Tour: The Travelin’ Tour
Artist(s): The Summer Set, Stereo Skyline, Mod Sun, The Downtown Fiction
Location: Pontiac, MI – iLounge
Date: 11-10-10

If there was a way to summarize The Travelin’ Tour it would have to consist of the words: Infectious, spirited, and memorable. For those that had never heard or seen any of these bands before, they surely left a fan. Even while standing in line and asking several of the frozen bystanders which bands they were excited to see, not a single one went unmentioned. Based on the anticipation for the doors to open, this was surely going to turn into a night unable to forget.

The Downtown Fiction

Downtown Fiction set the tone for the acts to follow, not only in sound but also the stage presence. From the moment the first note hit the ears of the audience to the last reverberation it was near impossible to take your eyes, ears, and heart away from this band. They had definitely raised the bar to a high standard. By a show of hands there were a good amount of those that had never seen Downtown Fiction live and a select few that had never heard of them before, however, that didn’t stop them from dancing to the beat or mouthing along to the lyrics as if they had played their E.Ps enough times for the C.Ds to stop working. The majority of the songs were played from their newest E.P ‘Best I Never Had‘ with a few throwbacks to their self titled first E.P. With the energy they brought to their live performance, catchy lyrics, and love for what they do, it’s no wonder they made Alternative Press’ list of “100 bands you need to know”.

Mod Sun

With the appearance of the following act, MOD SUN created a good buffer between bands of a similar genre. Spreading a positive message not only through lyrics but also while talking to the crowd in between songs, this Minnesota native felt at home on the stage while he, self-procliamed, “Danced harder than Chris Brown”. Audibly and visually stimulating there was barely a moment where this artist stood still. Both Rob Michelsen and Clayton Johnson of Stereo Skyline made a guest appearance for a few songs one of which being “No Girlfriend”. Throughout the entire set MOD SUN brought a unique sound and lively ambience and as he danced off stage he left the crowd with smiles plastered on their faces.

Stereo Skyline

After a short intermission to put equipment back on the stage that had temporarily turned into a dance-floor, Stereo Skyline took the reins. Having no problem making the transition from Hippy-Hop to Power-Pop they not only worked well with each other on stage but they incorporated and interacted with the audience continuously. Breaking out “Heartbeat” a few songs into their set you could, literally, feel the ground shake from all the movement. This degree of vigor was easily maintained from one song to the next, even when their song “Me & You” began playing the crowd’s physical energy altered to sing-along with the lyrics. Stereo Skyline is a band that knows how create an atmosphere and encapsulate every second.

The Summer Set

Not only did The Summer Set manage to maintain the continual build up of this energetic tour but they managed to elevate it to another level. During changes in songs Detroit’s Warped Tour was recalled for having a memorable audience and there is no doubt that Pontiac’s iLounge held one that night that was just as equivalent. Due to the enthralling and hypnotizing performance it was shocking when it was announced that the set was coming to a close with two songs left. Trading the chance of an encore for an acoustic version of “Passenger Seat” ,the crowd took a step back and sat down as the band members sat on the front edge of the stage. The intimacy and charm of this unexpected unplugged song erased any thoughts of the cold november air. While we may never be as young as we were that night The Travelin’ Tour of November 10, 2010, will always hold a timelessness for all of those present.

The Summer Set

Written by: Melanie Hodgins

• Author
• Recent Posts

James Shotwell

James Shotwell is the founder of Under The Gun Review. He loves writing about music and movies almost as much as he loves his two fat cats. He's also the co-founder of Antique Records and the Marketing Coordinator for Haulix. You should probably follow him on Twitter.

Latest posts by James Shotwell (see all)

• 2015’s Most Underrated Films - December 29, 2015
• Passing The Torch: The End Of An Era For UTG - December 1, 2015
• UTG PREMIERE: Before The Streetlights – “Private Browser” - November 26, 2015