“i must address the spider in the room with human limbs n eyes of doom …. The suspense is terrible, i hope itll [sic] last xLIVE YOUNG xxxxxxxxx DIE FAST x”
Handwritten on a torn white cloth, these words were carefully safety-pinned to Yungblud’s shirt that he wore during his Friday, July 21stop at Saint Louis Music Park near the end of his 2023 Yungblud: The World Tour concert. A sea of screaming fans, mostly in their late teens/early 20s crescendoed to new heights at the outdoor venue when the lights went down and Dominic Harrison’s, aka Yungblud, larger-than-life shadow appeared behind a screen at the beginning of his set. At first, he appeared with small horns on his head, and then giant wings unfolded. Is he a little devilish? Or all angelic? Like most, he’s probably a little bit of both. For the next 90 minutes, the adoring fans lapped up every move, every glance, every wide smile, every word spoken, and every note played and sung,
The span of Yungblud’s repertoire includes the themes of anti-establishment as well as feelings of being alone but also those of acceptance and self-love. He basically wears his heart on his sleeve through his lyrics that are put to, for the most part, high energy, pop punk rock. He also does his best to ensure the individuals at his concerts feel welcome and safe.
The night kicked off with two songs from his 2022 album Yungblud, “The Funeral” and “Tissues” performed early on. About halfway through, Yungblud pulled a fan on stage for a screaming contest between the fan and the crowd. When it was finished, the fan picked “California,” which encompasses more of a toasting style than other songs for the next performance.
The encore included his melodic, spoken word “Lowlife,” and the harder, faster anthem “Loner.”
We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again, the soon-to-be 26-year-old South Yorkshire, England native, has skyrocketed since his 2018 Van’s Warped Tour shows and from the looks of it, he’s not slowing down any time soon.
The Regrettes, another young band that’s been touring since 2015 had the middle slot of the night and put on a fun, fast 30-minute set of their power pop punk style. Yungblud fans were also tuned into The Regrettes singing choruses right along with the band. Vocalist Lydia Night, donning an all-white long-sleeved button-down (thankfully the weather was temperate), told the crowd they “love playing in St. Louis.” And, “ from my memory, St. Louis likes to mosh.” In which she encouraged the crowd to form a mosh pit in the middle. From our vantage point, it never took off, but maybe it did.
Part way through their too-short set (they have so much material) Night’s younger sibling came on stage and, thanks to her encouragement and cooperation of fans, crowd surfed to the flowing, poppy “Barely On My Mind.”
Games We Play opened the night with a fast-paced, energetic, charming solid half-hour of some punchy guitar-riff-laden punk-pop sounds in the vein of Sum 41 or Blink 182. With jumps and jokes, frontman Emmyn Calleiro had the growing crowd eating out of the palm of his hand by the end of their half-hour set that included “I Hope You’re Happy.” In between songs, Callerio asked the crowd “Do you like my jorts?” He also shared about his crush on Billie Eilish and how someday “it will happen.” Oh, and they’ll be performing again soon in St. Louis on November 14, 2023, at Old Rock House.
As all good things must end, the sweaty, sated fans’ screams faded into the blackness of the night after seeing their little bit of devil and angelic idol up close and personal. Until next time, “You know what I mean yeah?”
See ALL the photos from the night here: https://bit.ly/YungBlud23cz
Yungblud setlist
Regrettes setlist
Games We Play setlist
In my work life, I help nonprofits and small businesses with media and public relations. In my what I love to do life, you can typically find me photographing either wild horses or concerts.
