August 17, 2012, Las Vegas Weekly, Noise:

You could see a realization flash in Fun. frontman Nate Ruess’ eyes, as he caught a glimpse of himself on Cosmopolitan’s Jumbotron for the first time Thursday night. Ruess proclaimed that “the biggest show we ever played also happened to be the weirdest,” as he and his Fun. mates stormed the packed Boulevard Pool Deck for a memorable outing. It was easy to understand Ruess feeling slightly overwhelmed. The crowd’s response was immense for their first headlining gig in Las Vegas, and the venue was as full as I’ve ever seen it (without the pool drained).

Fans screamed along to every song, and though the floor was too tightly packed to enjoy a full-on dance party, Fun. grabbed the audience immediately with “One Foot” and did not let go until finishing an encore that included a cover of the Rolling Stone’s “You Can’t Always Get What You Want.” The makeup of their set was an almost equal mix of songs off both Aim and Ignite and their breakout album Some Nights, including “Walking the Dog,” “At Least I’m Not As Sad,” “It Gets Better” and, of course, “We Are Young,” among others.

One recurring theme throughout the Some Nights record seems to deal with the band, specifically Nate’s, fatigue with their inability to break through to mainstream appeal. Lyrics like “So this is it? I sold my soul for this? Washed my hands of that for this? I miss my mom and dad for this?” and “I am over 25 and I can’t make a name for myself. Some nights I break down and cry” are now just a cathartic release with the band’s newfound pop stardom. Having seen Fun. less than two years earlier in a venue about the size of last night’s stage, it’s amazing to see what they’ve been able to accomplish so quickly. Ruess and company should get used to Jumbotron glances and big shows fast, because with performances like last night’s, they won’t be playing small shows again anytime soon.

Web Link: http://www.lasvegasweekly.com/news/2012/aug/17/fun/