Last September, I had the pleasure of witnessing Moontower open for a band called Fly By Midnight. All it took was one song, and I was hooked. They had an upbeat, catchy vibe paired with enthralling visuals that made for a fun 30-minute set that felt like five. 

This year, Moontower dropped their album Hurry Up Please, It’s Time and announced a U.S. tour to go along with it. Having gotten a sneak peek at some of the album last year, I was excited to see how they would bring it to life after the full release. 

Playing a local legend of a venue, Moontower secured a spot at Rumba Cafè with opener Jiwon. Jiwon played quite an unusual set. With just a solo guitar and backing tracks for everything else, I found myself more focused on his voice and the lyrics than the theatrics of a live performance, which was a nice change of pace. I appreciated the simplicity of his performance, but I do find it important to note that it was not dull. It lit a fire in the crowd, and had people swaying and warming up their dancing for the next act to come. 

With only two bands on the bill, Moontower was next. The trio consists of Jacob Berger on lead vocals and guitar, Tom Carpenter playing electric drums and bass, and Devan Welsh on guitar and keyboard. They played with my guilty favorite part of the show, a whole intricately designed light show. And it was even better than before. 

If you asked me to describe their show in three words, I would say colorful, upbeat, and freeing. During their set, Jacob monologued about how appreciative they were that people came out and gave them a chance. As someone deeply rooted in the music scene of Columbus, I know for a fact that it only works when the people show up. It’s nice to see bands that tour around the country that genuinely care about their fans and the people who spend their evenings watching them perform. 

All in all, it was a wonderfully whimsical night, and all I can say is I hope they hurry up their tour because it’s time to play another Columbus show.