Abigail McNatt Photography: Wide Awake Tour

Parachute. Definitely one of America's Secrets ("American Secrets" is a song title but that's close enough right?). The band, who originates from Charlottesville, Virginia, doesn't have a huge following. With only 130,000 Twitter followers (which isn't all that much in the world of Twitter), members, Johnny Stubblefield (drums), Kit French (saxophone/keyboard/vocals), and Will Anderson (lead vocals/guitar/piano) travel the country playing in the smaller music venues of each city. On July 26th, 2016, the band made a pit stop in the wonderful city of Pittsburgh on the second leg of their Wide Awake Tour.

Having seen them at the Rex Theater in the summer of 2015, I knew as soon as they announced their show at Mr. Smalls Theatre in Millvale, PA, I had to be there. I've been a fan of theirs for probably about 2-3 years now and getting a photo pass for this show was a big deal for me.

Once I arrived at Mr. Smalls, I went inside, got my photo pass, and prepared myself, physically and emotionally, for a night I would never forget.

Being such a small band, they had even smaller and lesser-known openers. So, I'm going to do an introduction to both of them and link you to their social medias.

First on the stage was Pop/Rock artist, Jerad Finck, of Spokane, WA. He was amazing, to say the least. With only a microphone, guitar, and his loop pedal (which is a musical device that basically record sounds that can be replayed on stage), his set was very intimate and raw, which is something I love in acoustic music and concerts. But man, can he play guitar. I was amazed by his guitar skills. In between songs, he talked a lot about the city and that there are a ton of different Pokemon here, from the ever so popular mobile app, Pokemon Go. I also had the pleasure of meeting him after his set and he was really nice!

Overall, his set was very enjoyable, especially for those who are into raw/acoustic sound and relatable lyrics.

You can check Jerad Finck out on Spotify, YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, iTunes, and more!

Next up, was the Indie/Folk/Pop artist, Brynn Elliott of Atlanta, GA. She was fantastic. When she first came on stage, I didn't know what to expect. I first thought she was the lead singer in a band, until after her set when I met her at her merch table. She talked in between songs about her songwriting process, the meaning behind each of her songs, being a college student, as well as touring with Parachute. The crowd seemed to love her, seeing how long the line was to meet her after her set. She was also a total sweetheart. Her set was more-so on the performance side, as oppose to Jerad's intimate set. She sang all originals, some with electric guitar, some with acoustic, and some with piano. Her voice definitely has a folk sound to it, so if you're into that style, I'd definitely go check her out!

Overall, needless to say, I was a fan of hers after she finished her set and I highly recommend checking Brynn and Jerad out at the links I've provided. They do not disappoint.

You can check Brynn Elliott out on Spotify, YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, iTunes, and more!

After a long break to setup the stage after the opener sets, it was time for Parachute. The lights dimmed as the band got into their positions. The crowd went wild once the filler music stopped and the lights dimmed. I even found myself being a part of the madness, as I was directly in the center of it all, camera ready. They wasted no time, busting out their first tune, and single from their newest album, released in early 2016, Wide Awake, Without You. The fans were dancing, singing, and watching in awe as lead singer, Will Anderson, spat out every lyric.

Next up was one of my favorites from their 2013 release Overnight, Didn't See It Coming. Being the Wide Awake Tour, I was surprised to hear so little songs from that album, however, being an older fan, I enjoyed singing along to songs I have loved for years.

Continuing with the trend of older songs, they sang Meant To Be, a fast-paced, upbeat, love song, another of my favorites. The crowd behind me continued to sing along - and scream along - to each and every word.

From their 2011 release of their album, The Way It Was, White Dress was next up on the set list. As one can probably imagine, there were many girls in white dresses, attempting be ironic, but it was pretty cool to see. Will, being the lead singer and most talkative of the group on stage, continued the set by talking about all the mishaps on the tour thus far, such as setting something on fire in the bus and Johnny saving everyone, all the way to breaking down in Albuquerque. Needless to say, they were happy to finally be in Pittsburgh.

The next song on the set list was a fairly popular one. Being the #1 single off of Overnight, Can't Help was a crowd pleaser. I walked all around the floor after the third song was over, getting a bunch of different angles for my photos, and saw just about everyone sing along and dance to this one. Pretty typical for a hit single, but it was still awesome to see. The room, being small for a music venue in the first place, was only about half full, but everyone up front was pushed up against each other. What was nice, though, was that everyone was calm and happy and just there for the music. You didn't get claustrophobic just standing there.

The next two songs the band performed were older ones as well. The first one, from The Way It Was, Something To Believe In, another upbeat, dance-able song, with inspiring and motivational lyrics. The next was from their first album, Losing Sleep, released in 2009, She (for Liz), although I've never really found out where the 'for Liz' part came from. Fans, old and new, obviously loved that they included a few older, underrated songs, myself especially. I own all 4 of their albums and know just about every word, so I was enjoying every second.

As much as I loved that they played a bunch of older songs, I was excited when I'd hear the first few chords of any of the recently released songs. The next two songs, Getaway and Jennie, both from Wide Awake, were next on the set. These are two of my favorites from the new album, and were also singles off of it. This show was a getaway of sorts for most everyone in the audience, it seemed. Each and every face I saw, they looked just totally lost in the music or lost in their significant other's eyes. It was definitely a getaway for myself with all the craziness of work, college, and life in general. So it was nice to have Parachute there to provide that for all of us.

