Outside of the Majestic Ventura Theater, a multitude of Young the Giant fans eagerly awaited the opening of its doors. Early arrivals got the privilege of standing up front while the line of fans continued on endlessly. Young the Giant had managed to sell out its Feb. 4 show, the first of their three month tour across the United States.

Promoting their new album, “Mind Over Matter,” Young the Giant stole the stage with their exciting beats, and drove the crowd wild with an over-the-top performance. The energy level was outstanding. The band breathed life into the Ventura Theater and created an exciting atmosphere that was felt by the audience.

Lead singer Sameer Gadhia poured forth his passion for music on stage during his performance. His ability to hit insanely high notes followed by powerful shouts showed impressive pitch range. Junior Aubree Hurtado from Buena High School said, “The band was great. Sameer died and was resurrected on the stage; his energy was fantastic and the band was perfect.”

The dynamic performers started off as a small band from Irvine called The Jakes. The Jakes changed their name to Young the Giant in 2009, and their first two singles, “My Body” and “Cough Syrup,” both reached the top five of the U.S. Alternative Songs Chart in 2010.

Young the Giant incorporated songs from their previous album, “Young the Giant,” providing an aspect of familiarity to their live performance. The diversity of songs made this performance better. By creating a mélange by mixing their older songs with the new album, the audience was motivated to sing along. Familiarity won the crowd over and led them to recognize and appreciate the new music from “Mind Over Matter.”

Opening with “Anagram” from their new album, Young the Giant electrified the theater with a driving bass line played by Payam Doostzadeh, which carried on throughout the majority of the concert.  The songs that they chose to play distinctly represented their alternative rock style, but they also possessed a lighter, ethereal quality in songs like “Cough Syrup” and “Strings” that gave them a more indie feel. Comparable to bands like Walk the Moon, Grouplove, Two Door Cinema Club, and Of Monsters and Men, Young the Giant is highly entertaining and totally worth a $25 ticket fee.

The concert was truly memorable because they gave a stellar performance. Sameer’s insane vocals were pushed to the brink the entire night. He sang every song impressively, with the same intensity as the first. The band’s consistency elevated their performance to being great. The melodious tunes of Young the Giant are still being talked about by those lucky enough to have attended as well as by those who regret missing the night.

“I wish I went to the Young the Giant concert because ‘Cough Syrup’ is one of my favorite songs and I really like the band,” freshman Allie Shields said.

Shouts erupted from the crowd after the last performance of the night, which was “My Body.” They couldn’t have selected a better song to end with. The lyrics go, “My body tells me no but I won’t quit ’cause I want more,” and Young the Giant’s performance on Feb. 4 definitely left the audience wanting to hear more.

Mind Over Matter tour begins 2/4 in Ventura, CA. Can’t wait to share our new tunes with you. http://t.co/kfoq9ipoKc pic.twitter.com/Xhxzg3gyMJ

— Young the Giant (@youngthegiant) January 31, 2014