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The Symposium Brings their sound and crowd to The Observatory

  • The Symposium and John Myrtle performing live at the Observatory in Santa Ana on Sept 24
    Charlie Gammill, the lead vocalist of The Symposium, performs on stage during their show at the Observatory in Santa Ana on Sept 24 icon of a camera for photography Adrian Taylor
  • The Symposium and John Myrtle performing live at the Observatory in Santa Ana on Sept 24
    MJ Tirabassi of The Symposium performs on stage during their headlining show at the Observatory in Santa Ana on Sept 24 icon of a camera for photography Adrian Taylor
  • The Symposium and John Myrtle performing live at the Observatory in Santa Ana on Sept 24
    MJ Tirabassi of The Symposium performs on stage during their headlining show at the Observatory in Santa Ana on Sept 24 icon of a camera for photography Adrian Taylor
  • The Symposium and John Myrtle performing live at the Observatory in Santa Ana on Sept 24
    Sam Clancy performs on stage during their show at the Observatory in Santa Ana on Sept 24 icon of a camera for photography Adrian Taylor
  • The Symposium and John Myrtle performing live at the Observatory in Santa Ana on Sept 24
    John Myrtle opens the night with his solo acoustic set during the concert at the Observatory in Santa Ana on Sept 24 icon of a camera for photography Adrian Taylor
  • The Symposium and John Myrtle performing live at the Observatory in Santa Ana on Sept 24
    Josh Gomz, the drummer of The Symposium, plays during their set at the Observatory in Santa Ana on Sept 24 icon of a camera for photography Adrian Taylor
  • The Symposium and John Myrtle performing live at the Observatory in Santa Ana on Sept 24
    A neon sign reading The Symposium glows above the stage during their headlining show at the Observatory in Santa Ana on Sept 24 icon of a camera for photography Adrian Taylor

The Symposium brought their first headlining tour to the Observatory in Santa Ana on September 24th, joined by special guest John Myrtle on their “Summer Tour.” The venue was absolutely packed with fans eagerly waiting for the show to begin. The line for merch stretched all the way down the staircase toward the bottom of the venue, with everyone hoping to grab something from the new collection.

The Symposium and John Myrtle performing live at the Observatory in Santa Ana on Sept 24
John Myrtle opens the night with his solo acoustic set during the concert at the Observatory in Santa Ana on Sept 24 an icon of a camera Adrian Taylor

John Myrtle opened the night with a solo acoustic set, flying out from the United Kingdom to join the tour. His performance mixed upbeat love songs with quirky tracks about spiders on the wall that had the crowd smiling. One highlight was when he introduced his song “Ballad of the Rain.” Before playing, he asked the audience if it rains often in Southern California. The response was a loud wave of “No’s” from the crowd that had everyone laughing.

The Symposium and John Myrtle performing live at the Observatory in Santa Ana on Sept 24
Sam Clancy plays the keyboard during their set at the Observatory in Santa Ana on Sept 24 an icon of a camera Adrian Taylor

Then it was time for the main event. Neon Symposium signs glowed above the stage, and the setup was filled with guitars, keyboards, and everything needed for their signature indie psychedelic rock sound. They launched into the set with “April Snow” from their latest album, followed by “Streems” from their self-titled album, and the crowd went wild.

The Symposium and John Myrtle performing live at the Observatory in Santa Ana on Sept 24
The Symposium performs together on stage during their headlining show at the Observatory in Santa Ana on Sept 24 an icon of a camera Adrian Taylor

On stage were founding members Charlie Gammill on lead vocals and Sam Clancy on guitar, along with MJ Tirabassi on guitar and bass, and “California’s Very Own” Josh Goméz on drums.

The Symposium and John Myrtle performing live at the Observatory in Santa Ana on Sept 24
Charlie Gammill (left) and Sam Clancy perform together during The Symposiums headlining show at the Observatory in Santa Ana on Sept 24 an icon of a camera Adrian Taylor

Between songs, Charlie shared how Sam pitched the idea for the band years ago, and now here they were on their first headlining tour. He reflected on how crazy the ride has been, from playing Lollapalooza earlier this year to now returning to the Observatory in Santa Ana. He recalled that the last time they performed at the venue, a few years back, it was the biggest crowd they had ever played for at the time. “I don’t know about the other guys, but I was nervous as shit!” Charlie admitted. Returning on their own tour felt like a full-circle moment, and he thanked the crowd for supporting them.

The Symposium and John Myrtle performing live at the Observatory in Santa Ana on Sept 24
Josh Gomz, the drummer of The Symposium, plays during their set at the Observatory in Santa Ana on Sept 24 an icon of a camera Adrian Taylor

The Symposium’s set lasted just under two hours with no breaks, packed with fan favorites, deep cuts, songs from their debut album “Drugs,” and new material from “The Sonic Age.” Highlights included “Style Guide” and “Tony Stark,” which had fans shouting the lyrics back and calling out for what songs they wanted to hear next.

The Symposium and John Myrtle performing live at the Observatory in Santa Ana on Sept 24
A neon sign reading The Symposium glows above the stage during their headlining show at the Observatory in Santa Ana on Sept 24 an icon of a camera Adrian Taylor

As the night wrapped up, the band thanked the audience and walked off stage, but chants for an encore quickly filled the room. The Symposium returned with John Myrtle, who they said had learned the bass just to join them for the encore. Together, they closed the night with some of their biggest tracks, ending with “The Physical Attractions,” which had the entire venue roaring. The show marked an unforgettable night for both the band and the fans, and it was the perfect way to celebrate The Symposium’s headlining tour stop at the Observatory!

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Adrian Taylor
Photographer
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