Concert Recap: All Time Low
Words and Photos by Angelina Singer
If you’ve been a fan of All Time Low for a while like I have, you know that lead singer and rhythm guitarist Alex Gaskarth, lead guitarist Jack Barakat, bassist Zack Merrick, and drummer Rian Dawson, never fail to bring a heaping portion of incredibly unserious banter to their whimsical concert style that’s hard to replicate. There are jokes, moments that you wouldn’t think would be happening on stage (like Alex opening a pack of Pokémon cards from a fan on stage), and immersive pop punk songs you have to experience live to believe. I’d seen All Time Low before a handful of years ago, and was excited to go again when they added the second Boston show to their packed Everyone’s Talking Tour schedule.
Traveling with them this time were opening acts The Paradox, Four Year Strong, and Mayday Parade — the latter two that I’d seen before at various festivals like Sad Summer Fest or Warped Tour, but I was new to The Paradox. And honestly, they weren’t my cup of tea. Every song sounded the same and felt like a lame raunchy joke that didn’t land with anyone over the age of fifteen. Even my husband remarked they were a “Blink-182 wannabe” with less artistry and even less sonic dynamics in their live show.
Four Year Strong was similarly not my vibe, but I couldn’t even understand most of their lyrics (which might have been a sound issue, but this was also the case when I saw them at Sad Summer Fest years ago, so I’m guessing that noisy rock vibe is just their style). So far, the show was off to a bland start, but it was quickly rescued by Mayday Parade. While I only recognized a few of their songs, they were much more pleasant to listen to, with better-orchestrated dynamics and tone — including fan favorites like “Jersey” and its famous key-change, later followed by their hit “Jamie All Over” to close out their set.
All Time Low truly shined when they took the stage (and not just because of the surreal technicolor talk-show-turned-Super-Mario-land aesthetic they had going on). From the more relaxed introduction of “[cold open]” into the more fast-paced “Oh No!” and “SUCKERPUNCH”, the show was launching into the stratosphere fast. From there, fans were treated to some old favorites from previous albums like “Weightless”, “PMA”, and “Damned If I Do Ya (Damned If I Don’t)”. I was a bit surprised at the way more of the new album didn’t have top-billing of the setlist, but I still really enjoyed the show overall.
I did enjoy the nostalgia of songs that brought a lot of All Time Low eras into the same sonic space, like the intermingling of some hits from the album before this one, Tell Me I’m Alive, like “English Blood / American Heartache” and “Sleeping In”. However, I was disappointed that I didn’t get to hear my favorite song (“Falling for Strangers”) from the new album. I suppose they have to cut the deep cuts to keep the set from being too long, but this one is arguably the best on the album, so I found myself still craving it after the final curtain call. Regardless, there were some other favorites that brought the energy, like “Something’s Gotta Give”, “Glitter and Crimson”, and “Dirty Laundry”. It’s always impressive to me the way All Time Low can maintain a consistent sound across their albums without sounding robotic or repetitive. I guess that’s the kind of artistry that comes from being a band for over two decades.
Frontman Alex Gaskarth had even taken the mic to mention how Boston, in particular, was one of the first places that really welcomed them as a band when they got started. Then he encouraged everyone in the audience to continue to support any new acts trying to make their way onto the scene, because there’s some great talent that comes from Boston. It’s always fun to hear from an artist that your hometown is coincidentally one of their favorites to play at (unless they say that at every show, but there’s no way to really know that).
After an electric set (pun intended) of about twenty songs, the band disappeared with the full intention of coming back for an encore of four songs — one of which was a favorite of mine from the new album (“The Weather”), and another requested by an audience member holding a sign (“Vegas”). “Lost in Stereo” was another one that really got the crowd going, and it had the faster tempo to keep the energy up right to the end. Of course, ending the night with “Dear Maria, Count Me In” was par for the course, and no All Time Low show feels complete without honoring their generational-classic breakout hit.
From the anthemic lead guitars and the high-octane energy, there’s so much to sink your teeth into at this show. I was especially impressed by the visuals on stage and the way everything was so perfectly curated to bring their vision for the album to life. Toward the end of the show, I even noticed how the talk show background changed from a pristine stage to a ransacked, broken studio — perhaps a subtle nod to the wild crowd and tasteful demolition on par with the edgy concept of their show. The added touch of the blow-up auto-dealer-esque dancing tube men added a quirky element to their final song, cranking up the energy to a satisfying conclusion.
If you get the chance, I definitely recommend getting tickets to a remaining show on the Everyone’s Talking Tour, available on the band’s website here! and stream their new album on Spotify here!