So, let’s get this out of the way right off the bat. You are going to have to cut me some SERIOUS slack on this one, okay? I know, I know… I’ve asked you to do this before. But only once before. This is the second time I’ve taken on an assignment to cover an act that is WAY out of my comfort zone and knowledge base. So if I stumble, please show mercy. And if I offend, please turn the other cheek. I truly mean no harm.
If you’re reading this post, you either (a) already know more now than I will ever know about Midnight Til Morning, or (b) know absolutely nothing about them. If you’re amongst the former group, indulge me while I bring the others up to speed.
On July 9 of this year Netflix aired a ten episode reality competition series called Building The Band. The show had actually been taped in August of 2024, so by the time the American public got their first glimpses of the bands that were “built”, they had been in existence for almost a year.
Six bands were built for the series… Midnight Til Morning (MTM) was one of them. Although they didn’t win the competition, Conor Smith, Shane Appell, Zach Newbould, and Mason Watts built a loyal fan following, and left the show committed to making MTM an ongoing reality.
(Side Note: I didn’t watch the series when it originally aired, but I did binge watch it one Saturday morning about two months ago. In my humble opinion, one of the reasons MTM didn’t win the competition was that they refused to fully embrace the show’s desired format for each band to include synchronized dance choreography in their performances. They were steadfast in their insistence that they didn’t want to copy the 1990’s boy band formula. I was impressed by their willingness to take this stance… in fact, it was the primary reason I accepted the invitation to cover this show.)
Since exiting Building The Band, MTM have absolutely blown up. Several of the bands from the show are recording and touring, but none seem to be garnering the attention of Smith, Appell, Newbould, and Watts. Let’s give the guys credit… by all accounts, they’ve been working their backsides off. In August and September they released four singles. In October they released a seven-song EP (the four singles plus three new songs). On October 9 they began a six week, seventeen date US and Canada tour. And just a few days after they wrap that tour, they embark on a world tour that will keep them occupied until early February.
Many of the shows on this four month tour sold out shortly after tickets went on sale. One of those shows was right here in Denver – this past Monday night at the Bluebird.
I approached the Bluebird Theater on this warm mid-Fall afternoon with more than a little bit of trepidation. Was I on my way to see the 2025 version of the Backstreet Boys? I’d already been there, done that, way back in 2001, when I took my then eight year old daughter to see Nick Carter et al at the Pepsi Center.
It was five hours before the doors to the venue were scheduled to open when I arrived, and there was already a sizeable crowd of pre-teen and teenaged girls waiting in line for entry. Talking to them, I learned that some had been camped out on the sidewalk since mid-morning. One mother and daughter, along with two of the daughter’s friends, had traveled from Wood River, Nebraska for the show. Check it out on Google Maps, folks… that’s a five and a half hour drive. These are seriously committed fans.
As the crowd continued to grow, I noted that I was one of only three males in it. No doubt about it, this was looking like what I hoped it wouldn’t be… One Direction Redux.
Please note… I’m not trying to bash the Backstreet Boys, One Direction, or “boy bands” in general. I acknowledge their talents, that they produce extremely catchy music, and that they have rabid fan bases. They’re just not my jam. So the thought of spending my night watching and listening to the latest hotter than hot boy band, after standing in line for more than four hours just to get into the building, was losing appeal minute by minute.
But you know what? I did it. And damned if I didn’t like it. Let me count the reasons why…
Reason One – These guys are enormously talented. They are all outstanding vocalists, and each one is fully capable of picking up a guitar… not just to strum, but to actually play. They have four very distinctive vocal styles, which they’ve learned to work and blend together beautifully.
Reason Two – The chemistry between them is unmistakable. It presents as honest and sincere. When they talk about being “brothers” (which all of them do, freely and often), you know they mean it. On stage they seem to be having genuine fun… in their performing, their interactions with the crowd, and in the playfulness between them.
