I could start by offering a metaphor about how a young lady I met at the show audibly gasped and visibly blushed when one of the guys from TMTF walked by. You know because, moths are attracted to flames? But I refuse to use that easy metaphor. Instead let’s talk about their latest EP, Young & Unafraid.
In the titular song, they show an older gentleman on a skateboard who’s obviously got skills but still takes a tumble again and again. Now, someone under 35 would probably watch it and think “man, sucks to get old.” But someone who is north of that age can probably relate to the part of the brain that hasn’t gotten the message from the body it’s connected to kindly requesting a cease and desist. The wide age range of the fans in the crowd reflected this ability to hear different meanings from the same lyrics. Well thought out lyrics that point to the sheen and optimism of youth coupled with a realism that mostly comes from the empirical experience of a handful of election cycles.
Nevertheless, I saw fans from 16 to 60 singing along with these guys. And that young lady I met before the show? Yeah, she was definitely front and center with a big smile on her face.