Young the Giant had 17,000 fans on their feet for their opening set Sunday night before Cage The Elephant’s headlining show at the Kia Forum. The band’s music has matured since their debut in 2011, but they have retained the youthful, optimistic energy they’re known for. The Irvine-formed group consists of Sameer Gadhia on vocals, Jacob Tilley and Eric Cannata on guitar, Payam Doostzadeh on bass guitar, and Francois Comtois on drums. They announced that their second album, Mind Over Matter, hit its tenth anniversary. This led to the members reminiscing on the last time they played at the arena; they looked comfortable on the large stage and determined to electrify the crowd.

Excitable chatter clanged amongst fans on the barricade; those further back were as excited as the early birds and eager to see the Mind Over Matter five-piece. They opened their set with Jungle Youth, a track about the lust for power and its horrible entanglements. The track is produced by Alex Salibian, who famously worked on Harry Styles’ debut album, so the hard rock sound and loud vocals were welcome in the Inglewood arena. Appearing from behind the smoke, Gadhia pounced to the center of the stage with his stormy Fender Telecaster draped to his side. The lyrics, “You’re sitting on a gold-stained altar/Feel the jungle youth sound”, matched the heavy guitar chords ripping through the Forum; meanwhile, Tilley stepped forward to reach the delighted fans.

The next song, The Walk Home, from their most recent album, American Bollywood, contrasted the hard rock opener. The track allowed Gadhia more freedom on stage, as he put his guitar down and grabbed the mic. Hazy guitars filled the arena and milky fog rolled through the members’ legs and into the waiting crowd. Doostzadeh’s bassline dragged its feet behind the resigned melody. This breaks away during the chorus when Comtois’ upbeat drums and Gadhia’s anthemic vocals chime in. The lyrics “Forever’s not enough/And under new conditions/You are not alone” mimic this change. The fan favorite, Cough Syrup, began shortly after. Serving as an ode to their success, the track encapsulates the defeat they felt of being unable to break into the industry; the song is juxtaposed by an arena of fans shouting the lyrics back. Gadhia entranced concert-goers, as he spun like a windmill to the center of the stage while the last chorus cascaded through the gusts. Hanging from every person’s mouth were the words “One more spoon of cough syrup now”.

The group ended their opening set with My Body, their debut single, and the song they’ve closed their set with since its release in 2011. Though it’s been several years since it was written, the track still embodies Young the Giant’s energy; it is the determination to achieve goals and tells a story of struggle. Gadhia waves his hands through the air and stares into the sea of people who follow suit. In the end, the red lighting dissipates, and the band waves goodbye, leaving fans satisfied but with a lingering effect that’ll leave them hungry for another set soon.

Review & Photos by: Katie Romo

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Young the Giant’s Bring Fans to Their Feet at LA's Kia Forum