By Lily Wellen, Special to OnMilwaukee   Published Jul 01, 2016 at 2:36 AM

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Thursday night, Summerfest's typical clothing items changed from crop-tops and high-waisted shorts to ponchos, umbrellas and even garbage bags. So no, the second day of the festival did not have the ideal forecast.

However, that did not stop people from packing the Miller Lite Oasis in anticipation of seeing Passion Pit. And when the rain poured down heavier and heavier, people still didn’t budge. They were too excited and ready to see the alt pop band take the stage at 10 p.m.

As the band was setting up, they had the instruments and the backdrop covered up, protecting it from the rain. People become more anxious by the second. Before Passion Pit came out, the audience was chanting the group’s name over and over again. After a few short minutes, they finally appeared on the stage, and the crowd went wild.

I’d never seen Passion Pit before. I have always been obsessed with their breakout hit "Sleepyhead" and a few others, so I thought I should finally see them live. I am usually not a big fan of electronic music; to be honest, it usually gives me a headache. I was near this stage the night before during DJ Martin Garrix's show, and based on his set and his audience, it made me nervous about what to expect from an electronic concert.

But this was was just so different.

I was impressed and amazed by lead singer Michael Angelakos' energy right from the start. He was all over the stage, jumping, dancing and singing. He didn’t let the downpour of rain affect him one bit. Neither did the audience. They were dancing in the puddles, slipping on the benches and having a great time.

Passion Pit's songs have a funky, groovy sound to which you just can’t help but bop your head, tap your foot and dance your ass off. The set was just plain fun, and they had lots of crazy, bright lights that hyped up the performance even more.

The only downfall of the performance comes from the audience members, who were seriously killing the vibes and atmosphere by making out in the rain like they were in a Nicholas Sparks movie, minus the romance. They also were belting out the lyrics so loud that sometimes it was hard to hear Angelakos doing his thing.

However, I think the drunk guy in front of me put it best: "In rain or shine, I think we will have a good time." I do believe he was right. The show was a great time, and Angelakos was thankful for it. He kept thanking the audience for suffering in the rain for him, as well as telling us that, "Milwaukee is so f*cking rad."

Passion Pit closed the night with its two hit songs, "Take a Walk" and "Sleepyhead." As the kids say these days, it was pretty "lit." The crowd was wild, jumping, singing and keeping the energy alive, even at the close of the concert. Once it was over, everyone had such a major adrenaline rush that it was hard to remember that we were all cold and soaking wet.

But Passion Pit gave everyone a memory that they will never forget: that one time they went to Summerfest and watched a concert in the pouring rain.  

Set list

"Little Secrets"
"Lifted Up (1985)"
"Cry Like a Ghost"
"Mirrored Sea"
"Where the Sky Hangs"
"Make Light"
"Dancing on the Grave"
"To Kingdom Come"
"All I Want"
"I’ll Be Alright"
"Constant Conversations"
"The Reeling"
"Carried Away"
"Take a Walk" 

Encore:
"Sleepyhead"