iradiophilly | Culture - Concert Review: Max Schneider at World CafÃ© Live 6/19 Philadelphia (setlist)

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The Post

by: BArmstrong - Philadelphia, PA
started: 06/27/14 2:25 pm | updated: 06/27/14 2:25 pm

Following Alexz Johnson's performance at World CafÃ© Live on June 19th was the headlining musician and actor, Max Schneider. This artist has been receiving a large amount of recognition and popularity over the past several years for various reasons, one of the most notable being his covers on YouTube. Schneider has covered numerous songs that have been popular in today's media as well as collaborated with various well-known artists, including Victoria Justice and Alyson Stoner. One thing that must be noted about many of Schneider's covers is the fact that they are not exact replicas of the original; each cover Schneider performs includes his own unique twist on the song. Max Schneider's covers exemplify his ability to creatively modify a melody and revamp it, while still displaying his talented vocals in what could easily be considered an original song.

On May 13th, 2014, Max Schneider released his EP, titled The Say MAX EP. The EP features four songs: "Streets of Gold," "Mug Shot," "Darling," and, "Puppeteer." In addition to his newly released EP, during the past year Schneider also released another single, titled "Nothing Without Love." Needless to say, the past year has been both a productive and successful time for Max Schneider. During the summer months of June and July, Schneider has been on tour in both the United States and Canada for his The SAY MAX Tour.

When I entered the downstairs floor of World CafÃ© Live, I immediately saw the backdrop of the stage spelling "MAX." The floor, bar area, and mezzanine of World CafÃ© Live held people who were eagerly waiting for the show begin, so I quickly matched the excitement of those around me for both performances to start. When Max Schneider walked on stage, the audience was thrilled and the sound of applause flooded the room. As his set progressed, I realized how versatile of a musician he was. Schneiderâ€™s time on stage consisted of both covers he's done in the past as well as the new songs on his EP and the ones he has released in the past year.

Max Schneider played all four songs off his new EP, but one of his most memorable songs from his set was "Streets of Gold." Schneider began alongside his full band as he played the ukulele through the duration of the performance. While Max was performing, there were small segments of his prerecorded vocals playing, which added an electro feel to the song altogether. Through the duration of the performance, Schneider brought an immense amount of energy to the stage that was immediately noticeable. As the room filled with live rhythm and melodies, mixed with his soulful vocals, the anticipated excitement from the crowd was justified as Schneider progressed through the song.

During his set, Max performed several covers as well, one of which was "Fancy," by Iggy Azalea, which he combined with "Young Volcanoes," by Fall Out Boy, along with other songs as well. This performance is an archetype for how Schneider is able to mold any song, regardless of popularity and preconceived notion, to his own personal style. To clarify, "Fancy," by Iggy Azalea, is originally a rap song, although after seeing Max's performance that may be hard to believe. Max Schneider's rendition of Azalea's song altered the composition and gave it a more soulful appeal. Although that transformation is impressive in and of itself, Schneider and his band were also able to make "Fancy" and "Young Volcanoes" flow seamlessly between lines, which originally would be mixing rap and punk. This performance, in retrospect, was noteworthy considering the fact that Max and his band were able to make two popular songs, by two famous artists/bands, their own personal mash-up and cover.

Overall, Max's performance was an exemplary display of his musical talent and abilities. With an incredible amount of energy throughout his entire set, as well as his powerful vocals, it's understandable why Max Schneider has gathered such a large following of fans. In addition to the release of The SAY MAX EP and his single, "Nothing Without Love," Schneider is also in the process of working on an upcoming album. From his performance at World CafÃ© Live, it seems that Max Schneider will only continue to increase popularity.

(Partial) Set List:
"Streets of Gold"
"Mug Shot"
"What If/When I Was Your Man"
"Darling"
"Puppeteer"
"Nothing Without Love"
"Fancy/Young Volcanoes (Mash-up with other songs as well)"