A Review: Switchfoot’s Fantastic NOT Traveling Music Show, Part 2

NOTE: Before you read this review – If you missed Part 1 of the “Fantastic NOT Traveling Music Show,” I highly recommend that you go back and read my review of Part 1, or watch this short recap video that Switchfoot posted on their Instagram, for some context. This series of concerts is more than just a live streamed concert happening every month, it’s a story – an adventure that has to be followed in order to understand it fully.

Part 2 of Switchfoot’s “Fantastic NOT Traveling Music Show” was a wonderful adventure; filled with hopeful music, incredible creativity, and… tree puns?.. It all begins with a tree-wreck (yes, you read that right, a TREE-wreck!) – the crew, comprised of lead singer Jon Foreman, guitarist Drew Shirley, drummer Chad Butler, keyboardist Jerome Fontamillas, and bassist Tim Foreman – all frantically run around the stage as lights flicker, alarms sound, and leaves are thrown about. When the panic subsides and the ship is settled, the crew takes out their flashlights and explores the wreckage.

It is at this point that the creatively put together acoustic set for this month’s show is revealed. Overflowing with leaves, the set definitely represents a tree-wrecked ship. Drew uncovers the leaves from the camera lens and begins to narrate Jon’s diary – this is when the tree puns begin, as Drew utters the words “How did we get online here up in this tree? Well, I guess we just log on. Ahem.. We’re really branching out here.. I mean.. leaf me alone.”

Following the format of the last “Fantastic NOT Traveling Music Show,” the crew takes requests from fans who have sent in their message in a bottle song requests. The requests are played on an acoustic set to start out the show. This time, they played a few songs that they rarely, if ever, play live – including “Rise Above It” from the Vice Verses album, and their cover of Frank Ocean’s “Swim Good.” This set continued for about an hour, but as the saying goes, “time flies when you’re having fun” – the great music, fun jokes, and incredible creativity all make for a show that you wish was never-ending.

So how did the Switchfoot crew get out of this new ship.. err.. tree-wreck? As the acoustic set concludes, keyboardist Jerome Fontamillas exclaims “Guys, guys, I figured out how to fix our ship!” as he holds up a large tea kettle. The crew then smiles and laughs as Jerome, hinting at what’s to come, says “Well let’s just say, we’re going to a different space.”

Transitioning to Act 2, a cartoon is played, showing Jerome’s mysterious tea kettle plan in action. The tea kettle contains some sort of magic potion that, when used to water the tree, causes the tree to grow into outer space! Their ship is then launched into space, and becomes a sort of rocket, flying through the stars. After this cartoon shows how our crew made it to space, the second set is revealed, with a unique cover of David Bowie’s “Space Oddity” beginning the electric portion of the show. The grand space-themed set is decorated with stars, lights, and can be seen from many unique camera angles.

The crew pours energy and enthusiasm into the whole show, but especially Act 2, their love for what they do is clear when they play live music – whether it be in person or on these live streams. As they play songs like “Take My Fire” and “We are One Tonight,” this love for playing music is evident, and combined with the creativity of everyone involved in this show, it makes for a truly extraordinary experience.

Act 2 of the show closes with an awe-inspiring performance of their song “Where I Belong.” After an incredible performance.. a cartoon is shown once again, to reveal what mysterious location the crew and their ship will land next. “Where are we?” questions one crew member.. “More like, when are we?” says another. Only Part 3 will tell.. has our crew traveled back in time?

Typical of Switchfoot, the band still had more music left in them after the show, and decided to have an aftershow, singing one more song. The aftershow also streamed on Instagram and Facebook, to include those who couldn’t make it to the full live stream. Lead singer Jon Foreman states “We are pro-community. We are anti-loneliness.” This quote sums up a lot of the purpose for these shows, to offer a sense of community and hope. Part 2 of the “Fantastic NOT Traveling Music Show” was truly an incredible adventure, filled with amazing creativity, fun jokes, and a great message of hope.

Switchfoot’s “Fantastic NOT Traveling Music Show” is a series of live stream concerts. By clicking here, you can purchase a ticket for access to the next show for $10.99, or purchase a season pass for a recurring monthly payment of $8.99 – the season pass includes a ticket to the next show, and awesome bonus content, too. Don’t miss this next show, it’s going to be a great one!