The exclusive concert at UMBC you didn’t know you missed
After cancelling their show a few weeks prior, Catfish and the Bottlemen treat their fans to a free and exclusive show at UMBC.
Dozens of fans were devastated after hearing that indie-rock band, Catfish and the Bottlemen, had to cancel their March 11 show in D.C. Though the band had nothing but support and well wishes on Twitter, some fans expressed their outrage by organizing a bonfire in a private, unnamed Baltimore park where they proceeded to burn the signs they made for the show.
Upon hearing the news, Catfish and the Bottlemen — the four member band made up of lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist Van McCann, lead guitarist Johnny Bond, bassist Benji Blakeway, and drummer Bob Hall — personally followed all their fans in the D.C., Maryland and Virginia area on Twitter and direct-messaged them invitations to an exclusive concert held at UMBC on March 26.
The show, which was organized by junior computer science Lisa Swarovski, president of UMBCs Dedicated Fandom Members Association, took place on the RAC’s main basketball court at 12 a.m. About a thousand fans, decked out in complimentary merchandise, showed up in party buses that had been rented by the band.
The band performed without a stage in an attempt to make the show feel more personal, and though some fans had to be removed from the first few rows because of their continuous attempts to grab the boys, no one seemed to mind the cramped space.
In particular, self-proclaimed die-hard fan Chris McMahon, a sophomore English major at UMBC, expressed his appreciation for the chilled atmosphere. “I could practically feel them sweating on me,” McMahon said. “I loved those bouncers. They didn’t care about how close we got — they just didn’t want us to touch them.”
For the show, the RAC was transformed into a typical concert venue. Apart from the giant backdrop of the band’s logo behind the instruments and the dim, gold lanterns hanging from the ceiling, the room was otherwise bare.
Catfish and the Bottlemen performed for two hours, taking the occasional break from their enthusiastic performing to take a swig of water or beer to rehydrate themselves. They played their famous “Kathleen” and “Cocoon” from recently-released album The Balcony.
Fans constantly screamed terms of endearment at the band, some so riled up and excited that they claimed they didn’t stop jumping for the entirety of the show.
Frontman McCann couldn’t help but make his way into the audience during “Homesick,” at which point the crowd parted for him and touched any part of him they could reach. While playing his guitar, McCann occasionally stopped to grab the hand of a fan whom he would then motion at so they could finish the lyric.
“I can’t believe I just sang with the Bottlemen,” said Mikaylin Francis from Catholic University. “I expected a lot from tonight, but definitely not that!”
During their cover of Def Leppard’s “Pour Some Sugar on Me,” the Bottlemen showed off their synchronized dance moves, recreating parts of Beyonce’s “Single Ladies” dance. A younger fan in the middle of the crowd had to be removed after collapsing on the floor in a fit laughter.
After performing an encore of “Pacifier,” the Bottlemen led the group of their fans outside to Walker field, where hundreds of picnic blankets had been set up. After everyone was seated, the group thanked their fans for attending the impromptu show and apologized for cancelling their gig the week prior. Bond introduced a silent firework show that lasted until a little after 3 a.m., and the group lined up to take a collective group picture with all the attendees.
“We couldn’t have asked for a better night,” McCann insisted. “We promise to cancel our show again next time.”
Photo: facebook.com
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