UTG PHOTOS: THE AIRBORNE TOXIC EVENT (8/23/13)

September 5th, 2013

Kellie Gannon

Under The Gun recently sent photographer, Ryan Tuttle, to photograph The Airborne Toxic Event in Costa Mesa on August 23, 2013.

There is something extra special about hearing live music performed outdoors in the warm summer air. A few weeks ago, I braved the Friday afternoon LA traffic and drove down to Costa Mesa to catch The Airborne Toxic Event perform at the Pacific Amphitheatre with a symphony. Yes, a full symphony.

Delta Spirit was the opening band and they caught my attention immediately. They are an awesome young band full of energy with very catchy tunes. Be sure to check them out and keep them on your radar if they aren’t already!

This was my fourth time seeing The Airborne Toxic Event live but this night felt very different from the rest. I could hardly contain my excitement waiting in the photo pit as the crew was prepping the stage for the symphony. Looking into the audience, it was clear that the Pacific Symphony Orchestra drew a large audience of their own. It was quite a diverse crowd, and from the looks of it, everyone enjoyed the fusion of the band with the symphony.

The Airborne Toxic Event played a varied mix of songs from their three album repertoire, as well as a handful of bonus tracks off their UK release of Such Hot Blood due out this upcoming September 30. The band is already fantastic on their own live, but with the added symphonic accompaniment, every song was even more breathtaking.

Without a doubt the best song of the night was “Dublin.” Having recently returned from a trip to Ireland, I was partial to this one, admittedly. Regardless, this song in particular shows off lead singer Mikel Jollett’s ability to creat beautifully haunting melodies paired with painfully honest lyrics. The audience was dead silent until the final note of the song; the tell-tale sign that the band has succeeded in made a solid connection with the crowd. Check out the photos from this amazing show below as well as the full set here!!

DELTA SPIRIT