Rock Superstars Switchfoot Light Up the Haas Center

It was a strange sight to see people of all ages gathered at the front of the stage inside Bloomsburg’s Haas Center on Sept. 14. The venue is normally meant for sit-down shows, but that night was an exception. In fact, not one person was sitting down, because rock band Switchfoot was on stage, taking the concert experience to a new level. Elaborate light show technology dwarfed the stage and bathed the audience in fun shapes as the band cranked up their amps and filled Haas with good ol’ rock and roll.

Switchfoot lead singer, Jon Foreman, made sure to take care of every single crowd member, frequently telling the crowd to clap their hands or sing a chorus. He even walked out into the audience several times during the performance, standing on the seats, holding hands with the crowd, and letting people sing into the mic. At one point, he even grabbed a man’s smartphone and took a video of the crowd and himself singing, then handed it back.

The band headlined the show as part of their Fading West tour, which is promoting their album and film of the same name. They played their radio hits, such as “Meant to Live,” “Stars,” and “This is Your Life,” but also made sure to play plenty of new singles from the album, like “Who We Are” and “When We Come Alive.”

The night was made extra special when Tim Foreman, Jon’s brother and Switchfoot bassist, sang a song on his own for the very first time in front of a crowd. Fans who felt they hadn’t seen enough were luckily treated to an aftershow in the parking lot, where Jon played acoustic songs, including one new song, “All of God’s Children,” off his upcoming solo album.

Opening for the band was Lacey Sturm, formerly a member of Flyleaf. Her new band, which includes her husband on guitar, performed renditions of famous Flyleaf songs as well as new singles that Lacey wrote herself. Lacey delivered an emotional set, pausing between each song to talk about the revelations that led her to write some of the material.