, it felt like every inch of the Belasco Theatre was vibrating, confirming this was the best dance party in town.
For anyone who’s only heard Fitz and the Tantrums’ records but never took the leap to see them live, it’s fair to say they’re not experiencing the band as wholly and fully as they should. With only some beats, general percussion, and the occasional saxophone, the Tantrums have developed a full and powerful sound that manages to feel even bigger and transformative when played live. Run, don’t walk, to catch Fitz and the Tantrums at their next live show.