They slowed the vibes down a lot with their next song. Anderson got out his acoustic guitar and Stubblefield and French stepped to his side with a harmonica and shaker. The lights had more of a sorrow feel to them as well. If you know Parachute at all or have seen them live, you know they almost always perform this ballad. It's titled Forever and Always off of The Way It Was. It is a very sad, beautiful song. But, don't worry... it is not based off of a true story, as songwriter Will reassures just about every time they perform it. Everyone knows every lyric and sings along as tears fall down their face. Anderson pokes fun at this as the song ends by saying, "Okay, that's enough tears for tonight".

Stepping up the pace again, the band next plays Lonely With Me, another single off of Wide Awake, also another of my favorites. It's probably my top favorite off of the newest album, actually. It is a very upbeat song with sweet and catchy lyrics, something they are known for. If you listen to a majority of their singles, not many, if any at all, are anything like the songs you hear on the radio today. They are just as catchy as most of the mainstream music you hear, but have much cleaner and more innocent lyrics.

Slowing it down a bit again, The Virginia-born lead singer sits down at his piano, located at stage right, for the introduction of What I Know, a tune with a sweet melody but heartbreaking lyrics that most anyone can relate to. Being such a fantastic songwriter, Anderson shows fans and anyone willing to listen to his songs, that everyone feels the roller coaster of love and heartbreak. At the age of 30, he has written countless amounts of songs about this very topic and does an amazing job when it comes to showing that he really feels what he has written about, by performing just about every emotion on stage.

Continuing with the slow pace, they play a definite fan favorite next. She Is Love of off Losing Sleep, a ballad that just about every body in the room knows the words to. Looking around the room, I saw a number of couples just lost in each other's eyes for the duration of the song and it made me smile, thinking of my other half, and just to really see how music can bring people together. In the front of the audience, all I saw was a bunch of wide-eyed girls, in awe over the band, singing every word. The members surely noticed the dedication of the audience that night, as Anderson had the microphone facing the audience to 'help' him out with the lyrics a few times that night.

Another song that was fairly popular amongst the crowd, was the number #1 single off of Wide Awake, that can actually be heard on SIRIUS XM radio, (and was heard by the band that day for the first time on the radio) What Side of Love. The song describes each and every side of love one can feel, the good, the bad, the ugly, and the beautiful. It is sort of a motivational song for those who have given up on love, saying not to give up and that love is worth waiting for. If someone didn't know the words to most of the songs that night, they definitely knew the words to this one. Kit introduced with piano, while Johnny banged the drums and Will accompanied on piano, and the audience provided background, making for an absolutely beautiful performance.

They then thanked the crowd and Pittsburgh for a great night and promised to be back as soon as they could be and high-fived fans, before exiting the stage for about two minutes as the crowd begged for more. As if no one expected it, they walked back on stage, granting the wishes of everyone in the room. Anderson talked about how encores work, explaining how they awkwardly stand backstage looking at each other and listening to the crowd chant their names. He then joked that in some cities, people start to pile out before the band even has a chance to come back out.

For their final song, they went with another slow song, but also a fan favorite. Kiss Me Slowly, is another of my favorites and, not coincidentally, the song I first discovered of theirs. A definite love song that most everyone knew. I knew without even looking, that the couples were lost in each other. Surely, those without their loved ones present, like myself, were feeling nostalgic, being a song filled with enough emotion for everyone to feel. A song that the band does so well, you can just feel what it feels like to be that in love with someone, even if you've never felt it before. That's the way I felt when I first saw them perform it on their last tour, before I ever even fell in love. Needless to say, the entire room was lost in the music, for the last 3 minutes and 56 seconds of the show.

Once it was over, they thanked the fans and the city, again, and got together and took a bow, signifying the end of the show.

Overall, I was impressed by the entire show. Having seen just Kit and Will (Johnny was out for the Pittsburgh stop due to family obligations) last year for a raw and intimate show, I was really impressed by what a full Parachute set looks like. One of the best concerts I have been to in a while. They provided fans with a roller coaster of emotional lyrics and upbeat melodies, performing them with class. Most shows today are all about the pyrotechnics/technology, sexual factors (outfits or lack thereof), and dancing, and as cool as those are to see sometimes, it's nice to see a show that is all about the music. The band wasn't dressed in crazy outfits or anything more than what they'd probably wear on a normal day. That's something that I love about them, and I'm sure most people do, is that they're simple and they are all about their music and the fans who love and support it.

I highly recommend catching them at any of the remaining Wide Awake Tour shows or catch them on their next tour, Tour de Compadres, with NEEDTOBREATHE, Mat Kearney, and Welshly Arms, running from August to November! They do not disappoint at any show.

You can check them out on Spotify, YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, iTunes, and more!

(Psst they posted one of my photos on Twitter, so be sure to check that out and retweet it too :) )

Check out a few of my favorite shots at the bottom of this post!

You can check out the rest of my shots from this show here!