Owl City’s meteoric rise to fame in both the mainstream pop and Christian formats has demanded a rigorous touring schedule of the techno pop artist, keeping him constantly on the move. I caught Adam Young towards the end of his Fall U.S. stint, shortly before he would head overseas with his cast of musicians. Owl City played the Ogden Theatre in the heart of Denver, Colorado, drawing an impressive turnout despite the Tuesday night scheduling.

The stage sported a roughly built wood backdrop reflecting the cover of Owl City’s recent release The Midsummer Station. Adam Young’s chosen band this time around was smaller and tighter than the last time I saw him, including guitarist Jasper Nephew, keyboard and backup guitar player Daniel Jorgensen, drummer Steve Goold, and keyboardist/backing vocalist Breanne Duren. The tighter ensemble on stage gave the band more of an alternative rock feel instead of the electro pop vibe of the past.

The set started with “Dreams and Disasters,” the opening cut from his latest album. They followed it up with the vivid, disarming song “Yacht Club” from last year’s All Things Bright and Beautiful. From the first few songs, the cohesion of the band was clear, and the crew’s performance was smooth and efficient. The quality of the performance was top notch in the technical and production sphere.

Older staple “Cave In” came before the driving pop-styled tune “Dementia.” Adam Young picked up guitar duties on a few of the selections, displaying some of his diverse musical ability. In a slightly surprising deviation, they played “Meteor Shower” from the artist’s debut-- a tune that is more vulnerable worship than pop, inspiring raised hands and voices throughout the venue. Here Jasper Nephew pulled out a violin bow to draw an ethereal tone from his guitar strings. 

A siren intro complemented by vibrant red, blue, and white lights carried the band into the playful “I’m Coming After You.” Here, as in the following rendition of “Umbrella Beach” which was complemented by cool blue and green lighting, the attention to subtle details was admirable. The minimal light rigs were used to quietly accentuate the songs they accompanied.
“Speed of Love” continued the fast-paced tone of the evening with current touring drummer Steve Goold providing the solid percussion backing found in Owl City’s more recent tunes. The band followed it up with a beautifully instrumental segment titled “Seahorse.” As the band wrapped up the instrumental segment, Adam Young stepped up to the mic and introduced the soaring tune “Angels” by saying to the Denver crowd “there’s something special about being up so high.”

The much older and more obscure track “Designer Skyline” followed, making the setlist one that truly spanned the entirety of the artist’s career. “The Real Life” provided an example of his innocent and imaginative songwriting at its finest.

“It’s coming!” Young declared to the crowd. “The gratuitous part of the show where we play the gratuitous song with which you have to sing along!”

His good natured statement introduced his breakthrough song “Fireflies.” The volume of the crowd as they sang along was often loud enough to overpower the sounds coming from the stage, a testimony to the impact the song has had.

Slowing down for a much more mellow moment, the band played “Silhouette” next, displaying a more vulnerable side of the pop artist’s abilities. Breanne Duren took over on the keyboard as the song faded out, introducing a mellow instrumental mix of “Hello Seattle.”

Building back up to steam with “Metropolis,” the band entered the last few songs of their set with as much energy and attention to detail as they had displayed at the beginning. The performance of “Embers” drew attention back to the inherently hopeful attitude of Owl City’s music, as did the addition of the upbeat “Shooting Star.” “Deer in the Headlights” broke the string of more recent tracks before the thoughtful, slightly sad “Take it All Away” closed the main segment of the set.


After several moments with lights dimmed and deafening cheers from fans, the band launched into their most recent hit, “Good Time.” The absence of studio guest vocalist Carly Rae Jepsen seemed to push the song more into rock territory than pop, supported by the edge of the guitars and the chanting vocals of the fans. Closing track “Gold” left the audience with the upbeat, catchy hook still echoing through the room as the venue emptied.

The night clearly demonstrated that the more polished tone evident on Owl City’s most recent studio project translates just as strongly to the stage. The way the songs covered the breadth of the artist’s career gave the night a refreshing diversity, pulling out elements of techno, pop, and a solid alt rock edge to keep the performance grounded. Adam Young is an artist who is clearly dedicated to excellence in his craft, though the musical complexities in his work are beautifully offset by his disarming optimism and unquenchable dedication to singing songs of hope. The artist has already endured a whirlwind of success in his short career, but it is clear that he won’t be slowing down or fading out any time soon.