Cuttin' A Rug With Fitz and the Tantrums

Speaking impeccable French, Fitz and his Tantrums got a modest crowd going early and often Wednesday night, creating a fun atmosphere.  He urged the audience to dance, clap their hands, sing along and go wild, and everyone on the dancefloor happily obliged.  The Los Angeles soul group proclaimed that they were having an excellent time during their first gig in Paris many times and it certainly showed in their performance.
                   Photo By Todd Dominey

John Wicks played the drums with reckless abandon, arms flailing across his kit like a blur, James King wailed on bari and tenor sax solos and bass player and keyboardist, Joseph Karnes and Jeremy Ruzumna, jammed like they'd been playing together for decades.  And when all of these pieces came together, the result was one of the tightest sets I've ever seen.

The crowd was certainly waiting for their hit single, "MoneyGrabber" but danced enthusiastically throughout the show, especially for the unexpected covers of "Steady, As She Goes" by The Raconteurs and a slammin' version of "Sweet Dreams" by The Eurythmics.  The latter included a fantastic sing-a-long break down that won major crowd participation points.  All in all, I would say Fitz and The Tantrums won a little foothold in Europe with their thrashing show that kept everyone on their feet.

~Alex