North Texas Daily

As the sun slowly sank behind the iconic Fair Park Ferris wheel, a rock band called Walk the Moon from the distant, mystical land of Ohio emerged on the Dos Equis Pavilion stage to teach the kind people of Dallas how to dance.

Walk the Moon, along with Welshly Arms, K Flay and Thirty Seconds to Mars, rocked through the summer heat on their visit to North Texas.

Upon entering the venue gates, I was met with a diverse, all-ages crowd. The atmosphere was the epitome of summertime as people spread their blankets out in anticipation for the music.  The lineup for this concert made for an interesting fan base: the crowd was either half-covered in the iconic Walk the Moon face paint or dawned in a black and red color scheme.

K Flay was the first to enter the stage during my time there. She was a small girl with a huge voice. As she started to sing, a wall of sound hit my row. Similar to the lead singer in Walk the Moon, she danced throughout her whole performance, letting the chords guide her and the beat vibrate through her feet. As she ended her second song, the lights dimmed blue and the stage got quiet. K Flay made a shout-out to Los Angeles-based musician Robert Delong and then covered his song “Favorite Color is Blue,” which K Flay was originally featured in. Even sweeter than her cover from her beloved artist was the dedication of the next song to her mother. Once she concluded her set, K Flay excitedly introduced Walk the Moon to the stage.

Walk the Moon set the stage with “Intro Song” from the “Lion King” soundtrack blasting on the speakers. As each band member walked on staged, the crowd’s cheers grew louder and louder.

The band started off its set with “One Foot.” Lead singer Nicholas Petricca had such a strong stage presence and ability to get people up and out of their seats because as soon as the drum beat spread throughout the entire venue, dancing spread like wildfire. The dancing continued with the music until three or four songs, which is when Petricca introduced himself and the band. 

One of the highlights of the concert was when Petricca surveyed the crowd to see who had been to a Walk the Moon concert before. He suggested one thing to everyone whose first time seeing the band live was that night: Walk the Moon’s music is best enjoyed shaking your butt. He called the whole pavilion to stand up and groove to the band’s next few songs.

The concert was concluded perfectly with “Anna Sun” as the closing song.

The concert was not complete without the lighting. The lights rotated throughout the concert and were set up as a backdrop for the band. With each song, new lights to match started to move in the back in tune with the funky beats.

Wednesday night at the Dos Equis Pavilion was hot and crowded. The food and beverages were overpriced, but the atmosphere was priceless. This lineup of bands coming together brought people together for an unforgettable night full of dancing and fun.

Featured Image: K Flay, an alternative-pop singer from Illinois, performs at the Dos Equis Pavilion main stage. Kate Raines