As we mentioned yesterday, last night was the penultimate Fort Reno show of the summer. It was a magical evening, with weather that gave the term “unseasonably cool” a new meaning. It was almost cold! Everyone cuddling on their blankets in the park seemed to enjoy the cooler climes, that even seemed to keep the mosquitoes at bay. The only person who probably wasn’t happy with the way the weather turned out was the ice cream man, who can usually count on a sweaty Fort Reno crowd for a good haul.

Jukebox the Ghost took the stage first and, as can be expected from this band, injected immeasurable amounts of energy into the crowd. We’ve never seen anything like the spontaneous dance party that developed in front of the stage happen at Fort Reno before. Ben Thornewill, who helms the vocals and piano for the band, likened the experience to the pizza parlor scene in That Thing You Do. It was more charming and less cheesy than that sounds. The band treated us to 3 or 4 new songs as well as the well-tread songs that always elicit more hand-claps and sing-alongs than any other local band.

These United States have spent most of the past year touring their namesake, and beyond, and it shows. They’ve always been fine live musicians, but their show has gotten to be a lot more energetic and well-honed. You never know who to expect on stage when TUS plays, as the three core members — Jesse Elliott, Tom Hnatow and Robby Cosenza — are almost always joined by a surprise player or two. Last night they had the addition of three instruments and a lot of energy. From where I was sitting, it was a perfect performance.

If you, like us, want to make sure Fort Reno can afford to come back next summer, make a donation to keep the volunteer series going.