Music fans at The Intersection on Thursday learned an important concert lesson: if a drummer has to use gaffer tape looped around his head to keep his headphones on, he means business.

Mutemath, a four-piece rock band from New Orleans, stopped into The Intersection for what can only be described as a grand spectacle.

After the supporting band finished their set and the stage was prepared for the headliner, the lights of the Intersection darkened. Sounds of drums and crash cymbals could be heard, but the drum set on stage was motionless.

Finally a wave of heads turned around to greet the band in the back of the venue. Every member was carrying a percussion instrument commonly found in marching bands and was playing a loud, upbeat cadence.

The group energetically marched through the sea of people to take their place on stage. This entrance set the tone for the evening, fans realized that anything could, and probably would, happen.

Mutemath’s sound is a difficult one to categorize. At the heart, Mutemath is a hard rock band. Throughout the evening songs sometimes had electronic components and improvised jams, but the pulse of the show was always rock.

Lead singer Paul Meany beckons back to a time when a front man was required to be a rock star. His energy level seemed unsustainable, yet he finished stronger than he started. Although his vocals and keyboard work were near flawless, he brought a visual and attitudinal component to the stage that propelled the set to great heights.

Drummer Darren King also mixed as much visual elements into his performance as sonic elements. During the encore King dumped bottles of water all over his kit so when he started to play large splashes would leap off his drums.

The stage was covered with enough instruments to stock a large music store, each member having multiple stations to create music. Behind the stage was a large white wall, a canvas for the intricate light show.

There are two kinds of light shows at concerts, both depending on the light technician. Some bands use lights as literal as possible, simply to illuminate the stage. Some technicians use lights to enhance the show, but to do this successfully they need at least some familiarity of the songs. Mutemath’s light team knew the songs so well they could have written them.

The light show was one of the more extravagant The Intersection has hosted. Every change in the music was met with an impressive visual change.

It was obvious that Mutemath wanted to have a personal connection to the crowd that paid to see them. A small platform was wheeled out into the audience bringing Meany 50 feet away from the safety and comfort of his main stage. Near the end of the show a snare drum was put onto the platform and King performed a solo surrounded by screaming fans.

Grand Rapids has been host to plenty of bands that can jump around and crowd surf, but very few of them can put on a show as musically technical and pleasing as Mutemath. The group brings a stadium worthy show to venues that fit just a fraction of the people. Easily the most common fan reaction was “wow.”

Overall, the show was one of the most memorable in recent history. Fans of several genres can find something within Mutemath’s catalogue to bounce their head to and anyone with functioning eyes will be at awe of their visual presence.

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