Reason Three – They understand what it means to give back to their fans, above and beyond the performances. In the hours before the doors opened, each of them came outside (individually) to mingle with the crowd. They signed autographs, gave hugs, and took pictures. They did it again in the pre-show VIP session. After a two song acoustic mini-set, and a Q&A session, all of them came down from the stage to spend time with the crowd. And they did it yet again after the show. Major kudos to them – they touched a lot of lives in an enormously positive way.
Reason Four – Charisma, charisma, charisma. I suppose I should add one more “charisma,” since there are four of them. These guys are charming and likeable. In all the time I watched them interacting with the crowd – on the sidewalk before the show, at the VIP session, on stage, and after the show – never once did I see any of them look like they weren’t being their authentic, charismatic selves. They looked, quite simply, happy to be there. Even if the type of music they perform isn’t necessarily “your jam,” you can’t help but want to like them.
But what about the music, you ask? And the performance itself?
At 8:55 pm, the lights went out as Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believin’” was cranked through the house. The song ended, and MTM took the stage. The message in that intro was clear. A year and a half ago, these four guys didn’t even know each other. But they didn’t stop believing, and working, and then working some more. And now… it’s 9:00 pm on a Monday night at the Bluebird Theater in Denver, Colorado, and they’re about to take the stage for the twelfth gig of their first tour.
You can see the full setlist, presented in order, below. The total running time for the seventeen song set (fifteen in the regular set, plus a two song encore) was an hour and fifteen minutes.
In addition to all seven songs from the Afterglow EP (released on October 8), the set included five original tunes that have yet to be released. (At one point during the night, it was noted that they have written fifty songs over the course of the last year.) Also included in the set were five covers, including one they performed live for the first time (One Direction’s “Counting Stars”).
The first seven songs, and the last six, were performed “full (recorded) band.” In between, MTM slowed things down with a four song acoustic mini set, where they traded off on who would play the acoustic guitars.
The performance was impressive and engaging. All of the vocals – individual and harmony – were strong. I was particularly impressed with the a cappella outro on the song “Edge of Amazing.” It was, well, amazing, and it truly demonstrated the vocal talent these four young men have.
The energy was off the charts. There was no synchronized choreography (at least, not to the uninformed eye), but there was nonstop movement. I loved that while there were semi-set stage positions for the guys (left to right as you’re looking at them… Appell, Newbould, Smith, Watts), they were constantly swapping positions with each other. There were elevated platforms on both front corners of the stage, and at any point in the evening any two of the guys would be temporarily occupying them.
Overall, it was a performance that belied the fact that these guys are only just beginning this particular musical journey. It was a mature performance. Of course it thrilled all those teenaged girls with their signs and bedazzled outfits and faux MTM tattoos. I’m (clearly) not one of them. And while I certainly wasn’t swooning over every word the guys said and sang, and I didn’t squeal or scream a single time, I thoroughly enjoyed and appreciated the show. If you know me at all, you know that means a lot.
(At least, I’m pretty sure I neither squealed nor screamed. No, I’m sure I didn’t. I think.)
The talent is there. The charisma is there. The energy is there. It’s too soon to make any grand proclamations about where Midnight Til Morning might be headed. But the early evidence suggests that the future could, and should, be very bright indeed.
And now – before I leave you – we have to return to my original question. Are they or aren’t they? Is Midnight Til Morning a boy band, or are they something different?
While we all waited to enter the venue (Did I mention that I got there five hours before the scheduled door time? Yeah… pretty sure I did.), I spoke with twenty-plus people to find out what they thought. Boy band, yes or no? The answer (duh) was unanimous that they are. After seeing them perform, my own answer isn’t quite so definitive. They sorta are, kinda are, but also not really. Ultimately, I guess it doesn’t matter. What matters is that they make music that makes people happy, makes them feel good, and allows them to escape to their personal happy places. And that, my friends, is what good music is all about.
Story and photos by Rick Witt www.rickwittphotography.com
