On Saturday, March 15, indie-rock band Saint Motel made their stop in San Francisco during their Symphony In the Sky Tour, wowing fans at the historic venue The Fillmore. After announcing their new album, Symphony in the Sky’s release in September 2024, Saint Motel quickly followed up the news with an announcement that a tour would accompany their new album’s release. Saint Motel captivated audiences during their hour and a half set, bringing lively energy and catchy vocals to the stage.
The four-member band consists of lead vocalist AJ Jackson, lead guitarist Aaron Sharp, bassist Dak Lerdamornpong, and drummer-slash-hype man Greg Erwin. The quartet met during film school at Chapman University in 2007 and released their first song in 2009. The chemistry between these four was undeniable as they each brought their own unique energy to the group.
Audience members began to crowd into The Fillmore lobby at 7:30 p.m., searching for a good location to view the show from The Fillmore’s ballroom, where concertgoers with general admissions tickets danced throughout the night. The Fillmore was originally built in 1912 and has an ornate style of architecture throughout, with multiple chandeliers in almost every room of the building. The bar located just off the ballroom floor, as well as the nostalgic poster room upstairs, was a popular spot where attendees throughout the evening went in and out, purchasing concessions and getting to know fellow crowd members. On the far side of the bar was a merchandise station with clothing apparel featuring both Saint Motels and The Fillmore’s iconic logos.
To warm up the sold out crowd, pop band Great Good Fine Ok, the opener of the night, promptly kicked off the show at 8:00 p.m. with their upbeat vocals and sometimes rather questionable skits. The crowd’s anticipation only grew as the announcer counted down the minutes until the headlining act. This deep ominous voice returned throughout the show, signaling a change in acts and adding a sci-fi tone to the “Symphony in the Sky” themed performance.
Saint Motel entered stage left at exactly 9:17 p.m., and after taking over the stage, all four band members bowed in unison as the crowd erupted into cheers. Lead singer AJ Jackson acted as the evening’s conductor, beginning by waving his baton to signal the start of the show. The band jumped straight into their set, playing “For Elise” from their 2016 album Saintmotelivision as the crowd danced and sang along. Saint Motel’s performance of “For Elise” warmed up the crowd, having everyone swaying back and forth, softly singing along to Jackson’s dazzling vocals.
Following the opening song, Jackson asked the crowd, “How we doing, San Francisco?” to which the audience erupted into cheers. Jackson then turned around to face a white screen with the silhouettes of the orchestra mysteriously outlined and surrounded by stars, conducting the musicians that were out of view.
The ballroom promptly went dark as Saint Motel resituated themselves to transition into their next song, “Sisters.” Jackson interacted with the crowd throughout the performance, hinting at the next song by mentioning its title in a playful way. “Anybody here have a sister?” Jackson said to introduce “Sisters.”
Saint Motel continued to excite the audience during the performances of their next songs off of their new album such as, “Life’s a Gas” and “Hold My Place in Heaven.” During the songs, Jackson donned a pair of floor length white angel wings as he performed, adding a sense of theatrics to enhance the band’s performance.
Saint Motel brought the vibes of the venue to the next level as they transitioned into playing one of their most popular songs, “Move” from their album Saintmotelivision. Jackson addressed the crowd saying “The next level is screaming” goading the crowd into singing along to one of the band’s catchiest songs. “We f*cking got this San Francisco” Jackson yelled as he interacted with the crowd. “Move,” a song that feels written to be played live, got the whole crowd dancing and singing along as the audience’s energy became more and more noticeably heightened.
At ten p.m., Saint Motel transitioned into singing “Fine Wine,” one of the most popular songs off their new album. Audience members ecstatically sang along to the catchy song, singing lyrics such as “We’re not in a hurry/ There’s too much to do here, Our bodies will age/ But we’ll never grow old.” Saint Motel took a moment before performing “Cold Cold Man” to thank each member of the band’s crew, and the band directed the audience to point their phone flashlights toward each crew member. The band taking a moment to thank the crew epitomized their warm and welcoming presence and fit in smoothly with the rest of the performance.
As the band performed “Cold Cold Man,” their second most popular song, the crowd erupted, finding a new sense of energy and throwing their hands into the air, clapping along to all the lyrics.
Blue and purple lights illuminated the venue throughout the performance which would flash on and off as the band smoothly transitioned between songs. Towards the end of the evening, the ballroom was taken over by flashing lights and a disco ball that lit up the venue’s chandelier-strewn ceiling, adding a disco-esque feel to the dance floor, and making for a unique experience for the crowd.
Perhaps the highlight of the evening was when the first note of their number one song “My Type” entered the crowd’s ears and souls. This was the highest point of the evening, and the entire audience cheered and sang their hearts out, jumping up and down to the beat. This was Jackson’s cue to come careening into the audience and make his way through the crowd, high-fiving and dancing with his fans as audience members parted.
As the chorus hit, so did Jackson’s feet atop the counter as he trounced across the bar, singing romantically to the bartender. During his lofty dismount, Jackson weaved his way through the crowd and back to the center stage as audience members struggled to process what had just happened.
As the night came to an end, the band reunited on stage and took a bow as they tossed their set list into the crowd. The audience applauded for what seemed like an eternity as the band reveled in the moment and then exited as they had entered: off stage left. Saint Motel’s riveting and theatrical performance earned four and a half out of five feathers.
