Young the Giant, Milky Chance, and Talk had Detroit jumping all night!

Sometimes it can feel like the early crowd is just there for the main act, but with a group like Talk, those
that came early were in for a real treat. Frontman Nicholas Durocher hit the stage decked out in tie-dyed
Dickies overalls and a pair of matching Crocs while the rest of the bandmates wore matching blue
jumpsuits. You knew you were in for something special. At one point between songs Nicholas mentions
that he likes to see how far he can kick his Crocs into the audience and without hesitation heaves both of
them deep into the seats before proclaiming, “Hey, I’m going to need those back up at the stage. I wear
a size 17, those aren’t easy to find!” which led to a solid laugh from the audience. Talk’s set came to a
close with 2 final songs. The first was the group’s biggest hit, “Run Away to Mars,” which has found its
way onto the SiriusXM satellite waves this year. A surprise rendition of “Rock Got No Reason” from
the 2003 film School of Rock which was something everyone in the crowd, old and young, was happy to
sing along with.

Milky Chance picked up right where Talk left off with the sun starting to set at stage right, something
that made for a gorgeous blend of light and smoke, something almost magical. That is a good thing
considering their signature sound that blends super chill pop with a bit of folk and reggae mixed with
electronica which was going to take us to another place. The German rockers are stateside to promote the June 9 release of their latest album, Living in a Haze and you could tell they were excited to share the
new tunes. Every member of the group was moving and grooving on stage as they played through songs
that everyone sang along with like “Cocoon,” “Down by the River,” “Flashed Junk Mind,” “Stolen
Dance,” and of course, “Colorado.” The energy was still electric as their set ended leaving the crowd
buzzing on an unusually cool but humid evening in metro Detroit.

Young the Giant took the stage after a short video started off what would be the first of four live acts in
the way that last fall’s album release American Bollywood was also meant to be consumed in parts by
way of EP’s. The four acts being Origins, Exile, Battle, and Denouement with each act’s video taking the
crowd on a thought-provoking journey that is much better witnessed live than described. “American
Bollywood” was the first track of the set, a song about lead singer Sameer Gadhia’s family struggles
coming from India to the States and growing up under immense pressure to be a perfect man.

Moments later “Something to Believe In” brought the full rush of the crowd’s energy to the stage.
Everyone was jumping and it did not let up as the group moved right into the classic “Cough
Syrup.” Sameer took a moment to talk to the crowd about how he was born just an hour away in Ann
Arbor, a fun fact that I’m not sure too many people knew. The phenomenal lighting setup and beautiful
faux flowers accented the giant disco ball hanging above as Young the Giant played hit after hit in songs
like “Nothing’s Over,” “Dollar $tore,” “Heat of the Summer,” and “Mind Over Matter.”

As the four acts came to a close there was absolutely a grand finale in store. The entire
amphitheatre was jumping for two hours straight, calves were bound to be dead the next day, but
“Silvertongue” seemed to have brought on a second wind. It was a sea of heads and arms up and the
crowd from the lawn looked to be one giant wave. This continued on as the final song of the evening
was “My Body,” another undeniable crowd-pleaser. Young the Giant is always a high-energy, make-you-get-up-and-move kind of show and this tour is no exception. US dates are scheduled into early
September before they head overseas to the UK and beyond.

Who: Young the Giant [ Web | Instagram ]

Milky Chance [ Web | Instagram ]

Talk [ Web | Instagram ]

Where: Michigan Lottery Amphitheatre, Sterling Heights, MI

When: June 16, 2023

Photos and article by David Painter [ Web | Instagram | Twitter | Facebook ]

Did you attend this tour? Comment below.