TK Collective borderline brought the house down during their first house show of the semester last Monday September 6th. TK Collective was started in September of 2020 with just three guys, a mic, a guitar, a bass, and a drum kit. TK started off with lead singer and guitarist, Cooper Carr, bassist, Griffin Oakley, and drummer Evan Lutz. Since their ‘get-to-know TK’ set at Battle of the Bands, TK has added two more members to their collection, singer Kelsey Minko, and lead guitarist Sam Carson.
TK’s set started off with their second ever single ‘Darlin’ I Do’. Nothing set the tone of the night better than Cooper Carr’s beautiful range. Combined with Carr’s amazing riffs, and emotional rasp, everyone knew the show would be one for the books. The chorus of ‘Darlin’ I Do’ has dynamic swells that are perfectly complemented by Kelsey Minko’s earthy and grounding harmonies. Needless to say, the chorus has been stuck in our staff’s heads, in the best way since. Next up was their indelible cover of Michael Jackson’s ‘PYT’. The audience was blown away by Carr’s upper register and endless runs that could only rival that of Ben Platt’s. Two songs into the show and TK had already emmassed a well-deserved mosh pit. Some would say it was for drummer and band heartthrob, Evan Lutz, others will say it's for TK’s unstoppable stage presence, we will never know.
TK’s third song was their latest single ‘Upside Down’ which was played for the first time live that night after only being released a couple weeks prior. ‘Upside Down’ tells the story of someone in a long-distance relationship and having to separate again, but knowing your love will stay present through it. Having to spend the summer with your person and then the unfortunate end of that summer. The song explains how the world feels ‘Upside Down’ and for the time being, they just don't want to say goodbye. ‘Upside Down’ was a perfect break in the set, it showcased the band’s versatility while still sounding like themselves. Keeping the mood was their next track, ‘We’ll See Tomorrow’. TK did a great job keeping the crowd engaged throughout their set. While ‘We’ll See Tomorrow’ is still a ballad of sorts, they were able to get the crowd swaying along to the song, sing the bridge and the outro of the song. After was the title track off their EP ‘Off The Edge’. New member, Kelsey Minko, was heard loud and clear during ‘Off The Edge’ and the crowd was on the edge of their seats hearing every crisp consonant and belted open toned phrases. Overall, Minko is a strong singer and a fantastic addition to the band.
After their cover of Jason Isbell’s ‘Cover Me Up’ brought the crowd back to a stable, no longer head-banging state, TK hit the crowd with back-to-back unforettable covers. A Nashville favorite, Chris Stapleton’s ‘Midnight Train to Memphis’ and Blondie’s ‘Heart of Glass’ in the style of Miley Cyrus. TK’s cover of ‘Midnight Train to Memphis’ put a well-deserved spotlight on TK’s rhythm section. Lead guitarist Sam Carson headed off the instrumental solo section by wowing the crowd with some ridiculous licks. This was followed up by bassist Griffin Oakley’s bass solo that brought the mosh pit back to center stage. Lastly, was drummer Evan Lutz’s drum solo, which nearly knocked the Christmas lights off the house.
However, nothing could have prepared the audience for Kelsey Minko’s version of ‘Heart of Glass’. Minko left everything on the stage with her raw vocal talent. Perfectly articulating every emotion with grit and passion throughout the entire song was a sight to see and something The Tower staff will never forget. Kelsey Minko simply presented the crowd a silver platter of undeniable talent and the crowd ate it up and left no crumbs. Keeping the energy up after Minko’s ‘Heart of Glass’ would have been a challenge for any other band; however, TK matched the crowd’s energy by playing ‘Good New Day’. ‘Good New Day’ highlighted Cooper Carr, Griffin Oakley, and Sam Carson’s ability to absolutely shred their given instruments. ‘Good New Day’ brought the backyard fireflies out adding to the immaculate summer vibe the song embodies.
Closing out TK’s setlist was the first song off their EP ‘Off The Edge’, fan-favorite ‘Don’t Be’. Riling up the crowd even more, ‘Don’t Be’ is more than mosh-worthy, it’s head-banging borderline-concussion worthy. During the finale, it would have been no surprise to see audience members crowd surfing. TK Collective’s house show was a jaw-dropping and had-to-be-there event. Make sure you follow them on Instagram, @tkcollectiveband, check out their Spotify, and follow The Tower to see where and when their next shows are.
Comentários