Parachute and Kris Allen rocked out with a pop flare at Wooly’s Wednesday night. For a concert in the middle of the week, it brought out a sizable and very energetic crowd.

Kris Allen came onto stage promptly at 8 p.m. He held an acoustic guitar and was backed up by a keyboard player. Even though it was only the two of them on stage, they did a great job of bringing big energy out of their music. Plus, Allen was very good at getting the audience involved as he encouraged them to sing and clap along throughout the night.

“You guys ready to go on a journey? A 40 minute journey!” Allen joked with the audience as he greeted them.

Allen’s act was quite a bit different than what was to come later with Parachute, but I really enjoyed his style. It was a mix between folk, rock and pop. I always admire artists who can combine several genres into their music. Allen knew how to do this, as he had his own unique style that included well-thought-out lyrics over the music.

Near the end of his set, he sang “Live Like We’re Dying,’” a song I have always enjoyed since its release. It had more of an acoustic feel to it compared to the original recording, but it was still immediately recognized by the audience as many cheers came Allen’s way when he played the opening notes.

Allen’s performance was energetic, but intimate at the same time. I honestly would have liked to see a longer set from Allen as his music engaged me more and more as his time on stage went on.

For about ten minutes after Allen’s performance, a crew on stage to set up for Parachute’s part of the show. Soon after the brief intermission, the lights dimmed and Parachute took the stage to many cheers.

Immediately Parachute brought a fun persona to the stage and I found a smile on my face through most of their performance. All of the lights, lyrics and even the faces on the band members made me happy. One thing is for sure, Parachute knows how to put an audience in a good mood.

They were all dressed in Hawaiian-style shirts, which appropriately fit the name of their tour, and the title of the first song played, “Getaway.”

Lead singer Will Anderson never failed to keep the audience involved. He and the band were very charismatic, it was to the point where I could feel the fun they were having on stage.  

I think Parachute’s love for their fans really showed in their performance as well, and because of that, the crowd gave the love right back. Members of the audience could be heard signing to almost every song in the set, and everyone around me just seemed to be in an excited mood.

When things needed to get serious though, they did. While Parachute performed songs like “Forever and Always” there was still a positive vibe in the room, but it did not distract from the emotion Anderson conveyed in the lyrics. 

It was hard to believe that the show was almost over when Anderson announced their last song, as the concert flew by, but in the best of ways. After playing “Lonely With Me” cheers brought the band back on stage to play two encore songs.

Before the concert, I was not very familiar with Parachute’s music. But they have a fun pop-rock style that was easy to get into, and after their show I felt uplifted and excited.