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The Alternative Press Tour invaded the Boulder Theater early in April, bringing with it a mixture of talents.
Forever the Sickest Kids, Sonny, The Matches, All Time Low and The Rocket Summer were all scheduled to perform However, the entire show got off to a rocky start.
A line of anxious concertgoers wrapped around the venue and down the block well past the door-opening time.
Word quickly spread that the show had been postponed for an hour, leaving fans outside in the cold. Amid the chills and shivers, the crowd was abuzz with the rumor that Forever the Sickest Kids would not perform.
“No way! It has to be an April Fool’s joke. At least I hope so,” said one worried concertgoer.
To the disappointment of many, the rumor proved to be more than a prank. Forever the Sickest Kids were absent from the show’s line-up.
Instead, Sonny was the first band to play. The young lead singer, Sonny Moore, previously frontman for the group
From First to Last, has now ventured out as a solo artist. The previous tour experience should have helped out his performance, but Moore had difficulties winning over a majority of the crowd. Excited and energetic, Moore relished every moment on stage to the point where it became cliché and generic.
“I love you and you and you and you,” he yelled as he ran into the audience, making his set seem a bit over the top. Yet, in the end, he did leave the stage to a decent amount of applause.
California band The Matches played next, taking to the stage in super stylish outfits topped with fedora hats. Although the band exploded onto the stage, the highly theatrical performance left the audience divided. On a tour filled with mainly pop-punk acts, a good portion of the crowd embraced The Matches more alternative rock sound. Songs like “Wake the Sun” made the band’s set enjoyable because of with its lively and upbeat feel.
All Time Low took the stage after a hilariously inappropriate introduction that cannot be restated in print. At first, the group lacked the performance quality expected of a band that has such a large fan base. However, little by little the performance became more engaging after every song. Then suddenly the show stopped.
“I can’t take this I’m out” exclaimed leader singer Alex Gaskarth as he ripped off his guitar and ran offstage.The stunned crowd prayed it was an actual prank.
“ATL! ATL!” they chanted as the band playfully returned to stage.
The set finally ended with All Time Low performing at its best to a captivated audience with songs like “Jasey Rae” and its most recent single “Dear Maria, Count Me In.”
The Rocket Summer, the final act, hail from Colleyville, Texas. The band stole the show. The floorboards began to shake from fans that were jumping up and down as soon as the first song began to play. The Rocket Summer fed into the crowd’s excitement by spraying confetti into the audience after only the second song.
Another treat occurred when front man Bryce Avary showed off his impressive musical talents. Avary is well known for playing every instrument heard on the album and wanted the audience to see him in action. Left alone on stage in the middle of the set, Avary went to all the instruments onstage and began playing a loop. The loops were then recorded and layered on top of one another. Eventually, the drums, guitar, bass and piano layers transformed him into a one man band onstage.
This presentation of musicianship created a pandemonium of praise that remained rampant and lively for the rest of the show.
Overall, each act was a good build-up to the spectacular high powered finale that was The Rocket Summer.
