Fitz and the Tantrums
House of Blues
Cleveland, OH
August 11, 2025
By Rob McCune
CLEVELAND — Monday nights aren’t supposed to feel like Saturday night supernovas. But when Fitz and the Tantrums rocketed into the House of Blues Cleveland on August 11, 2025, for their Man on the Moon Tour, the place went orbital.
The LA-born band, now six albums deep since forming in 2008, brought their signature blend of retro-soul, indie-pop, and neon-drenched funk, and in return, the Cleveland crowd brought the fire right back. It wasn’t just another tour stop—it was a two-hour, sweat-soaked, hands-in-the-air celebration that felt closer to liftoff than a Monday night downtown.
Ax and the Hatchetmen Light the Fuse
Opening the night were Chicago’s Ax and the Hatchetmen, a rising six-piece indie-rock band armed with sax, trumpet, and enough energy to fill a stadium. Their set bounced between cheeky originals like “Goofy” romance jams and the all-too-relatable “Where tf Did I Park My Car.” By the time they launched into a tight cover of Neon Trees’ “Everybody Talks,” the floor was moving.
For a young band, the Hatchetmen played with surprising confidence, blending brass-fueled hooks with sharp guitars and plenty of stage banter. They weren’t just the opener—they were a shot of adrenaline that set the crowd buzzing before the main event.
Fitz and Noelle Take Command
Then it was Tantrum time. As the lights dropped, silhouettes of co-lead vocalists Michael Fitzpatrick and Noelle Scaggs cut through the darkness before exploding into full color with a laser-bright light show. From the first note, they were in complete command, strutting across the stage like generals of a dance-pop army.
The Fitz and the Tantrums Cleveland setlist was a time capsule and a rocket launch rolled into one. Six songs from the new album Man on the Moon—including the title track, “Umbrella,” and “OK OK OK”—proved the band’s latest work has the same DNA as their biggest hits: infectious, radio-ready hooks with a soulful kick. But they also dug deep into their discography.
The crowd roared when the opening notes of “Out of My League” hit, and “Handclap” turned the entire floor into a synchronized stomp. On “Livin’ for the Weekend,” sax master James King nearly blew the roof off the place, delivering a solo so hot it felt like Saturday night arrived early. And longtime fans lost themselves in old favorites like “Good Intentions” and “Moneygrabber,” both delivered with the kind of swagger that made the Tantrums festival favorites a decade ago.
A Party That Erased Monday
Throughout the set, Fitz and Scaggs traded vocals like heavyweight fighters in the middle of a rap battle—sharpened, playful, and relentless. Their chemistry is the not-so-secret weapon that keeps Fitz and the Tantrums at the top of the live-performance game.
The crowd wasn’t just watching—they were participants. Hands clapped in time. Voices shouted lyrics back like mantras. Fans danced shoulder-to-shoulder until the floor itself seemed to move. By the encore, the House of Blues was less a venue and more a spaceship blasting out of Earth’s orbit.
At one point Fitz joked, “Does this feel like a Monday night to anyone?” The answer was obvious. This wasn’t Monday—it was a holiday. A celebration. A night where stress was left outside on Euclid Avenue, and inside the walls of House of Blues, joy took center stage.
The Verdict
With their Man on the Moon Tour 2025, Fitz and the Tantrums proved they’re still masters of the high-energy live show—mixing new songs with their biggest hits, commanding the stage with confidence, and giving fans a reason to dance until their voices cracked.
No other band can “make your hands clap” quite like this one. And in Cleveland, they didn’t just play the hits—they launched them into orbit.
Rob McCune is Every_Thing_After_Photo on Instagram, where he shares his concert photography and reviews, as well as clips from his “Every.Thing.After” podcast, with interviews with musicians and bands.
