Words By: Amanda Meyer//
Photos By: Sarah Waxberg//
After 14 years of being a band, it’s no secret that All Time Low knows how to put on a rock show, especially in the middle of Central Park. Though, this time around was different from past tours. The band stayed in primarily club-sized venues, different from their usual theatre-sized venues. Intentional or not, the decision to play in these venues brought the band back to their roots. Although this tour was to promote their latest release, Last Young Renegade
All Time Low brought out the bands that ranged in the age of where they were ten years ago, when their second album, So Wrong, It’s Right, came out. It was a serious fit for this audience. With fans ranging from elementary age to thirty-something year olds, it was refreshing to hear new music from newcomer pop punk and pop-rock bands SWMRS, Waterparks and The Wrecks.
First up were Los Angeles-based indie rock band, The Wrecks. Although many did not know the band, they pumped the crowd up greatly and definitely gained a ton of new fans. Their music is extremely catchy and energetic and it’s evident that it’s why they were placed on this tour. Definitely keep your eyes (and ears!) out for this band. I have a good feeling they’re going to blow up within the next few years.
Following The Wrecks were Waterparks, a band very familiar with the current pop-rock scene. As soon as the blue-haired frontman Awsten Knight hit the stage, countless screams and squeals were surrounding SummerStage in the middle of the park. The band were very interactive with the crowd and it was awesome to see that, considering they were just an opening band.
Next up were SWMRS. Sound familiar to you? Probably because Billie Joe Armstrong’s prodigy of a son, Joey Armstrong, is the drummer of the band! There’s definitely some old punk rock influence in this band and it was very noticeable during their set. Being new label mates with All Time Low on Fueled By Ramen, SWMRS were definitely a great addition to this show.
Last, but definitely not least, it was finally time for All Time Low to take over! Something great about this tour, aside from the very cool lineup, was the fact that the band was able to squish in a diverse setlist. The band now has 7 albums and 2 EPs, but made sure to include hits from 6 of their releases, despite the tour being a support for Last Young Renegade. Although LGR is a new album, it has some nostalgic moments and they definitely played that into their set with songs like “Good Times” and the title track, “Last Young Renegade”. Alex Gaskarth, ATL’s frontman, made note of SWIR’s ten year anniversary for part of their set and played one of their fan-favorite songs, “Vegas”.
ATL played for about an hour and a half, and ended the set with the classic “Dear Maria, Count Me In”. The tour has a few more shows until the band has a little break until the next leg of the tour starts in Asia.
Be sure to check out SWMRS, Waterparks and The Wrecks too, as I have a feeling they will all be the next big thing in the pop punk and rock scenes!
