We’ve got scars on future hearts…
Hello, beautiful people. As promised, here is the Back to Future Hearts Tour which I am sure you have been waiting for with bated breath.
I will say that I didn’t get to go to a show of the original Future Hearts Tour because of prior engagements. Apparently, my sister couldn’t graduate from college a different day. But when they announced the Back To Future Hearts Tour, I started planning a way to see it. There was an Ohio stop and all I needed was somebody with a car and BOOM! All set. That explains how at 3:00 pm on a Sunday we were eating nachos at the restaurant attached to AGORA and killing time before the show started.
I went with best friend Molly again and new friend Amanda. The service was pretty slow so that took up a lot of waiting in line time. But as far as restaurants go, it was cheap and you got a lot of really good food. I highly suggest the nachos. ANYWAY! The first thing I noticed when we were let in was the weird set up of the venue. The pit was furthest in the front and as you moved towards the back there were rows of elevated sections. We were in the furthest section and our view was pretty great. Neck Deep came on around 6:40, even though the show wasn’t set to start until 7 and they crushed it – or as the English would say… absolutely smashed it. That might be Australian, actually. I’m ignorant and I apologize.
I went to an in-store signing in Wilkes-barre this summer with a few friends so I knew they were going to be good. When I saw them full band though, they blew it away. I will say that at some points it was a bit difficult to hear the words but that’s my only criticism.
When you see them live, you can tell that they’ve earned every bit of success they have now. Every member had just as much passion as the next but for me, there was a standout – Dani Abasi. Why have I never noticed how great you are before? Like I said, everyone is passionate in that band but Dani just killed it. I’m not sure how else to say it. He went out there and did what he had to do and soared above already high expectations. Go see them if you get a chance! They’re heading out soon on a world tour with State Champs so keep your eyes open for that.
After Neck Deep, it was time for Sleeping With Sirens. I know them I’m familiar with their music but I never went to their show. I always thought that when people talked about how great their live shows were, it was just because they were their fans. I’m just being honest, and I am here to apologize because they put on one hell of a live performance.
Kellin gets a lot of praise and an equal amount of crap all the time from people online. It’s either for his vocals being amazing or overrated. He’s either a complete asshole or the sweetest guy ever. At that show, he didn’t strike me as an asshole one bit. The first thing he did was ask people to move backwards because the people in the front were being squished. His vocals were phenomenal. Listening to him at home on your iTunes, they’re flawless and when you hear them live – yeah, their not flawless but that just reminds you he’s actually singing. Maybe he can get a little cocky sometimes, I wouldn’t know. But have you heard him? He’s allowed to be.
Their stage had a great set-up. The lights kept you engaged and got you pumped up even during the slower songs. Whether you love SWS or you hate them, you can not deny their talent. Gabe, Jack, Kellin, Nick, and Justin are five incredibly gifted dudes. Justin has this cool bass player attitude that is sort of distracting but I was into it. Gabe just looked happy to be there – hitting the drums with whatever he had in him. Stand out for me, though was Jack Fowler without a doubt. His guitar solos and stage presence were some of the best things I’ve ever seen. Please do yourselves a favor… go see them. See for yourself why all these people are talking about them. See what makes them great and try to prove me wrong.
After Sleeping With Sirens, it was time for All Time Low. I have been planning this for an entire month. I only looked at the set list one time prior so I could properly prepare myself for what my ears were about to hear. They’re set up was a bit less that SWS… but the Future Hearts logo was EVERYWHERE. If you didn’t know what their newest album was… you did by the time the second song rolled around. One thing I love about ATL is that they never take themselves too seriously. Jack and Alex constantly joking around on stage. Jack doing random stupid stuff and singing a song about guacamole… yes, that happened. No I don’t know why. I’ve been to quite a few of their shows I’ve learned to just go with it. But there is something really interesting about an All Time Low show… it truly is an escape.
They’re going to talk to you – maybe not one-on-one but they care if you’re having a good time and for more reasons than it’s their job. They will play some hyped up songs that we all know the words to and mix it up with some stuff off the new album that maybe people haven’t heard before. (Just a plug… Future Hearts… Go pic it up… It’s grand.) I don’t know if I could pick a stand out for All Time Low because I knew what to expect and that was nothing but the best. The guys were going to go out there and give 110%.
They know what the songs mean to you guys. They’ve heard your stories, they’ve read your letters and they’re not going to disrespect you by giving you anything less than everything they have. That’s why I love them. From songs like “Remembering Sunday,” and “Missing You,” (Made me cry, by the way) to songs like “Poppin’ Champagne,” and “Don’t You Go,” – they treat them as if it was your first time hearing it. The lights, the beach balls with the Future Hearts symbols on it, even the confetti at the end during Dear Maria, they were all just extras that added to the experience. You went there for the music and they were giving you it. This show was nothing short of spectacular and the free Rockstar Energy Drinks as we were leaving just bumped it up so many spots.
After these shows, I remember why I love to write about music and write about concerts. I can tell my friends and family about it until I’m blue in the face but when it comes down to it, they don’t always like the same music I do. They’re not going to fully understand what I’m talking about but if I write it down and send it out there, maybe one of you will. I’m really hoping one of you will.
