Fall Fest 2015: Walk the Moon brings radio hits to Bigelow Boulevard

Pitt students shut up and danced Sunday outside  the William Pitt Union during Pitt Program Council’s annual Fall Fest.  Along with the drums and keyboard,the smells of cotton candy and popcorn filled Bigelow Boulevard Sunday afternoon as students and parents gathered in front of Fall Fest’s stage for the outside concert. Walk the Moon, an American indie rock band also known for its 2011 hit “Anna Sun,” headlined the event.

Along with the lineup of music, Pitt Program Council provided students and parents with popcorn, cotton candy and caramel apples. The snacks were available for free on the patio of the William Pitt Union. Concert goers played cornhole on the Union lawn, enjoying a clear view of the stage.

Walk the Moon, native to Ohio, enthusiastically ran on stage to “Circle of Life” from “The Lion King.”

“College forces you to meet a lot of different people from yourself,” Nicholas Petricca, lead singer of Walk the Moon, said to the crowd before playing “Different Colors.”

Coin, a self-titled “product of the ’90s” band, according to its website, opened for Walk the Moon. Before them, two Pitt student bands broke in the stage. Pitt Program Council helped choose who would perform at Fall Fest when they hosted Battle of the Bands on Sept. 18. The winner and runner-up of the competition, The Naughties and Indigo Zoo, respectively, earned the opportunity to perform at Fall Fest.

“We like playing live music, and Pitt Program Council gave us the stage to do so today,” Will Epsom, guitarist and singer for Indigo Zoo, said.

Indigo Zoo covered a Kings of Leon song and performed original songs during its set.

“Even though we came in second place, it feels like we came in first,” said Epsom, who is a sophomore studying chemical engineering. “It’s exciting, but nerve-wracking.”

The Naughties were up next, playing to a growing crowd. An original song titled, “Pittsburgh Makes Me Drunk” had the crowd jumping. As the band shouted “Philadelphia is full of jerks” several times, the audience erupted in cheers. The band performed a John Mayer cover and Rick Astley’s “Never Gonna Give You Up,” effectively Rickrolling Pitt’s student body.

The third opening act, Coin, from Nashville, released its first album three months ago and expressed love for Pitt and Pittsburgh between its songs “Holy Ghost” and “Run.”

“You guys go to a really great school, do you know that?” Coin’s lead singer, Chase Lawrence, said to the crowd with the sun shining on the Cathedral of Learning in the background.

Like Liza Howland, who saw the band perform in New York, numerous spectators had seen Walk the Moon perform before and came back for more. Howland, a junior studying nursing, has been a fan of Walk the Moon since 2012 when ‘Anna Sun’ became an iTunes featured single.

Even for first-timers, like Marielle Seybert, the show was a hit.

“Walk the Moon was a really good concert. The band was super energetic and got the crowd hyped,” Seybert, a junior natural science major, said.

Alice Snook, Pitt Program Council’s public relations director, said this Fall Fest was one of the biggest they’ve put on since she’s been at Pitt..

Pitt Police officer Alex Modne, who was on duty during the show, estimated there were about 2,000 people coming and going throughout the event. Pitt Program Council said there were 6,000 people attended the event throughout the day.

“[Pitt Program Council] wants this to be a fun fall concert where students can enjoy the nice weather, before it gets too cold, with good music,” Snook, a junior studying political science and Italian, said.

Snook said Pitt Program Council booked Walk the Moon in April.

“We knew Fall Fest would fall on the same weekend as Parents Weekend, and we did that on purpose,” Snook said. “We wanted parents to see this event and possibly stay for the food, games and music.”

After ending its set, Walk the Moon returned to the stage for an encore performance of “Anna Sun.”

Heather Ruble, a junior studying nursing, discovered Walk the Moon last year when a friend introduced her to the new album. This was her first time seeing the band live. 

“I really love Walk the Moon — they’re super weird, and I love that,” Ruble said.