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To say Fitz and the Tantrums’ set Wednesday evening didn’t quite feel as energetic as their previous Summerfest shows would be like saying a wildfire doesn’t quite feel as hot as a volcanic eruption. Yes, there’s a notable difference, but both certainly provide plenty of heat, and either one is more than capable of burning the house down quite nicely.

And that’s still exactly what Fitz and company did opening night: They burned the house down, even if the jazzy soul pop outfit wasn’t quite dialed up to the scalding, sizzling, record-high temperatures of the past.

At each of their previous Big Gig shows – starting with 2011’s set opening up for Maroon 5 and spanning several visits over the next few years – the band’s trademark was seemingly nonstop, infectious, flirty energy bubbling over from the stage into the audience.

Yet from the opening number at the Harley-Davidson Roadhose, "Get Right Back," those usually meter-breaking levels felt just a touch toned down and in check. The song’s Motown harmonies were still on-point, and the staging – nocturnally glowing with neon-lit geometric shapes and smoky lighting – brought plenty of electricity, but lead singer Michael Fitzpatrick’s voltage seemed slightly lower than usual.

The surprising shortage kept into "Spark," which once again sounded great, but for a song about buildings about to blow, there didn’t seem to be much risk of that early on Wednesday night. A slightly sludgy rendition of "Fools Gold" near the middle of the set list wrapped up much of the show’s first half quite nicely: good but not quite full speed.

Maybe it has something to do with the songs off the group’s new self-titled album – including enjoyable but much poppier and somewhat hollow tracks like "Walking Target" and "Roll Up" – which took up much of the concert’s second act. 

Despite the occasional power dips, there was one generator constantly running at full force to keep the energy up: fellow vocalist Noelle Scaggs. Fitzpatrick may be the one in the band’s name, but by the end of the evening, it was hard not to come away thinking Scaggs is the group’s soul: brassy ("Go Pack, f*cking go" was a choice bit of crowd interaction), slinky and a non-stop motor, whether she’s joining in on some harmonies, taking over a verse, chatting with the audience or simply loose-limbed dancing on stage and bashing the ever-living hell out of her tambourine.

She was definitely the evening’s MVP – though saxophonist James King stole the spotlight for a few sweet, jazzy solos. Perhaps with the overall energy dialed down from the usual 12, it gave some elements a chance to stand out and pop a bit more over the course of 90 minutes.

^{(PHOTO: Matt Mueller)}

In case this point wasn’t made clearly enough earlier, however, less energy is not to say no energy. Even in the case of the mildly underwhelming new material, the songs still sounded great – the mix gave all parts their due – and featured some nifty visual drama (namely a few moments of particularly fun, well-timed, light choreography). And for those not digging on the fresh material, old standbys like "Fools Gold" and "Moneygrabber" were smartly mixed into the pack for a quick jolt.

Plus, a slightly dimmed Michael Fitzpatrick and the Tantrums is still working up a heavier sweat than most other bands could muster at high noon on a triple-digit summer day – especially by the time the group’s Summerfest opening set reached its final act. "Burn It Down" was one of the few new tunes that edged near the band’s signature bombastic Motown soul bite, while the set closer "LOV" actually brought the house down thanks to a crazed drum-sax solo duel, some reinvigorated dance moves and struts from Fitzpatrick and the song’s general jazzy sizzle. 

That late burn continued on into the three-song encore, opening up with the band’s latest hit, the bass-grooving summer smash "HandClap," before wrapping up with a supremely sexy "6 AM" and the propulsive hook of "The Walker."

Between Scaggs, sax solos and an explosive final wind, no slight energy lag could stop the night from being a success, with the crowd gathered at the Harley-Davidson Roadhouse easily sent home clapping – and not just because "HandClap" was one of the last songs.

Set list

"Get Right Back"
"Spark"
"Don’t Gotta Work It Out"
"Out of My League"
"Run It"
"Break the Walls"
"Breakin' the Chains of Love"
"Walking Target"
"Complicated"
"Fools Gold"
"Roll Up"
"Do What You Want"
"Moneygrabber"
"Tricky"
"Burn It Down"
"LOV"

Encores
"HandClap"
"6Am"
"The Walker"