The Struts Return to The Beacham Theater
In Orlando, Florida 9-3-2021
Central Florida’s afternoon summer showers extended into early evening. The falling precipitation didn’t dampen the spirits of the crowd waiting in line to enter The Beacham Theater in downtown Orlando, Florida. The crowd was there to see the return of The Struts to Orlando this Friday evening. The Beacham Theater is a historic building in downtown. Originally, it was a movie theater built in 1921 which hosted silent movies. This night, September 3, 2021, the crowd was younger and rowdier than when the site used to host such acts as W.C. Fields and John Philip Sousa. The Struts came to town and were greeted by their adoring fans, know as Strutters!
Sharing the stage was The Starbenders from Atlanta, Georgia. The Starbenders are currently touring in support of their latest album released in 2020, “Love Potions”. The Starbenders have self labeled themselves as “Glitter Punk Rock & Roll“. But, they actually reminded me of more of a grunge/punk rock and roll band with hard hitting guitars and strong vocals and not a lot of glitter. Well, actually no glitter at all which was fine by me. The Starbenders hit the stage at around 6:30pm. Only half the crowd had wandered inside the venue as the doors only opened at 6:00pm. I didn’t even have may camera out of the bag as I rushed to the photo pit. Kimi Shelter started the show with “Hangin’ On Tonight” off the “Love Potions” album. The set consisted of five songs from “Love Potions” and two songs, “Death by Amplifier ” and “Never Lie 2 Me ” from their 2019 release “Japanese Rooms”.
The entire band was captivating, and their short set had the audience yearning for more. This band has all the components and are clicking on all cylinders; good lyric content, a great vocalist to deliver the songs, and a tight band that just beats you with hard core rock and roll. What’s not to like? They are now on my radar, and I will be looking for them when they come back to Central Florida!
The Starbenders:
Kimi Shelter – Vocals/Guitar
Chris Tokaji – Guitar/Vocals
Aaron Lecesne – Bass
Emily Moon – Drums
Setlist:
After a brief delay, as the stage went through the band change over, and at approximately 7:30pm the lights dimmed and the crowd vocally exploded. In a haze of blue light, Gethan Davies suddenly appeared standing behind his drum kit, raising his arms to get the Strutters into an even louder frenzy! Adam Slack and Jed Elliot came to center stage facing one another just below Davies’ elevated drum platform while playing a musical introduction. Luke Spiller then entered stage right waving to a crowd which had now come totally unglued. Moving to the microphone he started singing “Primadonna Like Me”, the second track off the album “Young and Dangerous”. The album release was in 2018 and soared to the number seven spot on the Billboard Top Alternative Albums chart.
The lyrics of “Primadonna Like Me” got the capacity crowd absolutely mental (British interpretation). They sang along with Spiller as he danced and egged them on from the front edge of the stage. The perfect opening song from the band’s arsenal to set the tempo and kick off the show! The entire place was rocking all the way up to the balcony. In the back of my head I questioned if this 100-year-old building could withstand this incredible energy without crumbling to the ground.
Lyrics by the Struts:
Do you wanna?
Do-do you wanna, feel primadonna like me tonight?
Do you wanna?
Oh, don’t you wanna, be a primadonna with me tonight?
Come on, bring it on
Don’t you know it’s all about me tonight?
So come on, try it on
Feel primadonna with me tonight
Oh, I can feel it in my bones!
You can be a primadonna!
A primadonna like me!
As the night and the show went on, Luke engaged with the crowd and involved them more than any band in recent memory. One would have to go back as far as the 1970’s and Mick Jagger of The Rolling Stones to see a front man that connected to the audience on this level. There was a genuine love affair going on between Luke Spiller and the Strutters! I do remember the last time I saw The Struts live there was a bit more fan interaction as they even invited an attendee to come on stage and sing. But in light of the pandemic, and to be fair, I don’t think I would haul a stranger out of the audience and bring them on stage either.
The band played 13 songs and two encores. The first encore, “Strange Days”, started with Luke alone on stage at the piano. As the song progressed, the band joined him to finish the song. It’s a great song, but the highlight of the show was definitely the start of the show.
The love for this band by it’s fans, just spilled from the audience and rolled onto the stage like a tidal wave. I will always remember that moment as my adrenaline spiked, and in the back of my mind I questioned the durability of the structure.
The Struts:
Luke Spiller – Vocals/Piano
Adam Slack – Guitar/Vocals
Jed Elliot – Bass/Vocals
Gethan Davies – Drums
Setlist:
Encore:
Follow The Struts Online:
Follow The Starbenders Online:
Photographer and Editor/Founder of AllMusicMagazine.com. My love of live music has taken me to incredible experiences with the top bands of all time in stadium shows to the smallest venues with equally inspiring musicians. Using the medium of photography and my publication, these memories will last forever.
