What’s better than a three-day weekend thanks to those who have fought to keep America safe? Getting to see a band you love on the Friday night of said three-day weekend, giving me a full weekend after a fun night out, of course! That was my good fortune this Veterans Day weekend as I drove to Sacramento to catch Switchfoot at Ace of Spades. For one reason or another, I have had to miss several Switchfoot tours, and then the next thing I knew, it’s been over a decade since I’ve caught them live. Suffice it to say I couldn’t wait to get to the venue to catch them again, finally!
Around the time the opener should be going on, Switchfoot bassist Tim Foreman appeared onstage instead to explain that his son, Jettee, was on tour with them (and missing high school to do so). He added that someone had commented that it seemed only natural for Jettee to open for his dad’s band. He was every inch the proud papa as he announced Jettee, whose first EP was just released earlier this month. Jettee only gave us one song (“Dancing Alone”), but that in no way detracted from a sweet family moment shared with the whole crowd.
Next up was an opening singer-songwriter who was a little older than Jettee, having just graduated from high school. Ben Goldsmith took the stage, mentioning that his first album, The World Between My Ears, was also recently released. He began with “It’ll All Be Alright,” and I liked his pretty voice right away. He had a simple charm about him, likely due to being so young (and likely green) while still having the talent to back up his ambition. Another highlight from his set was a song that came later called “Wolves.” Goldsmith said it was about “not letting people tell you what to do or get in your way,” and that’s a hard sentiment to resist. Overall, I thought he was an exceptional kid, and if I hear his name in years to come, it won’t surprise me one bit.
Finally, the time for me to revel in the joy that is a live Switchfoot set had once again returned. Before I get into details, I should try to describe what this is like for many of us: there’s something about the connection between this band and their fans. Switchfoot is what I call an “undercover Jesus band,” and I say that with love. I say “undercover” because they don’t make the kind of praise/worship music you’d hear on a Christian contemporary station (though I bet they get plenty of airplay there). Still, if you listen, you may pick up on spiritual undertones in many of Switchfoot’s lyrics. My personal connection with this band goes back to twenty years ago when I was living alone in San Diego and going through some really tough times. I discovered Switchfoot’s music in a movie: A Walk to Remember, which is about a young Christian girl who (spoiler alert!) falls in love and then dies of leukemia. Switchfoot’s music is featured throughout the movie, and I loved Jon Foreman’s voice the instant I heard it. The band’s connection to the movie made sense to me, as it wasn’t an outright religious movie, but certainly, the main character’s religion was a big part of the story. I had just lost a childhood friend to brain cancer, and as the final credits of the movie rolled, I sat in the theater crying. That day has etched itself pretty permanently in my mind since then, and through my grief, I discovered a band I truly love.
This kind of story isn’t uncommon among Switchfoot fans, I’m discovering as I meet other fans at shows. There’s a friendly, even at times a bit familial connection among the fans, but that also extends to members of the band itself. It makes for a really great live experience because I think you really can feel the love.
This particular tour was The Beautiful Letdown Tour, celebrating twenty years since the band’s first major label release. I knew the setlist would consist of mostly the songs on that album, but for me this is an album with no songs I need to skip, so I couldn’t have been happier. I wondered if they would play them in the order they appear on the album or if they would mix it up. When they took the stage, they began with “Ammunition,” immediately answering my question (it was the latter, which I think is more fun, as it gives them a chance to change things up a bit here and there).
Over the first few songs, I saw Jon Foreman pick his electric guitar up and put it right in front of his face, almost yelling into it. I’ve never seen another musician do this, but seeing it live, I connected the dots to the distorted vocals in some of their songs. I also don’t know if this is something commonly practiced among musicians or if it’s just something Foreman does to achieve the desired result, but either way I thought it was really cool.
After “Gone,” Foreman addressed the crowd, saying how great it was to see some familiar faces, as well as to be back in California, the band’s home state. They had three shows left after that night, but Foreman claimed that the tour had “felt like a gift.” He went on to express gratitude for all the stories of how the album intersected the lives of the fans (which, honestly, is what made me add my own story to this review). Foreman added that the album was “forever attached to a time in my life immediately after dropping out of college” (adding that his younger brother Tim had dropped out as well) to give the music thing one real try before they planned to “get real jobs.” Foreman described a feeling of a “fire in our chests,” feeling that they “gotta get these songs out there.” As fans at the time were burning CDs for each other, somehow, “against all odds,” The Beautiful Letdown went double platinum. All this set the stage for the title track, followed by “Redemption,” and then Foreman paused to ask the crowd to show some love to Jerome Fontamillas, the band’s keyboard player, who also plays guitar on some songs and adds backing vocals to many.
Foreman asked for a “California campfire,” adding that he meant the “digital version.” Fans seemed to know exactly what he wanted, as quickly smartphones with flashlights on went up all around the venue as the band began “On Fire.” Afterward, Foreman mentioned that he “rode the Yolo bus” (from the Sacramento airport to downtown). He explained that this inspired him to take a YOLO approach to the show. Then, with a guitar he admitted he’d bought for $20 at a pawn shop in 2002, Foreman began “Adding to the Noise.”
During “Meant to Live,” the crowd sang the chorus with the band for the first time, which was lovely. When the song was finished, there was a long ovation from the crowd. “You guys are incredible,” Foreman gushed. “Thank you so much for singing along with us.”
Later, Foreman commented on the very thing I’d wondered about before the set began: “Some of y’all are thinking, ‘my CD was in a different order…’ and some of y’all are thinking, ‘What’s a CD?” The setlist was, he explained, The Beautiful Letdown on shuffle. Before “one last song” (from the album, not the show), Foreman mentioned that the song had come out the day before he turned 25. Hopping down off the stage, Foreman sang the entirety of “Twenty-Four” from the crowd.
Back on the stage at the end of the song, Foreman thanked the crowd “for the journey we’ve been on together for the past 20 years.” He requested that the crowd pose for a photo with the band, which would later be uploaded online for all to enjoy. As they had played every song on the album, they could then play a few favorites from other albums. First up was “Stars,” which has always been a favorite of mine. Next came “Lonely Nation,” which Foreman commented they had not played all tour, adding that it “feels right.”
Foreman took a moment to properly thank all the crew responsible for the tour, from Josh the merch guy, the sound guys, and the tour photographer. Before they could finish their set, however, they were interrupted by an emergency alarm. There was a recording that played, explaining that there had been an emergency reported and asking everyone to calmly make their way toward the exits and leave the building. I looked around to try to figure out if it was some kind of stunt or if it was real. Seeing people start to reluctantly make their way toward the door, I followed suit, not wanting to leave before the show was over. Fortunately, I could hear staff near the entrance telling others that we didn’t have to leave, so I stayed put. The band was temporarily without power, so they played an acoustic version of “Hello Hurricane,” with the crowd adding vocals. It was a strange but lovely moment.
When power was restored, Foreman commented to a fan in the crowd who had requested a song that they would try it now that they could do it properly. The song was “If the House Burns Down Tonight.” When it was over, Foreman was handed a homemade banner reading “where we belong” in block letters. Foreman mentioned his childhood, “just a few hundred miles south of here,” and his connection to church. “Thank you, Sacramento, for taking it to church tonight,” he said as they concluded the evening with “Where I Belong.”
With aching feet and a happy heart, I made my way home, promising myself I wouldn’t let another ten-plus years go by before I see this band again.
Forgive the terrible setlist photo, but note the spaces in the set left for spontaneous choices or audience requests. You can find the exact set list for the night here.
