The Struts frontman Luke Spiller invited a young fan on stage Thursday night and he also happened to be named Luke.
“You are going to witness the start of a new band, called the Lucky Lukes,” joked Spiller. “Can you sing? I don’t care even if you can’t, as long as you got passion; Mick Jagger can’t sing, he’s just got passion you know what I mean?”
The “Lucky Lukes” sang through the chorus of Struts’ hit “Put Your Money On Me” with fans chanting “oh yeah” while clapping their hands in the air.
The Struts, currently on their “Young and Dangerous Tour” in support of their latest studio album “Young and Dangerous,” took on the rainbow-lit stage at Canalside on Thursday night and opened to the cheering crowd with “Primadonna Like Me.” Spiller dazzled on stage with his signature glittered cheekbones, black tattoo chokers, a gold fringe jacket, and an embellished green blouse.
Their 17-song set was packed with a mix of new and old hits, piano renditions and guitar solos. The crowd went wild during their latest banger “Body Talks,” as Spiller amazed them with his quirky dance moves. The band went on to perform “Kiss This” and “In Love With A Camera.”
Spiller later addressed the audience for the first time to ask them if they were having a good time.
“Are you ready to witness the greatest show on earth? Let’s turn on the heat shall we?”
He went on to sing “Fire” while playing the piano, as the crowd ecstatically swayed and clapped to the rhythm.
Guitarist Adam Slack and bassist Jed Elliot delivered stunning solos at the end of the melody for “People,” leaving the crowd awestruck. Spiller commended his bandmates on their performance and said “everything [Slack] does..., he does so well,” as the audience continued to applaud and whistle.
“Every time I come out here to Buffalo, I pull out my platform boots and I go strutting down the streets you know,” Spiller said. “Unfortunately, in some other places in the United States when I do the same, they look at me like I am f-----g crazy or something.”
Spiller continued to talk about the ups and downs of touring and the criticisms he’s faced regarding his eccentric personality and style. He then clapped back at those who asked him to change, all while singing a rendition of “I Do It So Well” in a theatrical fashion.
Spiller encouraged the audience to turn their phone flashlights on as he sang an acoustic rendition of “Mary Go Round.” Canalside looked beautiful as the crowd sang along with arms in the air, phones lit up and surrounded by cotton-candy skies.
Fans of the band seemed euphoric. They jumped, danced, yelled “let's boogie-woogie” and stayed energized throughout the show.
“The energy was better, the crowd was better, this was fantastic,” said concertgoer Mer Wilcox who drove up from Erie to watch the band for the fourth time. Wilcox said her favorite moment during the show was Slack’s guitar solo.
“It always gets me, it’s so intense,” Wilcox said.
Another attendee, Jennifer Siragusa, said she has seen the band six times and called their show “old school rock n’ roll reborn.”
“I just love it when they come out, the hairs on my arms stand up, it's like being back when Zeppelin played or when AC/DC plays.”
The Struts ended the show with “Where Did She Go” and “Somebody New,” before awarding the crowd with their encore performance of “Could Have Been Me.”
After the show, drummer Gethin Davies and Slack tossed drum sticks and setlists at the elated audience, leaving them with a piece of the unforgettable rock show to take away.
Vindhya Burgupalli is the asst. multimedia editor and can be reached at Vindhya.Burugupalli@ubspectrum.com.
Vindhya Burugupalli is the engagement editor for The Spectrum. She loves traveling and documenting her experiences through mp4s and jpegs. In her free time, she can be found exploring cute coffee shops and food spots.
