One Republic Live at Times Square
Reviewed By Barry Viljoen
The Grammy-nominated group One Republic, returned to South Africa this year for three performances. In Cape Town and Pretoria. This will be the third time that the group has come to South Africa, and honestly, I’m sure that I, like many concertgoers am very happy that we weren’t forgotten on a tier world tour.
The group is known for a good combination of majestic stage presence, with captivating incorporated visuals. Let’s keep in mind that they have more than enough upbeat hits to get a crowd dancing and singing along with ease. I think a combination of all of these factors is what keep crowds coming back for more.
Recently the group will be best known for their single “I Ain’t Worried” which was used in the soundtrack for the smash hit of the year, Top Gun: Maverick. However, how can we forget their breakthrough hit “Apologize” which featured Timbaland. Not to mention “Counting Stars” or “Good Life”. This will be the band’s first tour since 2016, as a result of front man, Ryan Tedder, having highlighted that he had hit a wall, with regards to his physical, emotional and psychological wellbeing.
I’m happy to report that after having taken sometime to reprioritize his wellbeing the group were back with a bang. An energetic stage performance which got the crowd engaged from the firs to the last song. The last time they were here, their Gauteng show would have been at The Dome, however I do prefer this new go to concert venue for the province, with regards to accessibility and acoustics. Literally nothing could dampen the energy of the night, not even the ever-present Loadshedding, which saw a 10-minute interruption which the band managed with ease.
It’s always a challenge when trying to tour a new album and having and extensive catalogue of material the fans certainly want to hear. The band managed this, playing tracks from their 2021 release “Human” while getting in all the fan favorites, as well as some of the released singles from their soon to be released sixth studio album.
The show in itself is a clear testament to the band’s longevity. For me they’ve showed no sign of slowing down or stepping out of the limelight. I’m excited to see what their next offering holds, I’m sure several of the tracks will become radio stables to lift my mood when stuck in traffic or in general commutes. Their energy, visuals, pyrotechnics and song catalogue clearly wowed audiences and will see many coming back on their next turn to our shores.
