Sold out concert? Normally, this statement would be a cause for alarm to most music-lovers, but not when you’re on a first-name basis with an incredibly public-friendly band. Fortunate Youth returned to Salt Lake City on Jan. 30, and I once again had the opportunity to meet up with a few of their members and talk music videos, tour stories and upcoming events.
Rather than discussing singles, band life and albums, I decided to talk with Jordan Rosenthal, Dan Kelly and Greg Gelb about some less conventional topics. Favorite cities of this tour have included Los Angeles and Denver; every show has been pretty much sold out and they have all been great, with amazing energy and a great turn out.
The most solid tradition of any member in the group is definitely Rosenthal’s, who, before every show, goes through a very specific prayer process. He takes off his bracelets and places them under a timbale. Then, he takes off each of his necklaces and places them under his floor tom, each with a different prayer: connected to the heart, related to thankfulness, prayers for learning and healing, remembrance of the sights the band has seen and the experiences they have encountered, for their families, hopes of becoming who he aspires to be and finally, for the music, the crowd and to have a good, fulfilling performance.
I noted that many celebrities require specific food or items to be present on the tour bus and inquired if they had any such requests. In their typical, low-key fashion, they answered that fruits, veggies and water are all they need for a successful show.
It has been an eventful tour, and not only because their first official music video was recently released in Wisconsin. The boys were headed for Chicago when they encountered an unexpected issue: a broken down tour bus. After pleas for help on social media, the group got in a car with a stranger and made it down to the Windy City to perform, followed closely by their beloved bus.
The band has another music video coming out March 3, but they’re not stopping there: the tour continues until April 17, full of sold out shows and great crowds. They are about to make their charity fund, The Better Generation Foundation, official. Once that goes live, they can finally reveal and utilize the generous donations they have received so far.
Keep an eye out on Instagram (@fortunateyouth310) and other social media sites for the guys, because you can expect to see some great things happening in the near future.
And from the boys: “big ups to all the fans, and most importantly, all those who are not fans. This journey is all about finding new music and bringing people to what they love.”