Walk the Moon Video Release Party

The Walk the Moon Video Release party was over the weekend and Kevin and I weren’t going to miss it for the world. We stopped by Clifton to pick up his friend and ventured down Central Parkway to The Mockbee. I had never been to The Mockbee before, but had heard good things -- it's a pretty cool place. (It is on the West End, so if you decide to have an event there, keep that in mind.) We parked on a well lit, yet questionable street, threw our jackets in the trunk and ran up the street to The Mockbee. Once inside we got our hands marked “21” since they had apparently ran out of wristbands. We wound our way up the stairs, through the many rooms and found the stage.

The place was packed.

We squeezed in just in time to watch the premier of Walk the Moon's video “Anna Sun” (which parts of it were filmed in The Mockbee). I stood squished in the corner and could feel the sweat starting to drip. So I took off my scarf and became very grateful that I left my coat in the car. The room was packed and approaching a million degrees, and I still enjoyed every second of the video. There was a very energized feel, and as the excitement built among strangers, everyone got ready to cheer for Walk the Moon. The video ended, and the room opened up (a bit) as people turned their focus to the stage. I was able to secure a spot on a riser in the back, so I could see (and oddly, it didn’t feel as warm up there). I sang along, took quite a few pictures and video, and had a great time.

The Mockbee is an old warehouse of sorts, that is a maze of rooms. We were in a large room in the front that was decorated with strands of white lights. Against the white walls of the room, it felt like I had been transported into the music video that had just premiered. There were no stage lights on, so the set felt more intimate. People were dancing on stage, singing and clapping and basically just having a crazy good time. Obviously a video release party brings out your best fans and best friends, but this crowd was unlike anything I’ve ever seen. There was a sense of camaraderie, excitement and euphoria that can’t be replicated.

After the first few songs, we stepped out to grab a drink. There were art stations scattered about where people could get their face painted like a lost boy (or lost girl) from the movie Hook. That set the theme for the night as well as the music video for “Anna Sun”. (I wish we had gotten to the show a bit earlier to participate in the face painting.) At the bar, we opted for the ever so popular PBR and while it didn’t really do the ambiance justice, that ice-cold beer was the icing on the cake to a great show.

We were able to inch up closer to the stage for the last few songs. They played a flawless set, and it was clear that no one wanted it to end.

I left feeling very excited. I’ve been to A LOT of Video/CD release parties and honestly, nothing really compares to this one. I can’t wait to see what happens with this band. Cincinnati has churned out quite a few great bands over the years, and I think the world is about to hear from one more.  Keep your eye on this one!