Owl City lead singer Adam Young performs Feb. 11, 2013, at The Loft in 414 E. Michigan Ave., in Lansing. Justin Wan/The State News
Adam Young’s music career began in his basement in Owatonna, Minn., where he began experimenting on his keyboard and posting his songs on Myspace.
“I started experimenting with music purely out of boredom in high school,” Young said. “It was never something I took seriously or expected to turn into a career — but it did quickly become a passion of mine, and now it is all I think about.”
Now the driving force behind pop-electronic band Owl City, Young is on a U.S. tour with Maroon 5 and Neon Trees. The singer took a hiatus from the tour and performed Monday at The Loft, 414 E. Michigan Ave., in Lansing.
Lindsay Bailey, Owl City’s publicist at Stunt Company in New York City, said the performance was part of a slew of shows meant to bring the newest album, “The Midsummer Station,” to more listeners.
“A lot of these shows are in markets he hasn’t been to in a long time,” Bailey said. “We wanted to make sure he played the new record for everybody.”
Young leapt on stage to a packed crowd at 8:30 p.m., hoping to see his hard work pay off. Although his albums typically feature softer tunes, such as his most well-known single, “Fireflies,” he said he tried to put more energy into the performance for fans.
“We put a lot of work into creating this loud rock show, so hopefully they get to experience something that you can’t hear on the album,” he said.
The doors to The Loft opened at 6:30 p.m. with fans lined up and down the block. Graduate student Linda Groen, who brought her boyfriend from Teeswater, Ontario, to see the show, said The Loft’s intimate setting was perfect for her.
“I was going to go see them in December in Grand Rapids, but then I found out they were coming to Lansing,” Groen said. “I like that The Loft is really tiny and has a small crowd, it’s nice to listen to music when it’s intimate.”
Despite his animated persona on stage, Young said he tends to be more on the shy side when in public.
“I’ve grown more comfortable with being in the public eye,” he said. “I’m still really shy, but I really enjoy getting to meet my fans around the world and playing my music for them.”
Young will continue his tour throughout 2013. Although he said he recently has spurred an interest in movie-soundtrack songwriting and would love to perform with up-and-coming rapper B.o.B., he has no predictions for where his career will take him.
“It’s great what he’s doing in the rap world,” he said. “You never know what will come next.”
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