BURGETTSTOWN — We know at least five dozen kids younger than age 15 attended the Thirty Seconds to Mars show Wednesday at KeyBank Pavilion.
That's how many youngsters, with the blessing of their parents, accepted singer Jared Leto's invitation for everyone under 15 to join him on stage to teach dance moves to the rest of us during the rock band's new song, "Rescue Me." The elementary school kids busted out some exuberant arm swings, though even they couldn't match the zeal of the dozens of adults Leto later brought onstage to dance along to the show-closing "Closer to the Edge."
You see some unusual things at a Thirty Seconds to Mars show, some of which worked, some of which didn't, in Burgettstown.
The Los Angeles band — sort of reduced to a twosome — didn't even give the best performance of the night according to my scorecard, which ranked top support act Walk the Moon higher.
Leto and his older brother, Shannon Leto, on drums proved that Thirty to Seconds to Mars has a remarkably devout local following: guys and gals alike, who faithfully heeded every stage instruction, be it lifting their arms, crouching to the ground or adding "oooh oh" vocals on a number of songs. If fans noticed guitarist Tomo Milicevic wasn't there — he officially quit the band two days earlier — they didn't seem to mind, as anything Jared Leto did or said earned rapt attention and approval.
"You know you're someplace special when the women scream for you while you're wearing overalls," Leto, 46, joked.
Obviously, it was the person wearing those overalls that elicited lustful screams.
Rocking a thick beard and long hair tucked under a ball cap, Leto started the show in green rubber gloves and a hooded yellow raincoat — not form-fitting but perhaps appropriate, as a savage downpour and high winds brought the concert to a halt halfway through the final song of warmup act MisterWives and video screens urged fans to seek shelter. Those on the lawn were invited under the roof of the seated pavilion. Good thing the turnout was light enough to accommodate them.
Leto soon shed the sweltering jacket and unleashed his magnetism as fans dutifully chanted along on "This Is War," followed by recent alternative radio chart-topper "Dangerous Night," with its catchy pop chorus and tasty electronic touches. The aforementioned "Rescue Me" offered a timely message of hope for those battling depression and anxiety.
Leto demonstrated he's a solid singer, not flashy but dependable. He's a master at working a crowd. Even during the let's-see-which-side-of-the-crowd-can-cheer-louder shtick, he held the audience in the palm of those same hands that clutched an Oscar award in 2014 for his supporting role in "Dallas Buyer's Club."
Still, that void at guitar was a problem. An unintroduced musician stood off to the side and contributed keys and bass guitar, while further in the shadows, on the opposite side, stood a man behind a laptop presumably supplying guitar touches. That wasn't a sufficient sound, or a good look, made noticeable when a contest winner got to play guitar on one song. The young man played very well, though there came a moment in the song where he wasn't picking or strumming, but you still could hear guitar. The Letos should find a full-time replacement if they can't patch things up with Milicevic, the lead guitarist since 2003, who publicly cited "personal matters" for his decision to split.
The Letos kept fans excited, though, especially on the triumphant "The Kill (Bury Me)," powered by Jared's emo vocals and Shannon's pounding drums. Jared asked the crowd to imagine where they were when that song came out in 2006.
Safe to say, at least five dozen spectators Wednesday would have been in diapers, if they had even been born yet.
Walk the Moon made the most of its hour-long set of high-energy, synth-powered alternative rock. Frontman Nicholas Petricca seemed to have springs in his black boots, bouncing along to the band's danceable beats, which kept the audience entertained even as the wind began blowing rain into the pavilion.
As with a Jan. 23 headlining show at Stage AE, Walk the Moon brought good vibes and catchy hooks. The Cincinnati foursome made everyone ecstatic with a faithful romp through the band's chart-topping "Shut Up and Dance."