On March 20th 2017, a long line formed outside of Rockwood stage 3 at 8 p.m.
Most of the audience had thick Irish accents and were anxiously waiting to get into the venue. They didn’t want to miss a minute of the up and coming Irish indie pop band, Picture This. The show itself sold out within an hour and it’s evident that Picture This has built a strong fan base as the audience cheered and danced to every single song that was played.
The band is composed of two major players Jimmy Rainsford on drums and background vocals while Ryan Hennessy plays guitar and sings lead vocals. Another bassist and guitarist supported them and all of them wore t-shirt and jeans, reflecting the cool and easy vibe that their music shares. They came on stage just as the last audience trickled in and began their twelve-song set after a quick introduction.
They played tracks from both their EP, Picture This, which recently went Gold in Ireland and new tracks from their to be released album. For the most part, they allowed the music to do the talking, stopping in the middle of their set to take photos of the crowd for their social media page. Beginning with the song, Savior, it is clear why they have achieved such success as they weave together relatable stories of love and life with danceable melodies and catchy hooks. On the song, “I Don’t Know Why,” Jimmy croons to the crowd as he sings, “I’m a fool, a fool for you. I don’t know why. I’m messed up, I’m broken, I’m trying my best to figure this out.” The band alternates between song that have a heavier and a lighter subject matter as they sing about being someone’s favorite “fast food restaurant, graffiti” in “Gritty Picture” to unrequited love in “Dream.” On tracks like “For You,” the lead singer switches things up and puts down his guitar to dances with the crowd, getting everyone excited as he takes his shirt off midway.
The clear winners from the set were their last three songs. Everyone knew the lyrics to them and Jimmy knew how to play the crowd as he often handed the mic to the audience to sing back to him. A lot of the audience fist pumped their way to the bromance anthem, “Let’s Be Young.” “Forget the girls and I’ll get the boys. Let’s go out. Leave our phones at home and be young tonight.” Their two singles “You and I” and “Take My Hand” were also well received. The energy in the room was infectious as everyone moved to the music and lifted their drinks to the band.
Check out their social media pages for updates.
-Summer Luk
