One-off shows have always been some of my favorite live performances. First of all, the bands are not bound by the structure of a tour and themed set list, and oftentimes the set list is much looser. But for a band like Switchfoot, whose set list is usually pretty malleable, I suppose that isn't all that rare of a thing. Still, with their fall tour announced to be a front-to-back performance of their 2003 breakout album, The Beautiful Letdown, one would expect a summer one-off show to be something totally different.

I was pretty confident that was the case, but when I heard their soundcheck from a distance, I noticed that each song they were practicing during soundtrack was a cut from The Beautiful Letdown (Like "Redemption" and, I believe, "Ammunition"). VIP ticket purchasers were allowed to get inside the gates early for an exclusive Q&A session with the band and an exclusive performance. However, things were running late for the scheduled 3:25pm start time, which allowed the small, intimate group of fans to hear the band's actual soundcheck before being ushered through the gates for the VIP experience "soundcheck." At the show I attended on their Christmas tour in December, Switchfoot had a pretty sizable VIP group, and they ended up performing a generous 8 songs for those in attendance. The group was much smaller this time around, but still a decent size, and it all felt a bit more like a party. There was a gated off area in front of the stage that is inaccessible during the concert, but the VIP was allowed to go in there and get right up to the stage. With most of the San Diego boys appearing shoeless, it just felt super laid back and personal. They answered some pre-submitted questions and then frontman Jon Foreman asked what songs the crowd would like to hear. Without hesitation, I blurted out "Vice Verses," which, if you've ever read anything I've ever posted about my all-time favorite songs, this one is quite close to the top. Thankfully, my speed at which I answered the call was rewarded with Jon enthusiastically agreeing to perform "Vice Verses" first, and I couldn't have been more tickled about it. After playing the full song, he answered another request and peformed "Awakening" next. One of the stage techs then gathered the VIPs closer together for a group photo and then let the band finish out their VIP set. Probably to the surprise of most, Switchfoot closed their set with a cut from their 1997 debut album, The Legend of Chin - a little pop rocker called "Chem 6A." Jon shared some stories about where the guys were at in life at the time they made that record (like how Tim was still in high school and they had to work around his class schedule). Honestly, it's easy to forget that Switchfoot is the same band that brought us The Legend of Chin two-and-a-half decades ago. They've come such a long way, but it's always a blast to revisit their early days of making music.

Even standing inside the gates of the [outdoor] venue, it was hard to find out who the opener for the night was. After digging online (which wasn't the first time attempted), we finally discovered that local indie folk artist Emily Drinker was performing first for the night. Doors weren't opening until 6pm, with Emily performing at 6:30, but that also meant that Switchfoot wasn't going on until 8:00pm. The VIP session ended before 4:30, which meant there was a good 3 and a half hours before Switchfoot was scheduled to perform. My concert compadre and I decided to walk from the venue to a restaurant nearby and hang there until closer to Switchfoot's show. (Sorry, Emily!) We ended up getting back to the venue in time to meet up with the third in our little party of three, who was just arriving, and head inside the gate for the concert.

To my surprise, Switchfoot opened with "Hello Hurricane," from the 2009 album of the same name. Frontman Jon Foreman then greeted the crowd and worked in a bit of "Needle and Haystack Life" before returning to "Hello Hurricane" to wrap it up. The sweet surprises just kept coming, however, as the infectious hit "Stars," from Nothing is Sound, and the fun and funky "Bull in a China Shop," from Where the Light Shines Through," followed next. During the latter, Foreman hopped down from the stage to mingle with the Quakertown audience, weaving in and out of the rows of white folding chairs. He then remained in the crowd to finish the song and start the next one, "This is Your Life." Foreman then expressed his love for Pennsylvania, briefly reminiscing about playing in Philadelphia 20 or so years ago when they wondered if their band could actually have the legs to make it for the long haul. Clearly, it was their destiny. The band then played the title track from their 2003 album, The Beautiful Letdown, in honor of it reaching its 20-year milestone.

The guys slowed things down a bit from there, playing a sort of acoustic version of "Live It Well," and then the soft rock sounds of "Where the Light Shines Through." To transition to the next song, Jon asked Quakertown if they could take us all to San Diego "for a hot minute," and the quintet let loose for a bit of a jam session before leading into the fast and fun "If the House Burns Down Tonight."

At this point, Foreman noted a banner out in the crowd that declared "'Learning to Breathe' is my wife's favorite." Jon then called out the man holding it and invited him - and his wife - to come up on stage. Two chairs were then setup for them behind Jon, and Switchfoot broke into the title track from their 2000 album, "Learning to Breathe." It was always a favorite of mine, so it was certainly a treat to get to hear it live once again. In the middle of the song, Foreman switched to "24," and then, while performing the song, he suddenly admitted that he had forgotten his guests, Grace and Steve, were still seated behind him (eliciting laughs from the audience), and they finished off the rest of "Learning to Breathe."

Switching gears yet again, the band turned to "Float," the fifth selection of the night from 2016's Where the Light Shines Through, which was a fun addition to the set (although I did kind of miss the bubble machine they often use for this song while on tour). They then moved into another hit, "Dare You to Move," and encouraged the crowd to hold up their phones, with the flashlights turned on, before waving goodbye and walking off stage. But with the audience still shrouded in darkness (i.e. no house lights), and the noticeable absence of a particular career-defining song, I think everyone knew the show wasn't over just yet. Before long at all, the San Diego fivesome walked back out on stage and began playing their anthem for the afterlife, "Where I Belong." I absolutely love this song live, especially when the audience is singing along, and it was definitely a highlight of the night. Jon made sure to collect a pair of homemade "Where I Belong" banner sheets from the audience and draped one over his shoulders before holding the other up for the audience to read. When the song ended, the guys jammed a bit more, but if anyone has seen them live in recent years, they'll know that this is usually an intro into their biggest hit, "Meant to Live." Sure enough, the guitar-driven rocker was next, but it also signaled the end of the night, with the band's set ending surprisingly early. (I wasn't the only one feeling that, either.) Maybe it was just that old adage, "Time flies when you're having fun," ringing true, or maybe their set was a bit brief, but the show seemed to really fly by. (After all, their Christmas tour featured two sets from Switchfoot that offered a total of 22 songs, but I guess, in that case, they were technically their own "opener.")

Either way you look at the show's length, it's undeniable that it was an excellent show and a great selection of songs. It's funny, and kind of shocking, to look at the set list and realize that not a single song from their two most recent studio albums made the set list (NATIVE TONGUE and Interrobang). Granted, this band has quite an extensive catalog of music these days to choose from, but the set list clearly seemed tailored for capturing a more summery vibe. Don't miss these guys this summer if you can, or on their fall The Beautiful Letdown tour!