So I know this is a little late but since the guys of Allstar Weekend are currently wrapping up the last of their “All the Way” tour, I figured now would be an appropriate time to post a concert review.
Allstar Weekend is currently on their winter tour in celebration of their latest album, “All the Way,” and recently played at the House of Blues Boston on February 18, 2012.
When Allstar Weekend arrived in Boston, they stopped by our number one hit music station, Kiss 108 for a live webcast performance and an interview before their show that night. Since I intern at Kiss 108, I was allowed to go in and watch their performance in the studio. The band played three songs; Bend or Break was first, Do It To Me was second, and James (Never Change) was last. All three songs were played acoustically. Zach was present on vocals, Michael who is the drummer sang back-up, Cameron who is the bassist was present on guitar and back-up vocals along with their touring guitarist Brent Schneiders who also was present on guitar and back-up vocals. The performance was excellent-the band did a wonderful job playing the songs acoustic-style. Zach’s voice sounds exactly the same live as it does on their record and was as strong as ever during the performance. The band also had a unique way of making their performance special-Zach would pause between songs and chat about something random, making the audience laugh. After they sang, the band talked about their tour, their recent departure from Hollywood Records and their new single, “Wanna Dance With Somebody.”
After the band left the studio I headed on down to the House of Blues since I was attending their show that night. I arrived close to 3:30 and although the doors didn’t open until 5 pm, the line was already all the way down Lansdowne Street and the crowd was already getting crazy! What was really nice was that a few band members from the opening acts (Hollywood Ending, Before You Exit, and The After Party) were walking down the line chatting and socializing with fans. While waiting in line, I got to meet Brandon from The After Party and Connor and Riley from Before You Exit. They all seemed like laid-back, genuine guys. Even though they had a performance to get ready for in less than an hour’s time, they still took the time to go down the line and chat with as many fans as possible.
I think what added to all the shows on this tour were the opening acts-I don’t think a lot of Allstar Weekend fans knew much about any of the other bands, nor did they care at first. I’ll admit, I was one of those people. All I really cared about was seeing Allstar Weekend live for the first time, but all the other opening acts really took me by surprise. I had checked them out somewhat before, but my first impression on them was a little bland. Especially since the guys in Hollywood Ending and Before You Exit were a lot younger than I am, I didn’t expect much from them at the show. They sure proved me wrong, though. First, when everyone was let into the venue, a rock band known as The Composure performed. The Composure is a band from Pittsburg, Pennsylvania and they opened for Allstar Weekend for a few shows on their tour. Many fans did not even know there was going to be an additional band opening. However, they sang a few songs and were able to get some of the crowd excited for the most part, although there was not a lot of people on the floor yet. I did not know any of their songs, but they surprised me with an amazing cover of Bruce Springsteen’s “Dancing in the Dark.” This song got everyone going, and they even surprised everyone in the audience again when Zach from Allstar Weekend came running out and sang his own verse in the song. The crowd screamed when he came out, and it was even funnier because he came out with such energetic force, but his microphone was off. He immediately noticed it and turned it back on, but it gave everyone in the audience a good laugh. The Composure played one more song after and wrapped it up. Hollywood Ending was next. The band played a few of their own songs which some people in the crowd knew, but they really got everyone wound up when they did a cover of One Direction’s “What Makes You Beautiful,” which I must say, they did a really good job with live. There was a lot of energy put into the performance of the already up-beat song. Next they did a cover of “Year 3000” and “Gotta Find You” by the Jonas Brothers, which the crowd seemed to enjoy as well.
Before You Exit came out next-they opened up with their song “Brick Wall,” an up-beat energetic song and immediately got the crowd going wild. Next, they slowed it down with what they call their “Script Mash-Up,” which is a mash-up of “For The First Time” and “Man Who Can’t Be Moved” by The Script. They really wowed the crowd and myself with this cover-it’s not what I expected from a group of 16-18 year olds at all. When they sang, it was like they were far more mature in their years. Riley, the lead singer, has amazingly smooth vocals and really put emotion into the song along with the rest of the band. Next, they performed their new hit single, “End of the World,” which is now a personal favorite of mine. It’s an up-beat, catchy pop song that just puts you in a good mood and makes you want to dance. They also did a cover of Hot Chelle Rae’s “Tonight, Tonight,” which the audience certainly loved. After seeing Before You Exit perform live, I gained a new form of respect for the band. They weren’t the “junior Jonas Brothers” or little Justin Biebers I expected them to be-they are certainly going to be more in the future.
The last band that performed before Allstar Weekend was The After Party. They made their way onto the stage on a good note with their energetic pop sound. They performed a few songs including “Secret Lover,” “Can’t Stop,” and their new single, “California.” However, for this show in particular they changed the lyrics from California to “Massachusetts,” which the audience really appreciated. They then did a rock ‘n’ roll sort of cover to Britney Spears’ “Oops! I Did It Again” which was amusing yet awesome at the same time. The crowd was jumping up and down and laughing hysterically. They ended the performance with a bang, by doing their own rendition of the shuffle to LMFAO’s “Party Rock,” which was also hilarious and got all the girls screaming.
By the time The After Party was done, the whole crowd was completely in the venue and everyone was already wound up, wild and ready to go. When the lights went off and Allstar Weekend was about to come out, the audience went CRAZY. It was like we got to see two concerts in one-the opening acts were so good that the energy from the crowd was already like the headliners had already performed. The band came running out and opened up with their song “All the Way,” which had the crowd singing, jumping up and down and waving their arms around in the air immediately. The energy that Zach puts into his performance is unreal-you can tell he really loves what he’s doing up on that stage. Cameron is especially funny while he struts around on the stage with his bass guitar while singing and pointing and winking at girls in the audience. The band really made the performance special and enjoyable-they played a bunch of songs including their old and new ones, (All the Way, Wanna Dance With Somebody, Bend Or Break, Be There, Undercover, Here With You, Dance Forever, Hey Princess, Journey to the End of My Life) and they even brought 20+ fans up to dance on the stage with them to their song “Sorry.”
Overall, all of the bands really made the concert memorable, leaving the fans with hoping to see all of the acts in concert again soon. The show was incredibly special because I think all of the fans really enjoyed seeing all of those bands together. If you haven’t checked out music from The Composure, Before You Exit, Hollywood Ending, The After Party, or Allstar Weekend yet, I highly suggest you give them a chance and listen!
All photo credits go to jessjonas14!
