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Ten years ago this month, Relient K took a risk and traded in their silly teenage lyrics for emotionally-driven and relatable ones with the release of “MMHMM,” an album well worth the risk. “MMHMM” quickly topped the charts and received gold status, with sales exceeding over 800,000 copies sold just in the United States.
“We were hoping our fans were willing to grow up a bit with us,” Thiessen said in an interview with MTV in 2005. “We took a bit of a chance with this record, honestly.”
The chance paid off. The band quickly rose in both the Christian rock and pop punk mainstream scenes.
To celebrate such a career changing moment, Relient K set out across the United States on a 35-city tour to celebrate. Their gig in Chicago’s House of Blues last Saturday was only stop three on the tour. The band also brought along their friends From Indian Lakes and brother and sister duo Blondefire, formally known as Astaire, to help celebrate.
The show was a blast from their past, a nostalgic stroll down high school memory lane. There is no denying that “The One I’m Waiting For” didn’t play on repeat on many of our Generation 1 iPods after finally having the courage to say hello to our 10th grade crush. Hoping that maybe they could be the one.
Opening with “The One I’m Waiting For,” it felt like we all took a time machine and went back to the exact venue we first saw them perform that song. They jumped up and down on the wooden floors, sending massive amount of vibrations throughout the venue, with fans chanting, “I’m still waiting for you to be the one I’m waiting for.”
Thiessen, who is known to perform barefoot on stage, alternated between guitar to playing the keys throughout their entire performance of the 50-minute album. Though refreshing to see them ten years later, there was nothing new about their performance: they sounded exactly the same as they did when “MMHMM” first came out. Relient K didn’t set out to create new memories Saturday night, but rather remind and reminisce with fans who have for over a decade enjoyed this album and who have continued to support them throughout their career. It was more of a thank you to fans than anything