Votes Are In: Saint Motel Crushes Sold Out Awards Show Performance in NYC
Saint Motel wrapped up their Awards Show tour this past week with a sold-out show at NYC’s Webster Hall.
Before the show started, I had been sitting by the barricade in the photo pit and chatting with fans in the front row. One woman was there with her family and told me she had been waiting three years to see Saint Motel after their "Motion Picture" tour was canceled due to COVID. She and the rest of the crowd's excitement was palpable. Down the front row, I heard chants of “Saint Motel” start as we waited for the band to take the stage.
At five past nine, dressed dapperly in shiny gold blazers, the band came on stage. AJ Jackson, Saint Motel’s singer, strolled onto the stage in a Western-esque red suit. Brass blared as "Van Horn" kicked off the night.
If there’s one thing Saint Motel knows how to execute, it’s crowd interaction and fan love. At the start of the night, QR codes were placed around the venue for concertgoers to scan and vote on four songs to be on the setlist. Past tour dates had varying set lists as the crowd had voted for their favorites. This was a fresh and creative way to give fans the power to hear what they wanted on tour while adding to the overall tour design.
The Awards Show Tour was aptly named with song choices presented in true award show fashion. After Van Horn concluded, Jackson produced a bright red envelope with The Awards Show printed in gold lettering. Inside contained the winner of the first fan-picked song. Jackson handed off the card to bassist Dak Lerdamornpong to announce the nominees.
The crowd produced drum rolls for each nomination, getting more excited with each possibility. Cheers filled the venue as the winner “Daydream / Wetdream / Nightmare” was announced.
Along with the red envelope was a certificate of authenticity verifying the casted votes. Along with the date, show name, and the number of votes counted, on the tabulated by secret ballot line, the certificate noted: “in an aeroplane under the sea.” With a few misspellings, the document read as follows:
“Priceman & Warehouse LLC, a limited liability, zorporation out of the state of Rontanta, RD, hereby decrees that the votes in tonight’s show have been dones so with regards for the upmost confidentiality and security. We at Priceman & Waterhouse believe in good old fashioned tabulation. Award Shows are sacred events where people have th chance to rejoice and cast ballots for their favorite songs. We also hereby decree that no pirates, boondolglers, or nefarious characters of any sort have had access to tonight’s votes. We wish everyone good luck and an amazing show.”
Saint Motel is known for nodding to cinema before. After all, they have an album called The Original Motion Picture Soundtrack. With dazzling outfit choices, incredible stage design, and planned ceremonial gestures, it felt like watching The Oscars, but with a lot more jumping and singing along.
Each audience's chosen song had a corresponding projected video that perfectly complemented the music, adding to the cinema vibe of the show. For songs without videos, various silver and gold shapes were projected on the screen to further add to the award show theme.
The show continued with a mix of pre-planned sets and award-show-esque reveals of crowd-picked songs. We were also treated to an unreleased song, “Everyone’s a Guru Now”, coming out soon and hinting at a future album in the works.
With studio-quality vocals, Jackson delivered perfect belts throughout the night, elevating each song. Juggling playing guitar and piano, Jackson managed to maintain engaging frontman energy as he interacted with the crowd. He even wished a fan "happy birthday" when he noticed their sign in the audience.
The other two fan picks of the night were “Getaway” and “For Elise”, which I had been rooting for. Jackson switched things up for the final award presentation and called up two audience members, Theo and Milly, to reveal the card. After Jackson helped them climb on stage, he presented them with the official red envelope. Clutching it in their hands, Theo and Milly excitedly unveiled the final crowd pick of the night, “Sisters."
Jackson pointed out that his sister was in the crowd that night as he began the song. As with all of the songs that night, everyone was dancing. I saw pockets of fans swaying, forming little circles, and jumping up and down.
Before the encore, an automated voice announced, “Ladies and Gentleman, we’ll now present a Saint Motel slow song medley." Slowed renditions of Saint Motel songs played with accompanying videos as we waited for the encore.
Reemerging to cheers, Jackson had taken the opportunity to do an outfit change and replace his red jacket with a gold one, matching the rest of the band.
A slower song, “Balsa Wood Bones” started the encore, but the mood changed quickly. “Destroyer” ramped up the energy, getting the crowd jumping and the floor shaking.
Before we got to the night's final song, Jackson had a request as he asked, “Can we split the crowd in the middle there?”
Usually, only the first few rows have a clear view of the band on stage. However, as the band threw themselves into “My Type”, Jackson headed into the crowd. While first staying at the middle and back of the first floor, Jackson made his way over to stand on top of the bar in the back as he sang the chorus. While it seemed like he might head back to the stage, he instead traveled upstairs to perform directly to the fans on the balcony.
The show was absolute perfection. With incredible crowd engagement and pitch-perfect performance, attendees got the best possible mix of a concert and award-show production. Keep an eye out for Saint Motel’s upcoming release!
See photos from the show here.
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