Words by Susie Ramone, Photos by Dustin Schneider
Over the last several months, I have heard nothing but bad things about Tannahill’s Tavern and Music Hall. Complaints have run the gamut from problematic ownership to insufficient seating, who they are and aren’t booking, to their partnership with a particular ticket servicing conglomerate. Because of these issues, I have had zero interest in attending an event at the venue…. until last night.
Silversun Pickups made a stop at Fort Worth’s newest mid-level music venue for their Physical Thrills Tour. Let me start with the venue itself – it was pretty dang cool. It was clean, the bathrooms were nice, the standing area was ample, and they have suites and seating both upstairs and down for those that would like it. Sure, you may need to pay more, but it is available. I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed the venue.
The second surprise of the night for me was the opening act. Being unsure of who that was, we wandered over to the merch area shortly after arriving and saw that the supporting act was Paris Jackson – I immediately turned to Dustin and asked “Michael’s daughter?!” I was worried that maybe a band had used her name, but learned that she was, indeed, the opening act for the tour. I will be honest and say that I did not know any of her music, but she and her band were amazing! Mixing in a healthy dose of originals along with covers of My Friend Marcus (Manchester Orchestra) and No Rain (Blind Melon), Paris had the entire crowd dancing the whole time. They also had wonderful banter amongst themselves and with the crowd. Paris Jackson is a humble, fun, and talented rising star. A highlight was her original song “Bandaid” – give it a listen, you won’t be sorry!
Next Up was the main act, Silversun Pickups. Clocking in with a healthy 19-song set list, this is a band that NEVER disappoints. It was fun to see the excitement of the crowd and the pure joy of those in the front singing and dancing along to almost every song. I appreciated the way they mixed songs off the new album – Stillness (Way Beyond), Empty Nest, and Sticks and Stones – with well-loved older songs like The Royal We and Lazy Eye. This was my first time seeing Silversun Pickups in concert and Brian Aubert, Nikki Monninger, and crew made this a night to remember.
To sum up – The daughter of the King of Pop is a wonderful human and talented musician, The Silversun Pickups are still going strong after almost 20 years, and Tannahill’s Tavern isn’t so bad. I’m stoked to see what the future holds for all three!
Paris Jackson
Silversun Pickups
