Congress has cut federal funding for public media — a $3.4 million loss for LAist. We count on readers like you to protect our nonprofit newsroom. Become a monthly member and sustain local journalism.
This is an archival story that predates current editorial management.
This archival content was written, edited, and published prior to LAist's acquisition by its current owner, Southern California Public Radio ("SCPR"). Content, such as language choice and subject matter, in archival articles therefore may not align with SCPR's current editorial standards. To learn more about those standards and why we make this distinction, please click here.
30 Seconds to Mars - Fox Theater, 01/14/11
After nearly a year straight of sold out shows worldwide, 30 Seconds to Mars, led by Jared Leto, returned home to the Los Angeles area with a date at the historic Fox Theater in Pomona Friday night. “This is the best date we have had on tour so far! But don’t tell anyone that,” Leto told his adoring “Echelon”, the group of die hard Mars fans. The actor-singer has made it clear in the past that he wants his two careers to be separate and that this is not just a Jared Leto vanity project with his name attached to draw crowds, but a true passion. However, the one aspect that is impossible to keep separate between the two is Leto’s theatricality and flair for the dramatic.
From the stage presence to the music itself, there is a heavy dramatic flair that only someone trained in the dramatic arts could pull off so well. Sweeping choruses and calls to rise up against the powers that be are trademarks of the 30 Seconds to Mars sound. Many may look at Leto and only see an actor playing the part of a lead singer, but as he works through the show there is a true sense of respect for his fans and for his craft.
A master of crowd control, Leto’s calls to, "Put your hands in the air, I want to see you dance like a mother fucker!" were responded in exactly that manner. It went like this throughout the night, whether the calls were to “Jump! Jump! Jump!” or sing their hearts out there was no mistaking that this was a house full of true fans. It is always a special experience to be among true believers of any given exhibition, whether it be a sports team or in this case a band, because the energy and excitement is electric and infectious. On this night it was impossible to deny the rapturous hold Leto has over his fans and their willingness to let themselves go and enjoy the music.
As the band worked through tracks from their latest release, This Is War, the crowd grew more feverish and reached apex with the closing song, the bands opus, “Kings And Queens.” The recorded track features a chorus of fans that were invited to take part of the recording. In order to replicate that same sound, Leto invited fans on stage, some even from the very top balcony seats and turned the chorus into a giant sing-a-long.
Support for LAist comes from
If 30 Seconds to Mars are "at war", then this group of fans, and those in their worldwide "Echelon" are its devout army. However, in the end it is just music and this was just another date on their seemingly endless tour, but try telling that to the beaming and exuberant fans as they left the Fox Theatre. For these two hours they were a part of a community and celebration and that is all you can really ask for in a concert.
As Editor-in-Chief of our newsroom, I’m extremely proud of the work our top-notch journalists are doing here at LAist. We’re doing more hard-hitting watchdog journalism than ever before — powerful reporting on the economy, elections, climate and the homelessness crisis that is making a difference in your lives. At the same time, it’s never been more difficult to maintain a paywall-free, independent news source that informs, inspires, and engages everyone.
Simply put, we cannot do this essential work without your help. Federal funding for public media has been clawed back by Congress and that means LAist has lost $3.4 million in federal funding over the next two years. So we’re asking for your help. LAist has been there for you and we’re asking you to be here for us.
We rely on donations from readers like you to stay independent, which keeps our nonprofit newsroom strong and accountable to you.
No matter where you stand on the political spectrum, press freedom is at the core of keeping our nation free and fair. And as the landscape of free press changes, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust, but the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news from our community.
Please take action today to support your trusted source for local news with a donation that makes sense for your budget.
Thank you for your generous support and believing in independent news.
Chip in now to fund your local journalism
(
LAist
)
Trending on LAist
-
With less to prove than LA, the city is becoming a center of impressive culinary creativity. -
Nearly 470 sections of guardrailing were stolen in the last fiscal year in L.A. and Ventura counties.
-
Monarch butterflies are on a path to extinction, but there is a way to support them — and maybe see them in your own yard — by planting milkweed.
-
With California voters facing a decision on redistricting this November, Surf City is poised to join the brewing battle over Congressional voting districts.
-
The drug dealer, the last of five defendants to plead guilty to federal charges linked to the 'Friends' actor’s death, will face a maximum sentence of 65 years in prison.
-
The weather’s been a little different lately, with humidity, isolated rain and wind gusts throughout much of Southern California. What’s causing the late-summer bout of gray?
Best of LAist