While current superstars such as Justin Bieber, Ed Sheeran and Rihanna have adopted to newer styles, American pop rock band has stuck to their hit formula.
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Their frontman Ryan Tedder has written hits for some of the world's biggest acts including Adele and Beyoncé, and the music they make is the kind of accessible pop-rock so beloved of Indian audiences (just ask Bryan Adams) so it's surprising that American band OneRepublic's debut concert in India did not generate as much buzz as those by Justin Bieber and Ed Sheeran. If Bieber got so much more press, you could put it down to the difference between musicians who are merely popular and those who are celebrities.
Of course, there were the customary promotional articles in newspaper supplements about their itinerary but while everybody was talking about (even if they had no intention of attending) the Bieber and Sheeran shows, this was a gig that only excited hardcore fans. Social media posts by the band documenting their time in Mumbai, where they performed on Saturday, April 21, were filled with comments from followers in other countries and Indian cities requesting the group to tour there.
Sensibly, promoters Opium Events decided to shift the venue from the dusty MMRDA Grounds in Bandra Kurla Complex to the air-conditioned Dome at the National Sports Club of India in Worli. Having dealt with unseasonal rain when American progressive metal veterans Dream Theater took the stage in October, perhaps they didn't want to grapple with incidents of heatstroke in this harsh weather. Mumbai's mugginess can be challenging not just for attendees but, as we saw with Bieber last May, musicians as well.
However, there's a chance the organisers misjudged the ticket prices, which ranged from Rs 4,000 to Rs 10,000 per person. The Dome, which can accommodate between 6,000 to 8,000 people, was only half-full and populated by an audience dominated by schoolchildren and collegians. OneRepublic is a band that peddles music which appeals most to listeners half their age. You could say the same for plenty of pop acts. The reason why Tedder and Co have never been critics' darlings is because while the genre's current superstars such as Bieber, Ed Sheeran and Rihanna have been quick to adopt newer styles such as tropical house in their tunes, OneRepublic has stuck to their hit formula.
Each of their four albums comprises mid-tempo anthems about existential crises and optimism in the face of despair. As such, they're self-help books in the form of song and though there will always be an audience for that kind of stuff, the formula seems to be giving diminishing returns. Their last album, 2016's Oh My My, was their first to not engender a top 10 hit. Yet it's possible that this lack of superstardom is what allows them to truly engage with their fans.
Catch @OneRepublic performing Live in India for the First Time at Dome, NSCI in Worli. Grab your tickets now to groove to favorites like 'Counting Stars', 'Stop & Stare', 'If I Lose Myself' & more live on 21st April. Book tickets: https://t.co/eI3KyqMN4d@Vh1India@DomeIndiapic.twitter.com/7mTtQlgy8k
— Things2doinMumbai (@todoinmumbai) April 17, 2018
Despite reports that they would be partying with Shah Rukh Khan and Deepika Padukone, their timelines weren't dotted with deer-in-the-headlights selfies with Bollywood celebrities but of visits to the Gateway of India and Irani food institution Britannia (where unfortunately they mistook the 96-year-old proprietor for a waiter).
Refreshingly, they did not employ the now-clichéd device of donning traditional Indian wear onstage to charm the audience. Instead, Tedder wore a T-shirt with the words "South Bombay Snob" printed across it, and one can only hope that he was being ironic and had been educated about Mumbai's socio-geographical dynamics by the tourist guide they hired. After all, the concert was moved from the 'burbs to town, and they were lodged at The Taj in Colaba.
By also eschewing an elaborate stage backdrop for a simple yet eye-catching lighting design, the group seemed to want to keep the focus on the music, and Tedder, who took the spotlight while his band mates were content with playing supporting if essential characters.
Looking forward to playing more shows this year! Asia, you're next. Tickets here: https://t.co/uwLKcHmaKC 🇮🇳🇸🇬🇲🇾🇰🇷🇨🇳 pic.twitter.com/PektvzOk69
— OneRepublic (@OneRepublic) April 11, 2018
On his part, Tedder did everything we've come to expect from touring acts, from greeting us with "Namaste" to speaking a smattering of Hindi to including the name of our city in the lyrics of a track ("Good Life") to professing unbridled love for our country to promising to return and showering the house with bursts of confetti.
Playing to the gallery is, as we know, the main business of a pop-rock band, itself an endangered species in this age of electronic music. It was somewhat ironic then that in a 17-song set that included all the hits, an album cut (Better), a cover (Beyoncé's Halo, which Tedder co-wrote and composed), the best moments of the night had EDM connections. He turned "Wake Me Up" into a plaintive piano ballad to pay tribute to Avicii, and the stadium felt most alive during the band's stomping rendition of "If I Lose Myself", a track remixed by Swedish house music producer Alesso. (This might explain why their somewhat curious choice of Calvin Harris' Slide to play on the PA before they took stage.)
Unlike many DJs, who rarely step down from behind their pedestal-like console, Tedder repeatedly left the stage to touch the hands of fans in the front row. It was another indication that unlike Bieber and Sheeran, he doesn't consider himself in a separate stratosphere from his followers. Sometimes, a lack of celebrity can be a good thing.
Writer
Amit Gurbaxani@thegrooveboxAuthor is a journalist who has been writing about music and covering the country's independent scene for almost two decades.
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