QUAKERTOWN, Pa. — Even when alt-rockers Switchfoot released its watershed album "The Beautiful Letdown" amid the post-grunge movement in 2003, its music stood out for its messages of searching and hope as opposed to the social isolation and betrayal offered by its contemporaries.
Twenty years later, the group's concert at Quakertown's Univest Performance Center showed the group's message — and music — still resonates, especially in these times of even less surety.
- Alt-rockers Switchfoot performed Saturday at the Univest Performance Center in Quakertown
- The show was an enthusiastic and emotion-infused 13-song, hour-and-20-minute set
- The band played five songs from its watershed album "The Beautiful Letdown," which is 20 years old this year
And Switchfoot made the connection even easier, with an enthusiastic and emotion-infused 13-song, hour-and-20-minute show.
The show started particularly strong, with passionate performances of the 2009 hit "Hello Hurricane" and 2005's "Stars," lead singer Jon Foreman frequently rearing back his head to sing.
And, on a beautiful night, Foreman ventured deep into the crowd (which appeared to be well over 2,000) to perform a four-minute version of Switchfoot's most recent proper single, 2016's "Bull in a China Shop."
The song also showed how Switchfoot continues to release strong music.
'This is a celebration'
From the 15th row, he even played harmonica as he waded through the audience, then segued into a deeply felt version of the hit "This Is Your Life" — one of the night's best — before returning to stage.
It was five songs into the show before the band played a song from "The Beautiful Letdown" — the title track.
"So this is a celebration," Foreman said, referring to the album's anniversary. "Seems like the perfect song to sing this time of day" — which was nightfall at the sprawling outdoor arena.
"So this is a celebration."Switchfoot lead singer Jon Foreman
And the song's refrain of "I don't belong" seemed, indeed, to describe the feelings of so many these days.
Foreman told the crowd that Pennsylvania was the first place outside its California home "that felt like we could actually be a band," referring to an early show in Philadelphia that drew 60 people (likely the former North Star Bar.)
Before another great newer song, 2016's Top 15 Christian hit "Live It Well," Foreman said, "I got this realization of what a great gift it is to be alive. This is our mantra as a band" — referring to the song's chorus of "Life is short/I wanna live it well/One life/One story to tell."
Ironically just five of the night's songs — including an interlude of "Twenty Four" (more about that later) — were from "The Beautiful Letdown." (The band will do a full tour playing the disc in its entirety starting in August.)
But that likely was because of the band's spontaneity, which also elevated the show.
Spontaneity and spiritual
Halfway through the show, Foreman said he was diverting from the band's setlist to play a very good version of the title track from its 2016 Top 10 album "Where The Light Shines Through" — another example of how Switchfoot continues to release strong new music.
And the band followed that by playing a requested "If Your House Burns Down Tonight," which added a more upbeat, joyous element to the show.
That was followed by an eight-minute version of the title track from "Learning to Breathe" — the group's last album before "The Beautiful Letdown."
It was another request — from a sign an audience member, "Steve," held up telling the group it was his wife's favorite. Foreman brought "Steve" and "Grace" on stage while it was performed, and stretched to nine minutes with an interlude of "Twenty Four," also by request from a sign proclaiming it was an audience member's 24th birthday.
That was followed by "Float," which featured a great bass line from Foreman's brother Tim.
Switchfoot closed its main set with its biggest hit, 2004's Top 20 "Dare You to Move," with Jon Foreman in the spotlight on a dark stage.
The playfulness of the performance also added to the spontaneity, but in this case perhaps at the expense of that seriousness that made the song connect so well.
"Thank you for singing these songs of hope tonight."Switchfoot lead singer Jon Foreman
The encore started with a far more intense, seven-minute "Where I Belong" that moved right into the closer, 2003's "Meant To Live" — easily the night's hardest rocker and ending the concert with intensity equal to its start.
And it clearly showed that message of searching continues to resonate 20 years later.
"Thank you for singing these songs of hope tonight," Foreman told the crowd. "God bless you, Pennsylvania."
The Univest Performance Center continues its Sounds of Summer Concert Series Aug. 11 with country singer Clay Walker and Aug. 25 with Philadelphia favorites The Hooters. It closes with country duo Locash on Aug. 26. Tickets remain available for all.
