Concert Review: The Greeting Committee @ 9:30 Club (7/12/24)

The Greeting Committee (Photo Credit: Tyler Krippaehne)

‘You’re making my dream come true! Can’t believe we’re playing at the 9:30 Club!’
Addie Sartino of the Greeting Committee

The Greeting Committee made a welcome stop at the 9:30 Club on July 12th, and by all evidence available, those that attended were well pleased with the result. The band certainly seemed to enjoy themselves, gifting us with 20 songs, sprinkled with a dash of saxophone.

The Greeting Committee is touring for their third album, Everyone’s Gone and I Know I’m The Cause (produced independently), released in June. The album comes as a result of recent changes the band made, from a change in the lineup to choosing a creative path that broke from their comfort zone. The album is a reintroduction to the band and a testament to the changes they embraced. It explores the self-reflection and vulnerability that comes from the sense of grief and loss experienced in such growing pains. As Addie Sartino (lead vocalist) describes, ‘I was 15 when the band started and I feel like I’ve lived several different lives since then. Your brain fully develops at 25 and I feel like I woke up with the realization that there were things that weren’t good for me. I’m still grieving it all and processing everything that has happened in the last year and a half.’

After an entertaining opening set by Toledo (full of quips about being sued by Jesus), a long portion of the hauntingly beautiful “The End of the World” by Skeeter Davis played in anticipation of The Greeting Committee’s entrance (and presumably to be cheeky in acknowledging the band’s changes). Then they kicked off the set with “Tell Me I’m Wrong”, which speaks to recognizing when a relationship is over, but there’s the small hope you could be wrong.

Later they performed “17”, from their 2018 debut album, This Is It. It’s a treatise on battling the emotions of youth and love. I loved the somewhat syncopated sounds of the chorus and the earnest pleading of the lyrics.

The Greeting Committee is Addie, Pierce Turcotte (bass and saxophone), Noah Spencer (guitar) and Micah Ritchie (drums). They formed in 2014 while Addie and Pierce and two other friends (Brandon Yangmi and Austin Fraser) were in high school in Overland Park, Kansas. They cut their teeth performing at small venues in Kansas City, MO before graduating to the big time of headlining at the 9:30 Club in 2024! They have opened at the 9:30 Club twice before in 2018 and 2019.

Next came “Little Bit More”, the second song (of the eight they performed) from the new album. Sitting expectantly was a shiny saxophone stage left, and Pierce plucked it from its perch and breathed saxy life into the 9:30 Club. Pierce got all saxy in the next song as well, “You’ve Got Me”, where the crowd decided they need to participate in a big way, by dancing, and then at the end waving their hands and singing along with the chorus.

A few songs later, they performed the bouncy “Popmoneyhits” from the new album. It is about indecision. About wanting ‘everything and nothing’ and going all in the wrong way and finding out that isn’t what your partner wants.

The stage and backdrop were minimalistic, only stage lights accompanied the band members and their instruments during this musical feast. It didn’t appear to be a sell out, but it was certainly close. It was clear many in the crowd knew The Greeting Committee well, as multiple songs from earlier albums elicited an abundance of cheers. Addie owned the entire stage, never standing still, and fully belting out every lyric like it might be the last one of the show. She got down with the crowd during “Bird Hall”, from their second album Dandelion. After snaking through and working the crowd, Addie returned to the stage +1 (with a newly added drink). The song itself is down-tempo, while still being wistfully atmospheric. The next song was among the many highlights of the set, but unfortunately I couldn’t determine the name (if you know, please comment.)

The final song from the new album and the end of the main set came in the form of the upbeat single “How It Goes”, which speaks to the repetitive nature of how our quirks and flaws effect our relationships.

They returned for a two-song encore, both from This Is It. Addie sat on the stage and implored the band to ‘Play something sexy over there.’, which resulted in the slower and jazzier “More”, where the band did get sexy and Addie put her vocal chops to full use to resoundingly croon the chorus, ‘You, oh You’re making me love you more, Than all of the days before’. Literal chills swept through the 9:30 Club. They ended with “Pull It Together”, something we all needed to do after their performance.

Buy their new album, and why not give all their albums a listen?

We can rest assured The Greeting Committee will be back, and we won’t be gone, we’ll be here for it.

Setlist