There are bands that play shows, and there are bands that produce full immersive experiences. On Saturday night in Providence, RI, Saint Motel proved once again that they belong to the latter category. The Strand was packed with fans ready for the theatrical world the band has built around their Symphony in the Sky era. Before a single note sounded, there was a sense that the night would be just as much a performance as a concert, a blur of strings, stories, and movement.
Opener Adan Diaz warmed up the room as fans continued to pile in, offering a handful of originals and vocals-forward tracks while the anticipation built for the main event. His band exuded a fresh garage-band type of sound and while it seems like a bit of a genre mismatch with Saint Motel’s distinct brand of orchestral pop, the positive energy and atmosphere he brought fit perfectly.
Saint Motel’s Symphony in the Sky Tour, celebrating their album Saint Motel & The Symphony in the Sky and its new companion release Afterglow, delivered on its name from the moment the backing screen lit up. A silhouetted “string quartet” stood behind a curtain, music stands lined the stage, and A.J. Jackson, baton in hand, conducted the room as often as he sang into a microphone. The entire production leaned into the fantasy, and the crowd followed eagerly.
During “It’s All Happening,” Jackson turned the audience into a full orchestra, coaching them to wave glowing phone lights like batons. “Move” became a call-and-response whisper-to-shout exercise that sent a shockwave through the floor. It was evident early on: Saint Motel do not want a passive crowd. Their shows are part concert, part symphony, and part dance party, and everyone there played a role.
The encore made that connection literal. For “My Type,” Jackson left the stage entirely, racing through the venue, dancing on bars, hopping onto tables, and high-fiving fans all the way to the back. What most artists treat as a brief moment near the barricade, he turned into a full-venue sprint, turning The Strand into a 360-degree stage.
The night opened with “Puzzle Pieces” and a short dip into “A Fifth of Beethoven” and “For Elise,” later working through “Sisters,” “Fine Wine,” “Life’s a Gas,” “Van Horn,” and more. The mix of classics, theatrics, and interactive bits kept the room in motion until the very end.
Saint Motel gave Providence more than a show. They gave it spectacle, humor, choreography, nostalgia, and chaos, all wrapped in strings and sequins. Some tours entertain. This one sweeps you up.
For tickets to the ‘Symphony in the Sky Tour,’ visit saintmotel.com
