Band: Tommy & the High Pilots

Venue: Outland Ballroom

Location: Springfield, MO

Tickets: $3

Date: 8-23-11

Tom's setlist for the show.

No.  Tom does not get credit for excellent penmanship. But I am definitely cutting him a lot of slack for giving the setlist to me and for being awesome enough to recognize me at the concert.  I’ve seen Tommy & the High Pilots 4 times now, and he recognized me.  For real.  My giddiness was hard to disguise but, in an effort to contain my fan-girl ardor, I only squealed when he was out of earshot (I think?).

Then Matt Palermo (drums) talked to me after the show and sold me my third High Pilots shirt.  He was great.  Then Mike Cantillon (vocals/guitar/keyboard) talked in a British accent (quite a credible one, might I add).  Then Steve Libby (bass) did his impressively effective crowd-participation move (I have never seen an audience turn down his enthusiastic demand for clapping…EVER).

You know what I love almost as much as good music?  Bands with good personalities.  Tommy & the High Pilots have that.  In spades.  Headed by Tom Cantillon (vocals/guitar), these four gentlemen are fun to watch, fun to talk to, and amazing performers.  And Tom informed me that they’ll be working on a new album that will be better than anything they’ve released yet.  Hearing this news, I clapped my hands with glee thus reducing my cool factor by a minimum of 15 points.

The only downside to this concert was that I didn’t get to hear arguably my favorite song “The Limit”.  Outland made them wrap it up a little earlier than we would’ve liked (whatever last call).  The bartender was also a little surly in hustling us out the doors.  Understandable, of course.  It was a Tuesday night and I’m sure he had things he would rather be doing.  But certain comments should never be made to female customers, and it was pretty uncool.  Thus, the venue (though I personally love the atmosphere at Outland and have NEVER had this problem at other concerts I’ve attended there) got a lower grade than I had anticipated.

Everything else was stupendous.  The audience was there to have a good time, and the opening acts (Antennas Up and Heypenny) were both energetic and FUN.  I’ll do their performances justice in another post, as I feel they deserve your undivided attention.

If you haven’t listened to any High Pilots songs, what better place to begin than “Where to Start”.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F9CplYkz7QY

Also, check out their website http://thehighpilots.com/  And, if you’re converted by the time November rolls around, come to a concert.  More details to follow.

Concert: A+

Venue: B

Drink Prices: A

Audience: A-

Overall: A

PS: If you’re wondering what the fourth song is on the setlist, it’s “Sun Burns Out”.  I was at the concert and I still had trouble deciphering it.  Thought I’d save you the trouble of buying a code-breaking encyclopedia.  You’re welcome.