Sitting On Stacy Puts on a High-energy Performance in Berkeley, CA
On July 12, 2024, I saw Sitting On Stacy perform at the Cornerstone in Berkeley, CA. This was the last headlining show of their “Looking Past Red Flags Tour”, following the release of their new full length album back in February. Sitting On Stacy is an indie rock band from Southern California, consisting of Hoyt Yeatman on vocals and guitar, Kyle Hart on the bass, and Trevor Smith on the drums.
They had three support acts, which I thought would make the show feel very long. However, all three acts were a perfect fit for the band’s demographic and the audience definitely enjoyed their sets as much as the headliner’s. The three openers - Far West, Strange Case, and The Alive helped hype up the audience for Sitting On Stacy. People seemed hesitant at first and stood a few feet from the stage, but at the end of the third opening act everyone was packed towards the stage and dancing along to their songs.
Sitting On Stacy took the stage soon after The Alive. They started the set with “Hope She’s the One,” a sweet song about finding the one. The song started off slower, with a ska-style rhythm that was contrasted with powerful guitar riffs and drumming in between verses. The next song “Baby Girl” had a louder rock/punk sound, standing out from the first song and showcasing the range of genres in their discography.
Setlist Favorites:
The lead singer, Yeatman, immediately caught my attention with his great stage presence, as he jumped around the stage to the music during instrumental breaks. The rest of the band definitely matched his energy, making it hard to decide who to point my camera to. You could also tell that they had great chemistry together as a band, often interacting with each other on stage while performing and overall giving a very high-energy performance.
Along with great stage presence, Yeatman was also very interactive with the crowd, noticing and making eye contact with many fans who were singing every lyric and dancing along to their songs.
“This next song is a very important song to us, it’s crazy when life gets in the way of a lot of things,” said Yeatman. “Someone reached out to us and told us how much this song meant to them.” They followed with their song “Harmony”, further showcasing the dynamic range of music they have with a more mellow but meaningful song.
Before the encore, I walked over to the back of the venue. The first thing I noticed was how engaged the audience was with the show. Yeatman was singing directly to many fans in the front row, and other fans in the back moshed to the high-energy songs on the setlist.
Sitting On Stacy is a very talented band who you should definitely see next time they’re near you. I hadn't heard much about the band prior, but they definitely exceeded my expectations. Although I wasn’t familiar with their music before this show, seeing them live definitely made me a fan. I drove back home listening to their music as there were many songs throughout the show that immediately stuck and I couldn’t help but listen to again.
You can see Sitting On Stacy live this summer, as they will be supporting Sublime with Rome* and The Expendables** on tour, and playing one more headlining show in Washington, DC and a festival in Redding, CA.
8/14: Pittsburgh, PA*
8/16: Columbus, OH*
8/22: Bethlehem, PA*
8/23: Boston, MA*
8/24: New York City, NY*
8/25: Asbury Park, NJ*
8/28: Washington, DC
8/29: Outer Banks, NC*
8/30: Asheville, NC*
8/31: Charleston, SC*
9/01: Atlanta, GA*
9/14: Kansas City, MO*
9/27: Redding, CA
10/21: San Diego, CA**
10/22: Ventura, CA**
10/23: Santa Ana, CA**
View the full concert gallery here.
