RICKY MONTGOMERY - LIVE IN SLC
Another Rick in the Wall, a mostly sold out US tour, found a home in Salt Lake City, Utah on March 13, 2024. A diverse crowd of passionate, loving people gathered in The Depot to see a heartfelt and intense performance put on by Ricky Montgomery with support by Noah Floersch. To no surprise, with 7 million monthly listeners on Spotify, fans were lined up for this show for hours before doors even opened, with those arriving at doors not making it inside until just before or even well after Noah Floersch’s set, which started an hour after doors opened.
While we were all waiting in line, a man in a phantom costume came around interviewing fans before the show. Asking questions like, “what is your least favorite Ricky Montgomery song?” and “What could Ricky do to be more likable?” Much to the surprise of the fans, this man turned out to be Ricky Montgomery himself, interviewing fans outside to promote his latest release Unknown Phantom which was released just two days after the Salt Lake City show of the tour.
Noah Floersch felt like the perfect opener for Ricky Montgomery, his energy is lively and contagious. Though I hadn’t heard Floersch’s music before, I couldn’t help but to dance and sing along to every song and I can definitely see myself becoming an avid listener of his music. Floersch has a natural talent for connecting with the crowd, he is funny and personable in the perfect way to prepare for Montgomery’s goofy vibes that he brings to every set. After Floersch’s set, fans were able to meet him down at the merch table, a treat for some die hard fans in the crowd.
As we waited patiently in between sets, fans got a laugh as popular songs played with the occasional word replaced by a computerized voice saying “Rick” instead. Then, only a short hour after most of us had entered the venue, Ricky Montgomrey took the stage. The show started with a drawn curtain, backlighting the band playing haunting sounds as Montgomrey entered. Rick started the set with one of the songs that put him on the map, the viral sensation Line Without a Hook. The stage was flooded with an honest and exposing plain, white lighting as Ricky left the stage and climbed the barricade to be closer to his fans in these first moments of the show. Montgomery followed with the song In Your Pocket off of his latest album, a project called Rick before moving back into Cabo from his first album. I feel that this was a good mix of the new and the old, enabling all fans to enjoy the set and feel like the show was for them.
Ricky has such an interesting stage presence, it’s this almost dry sense of humor, while still feeling inviting, like he has been waiting for you to see this show his whole life. While a decent part of Montgomrey’s set and discography is upbeat and pop-y a lot of the lyrics and the stories behind the songs are so vulnerable, so real and so honest. Opening up like that to people is hard, let alone exposing that side of you to all the people of the world through your music. When Ricky performs, you can really feel all of the emotions that go into what he does. You can see the passion in his face and his body language, and if you’ve experienced these feelings that he sings about, you can feel his ache in his heart and in yours.
Montgomery also played a song by the title of Black Fins, released within the last year, discussing the loss of his father. This song was described as “the story I’ve waited 14 years to tell.” Those of you that know the song and the story behind Black Fins, know that it is a hard one to swallow. As someone who has experienced two losses of the same kind, I cannot express how much this song means to me, how important it is to me that I am not alone, and that someone is willing to put these heavy emotions and questions into words when I cannot. It’s an insane thing to be able to connect over, and it's something I wish no one else ever had to feel or experience, but if something like this doesn’t show you how powerful music is and how much it can affect people, I don't know what could.
Overall, the Another Rick in the Wall tour is not to be missed. This was my third time seeing Ricky Montgomery live, and every single time, it is an incredible show. After finishing his US tour, the Ricky team will be touring throughout Eroupe and the UK, heading out on a world tour as well. As a long time fan, it is incredible to see this artist have come so far in the years I have known him. As an observer in the music industry, I look forward to seeing how this artist grows and changes throughout his career and how he will continue to release phenomenal music despite anything life throws at him.
Click Here to view the full live show gallery from Jaye Short.