Pop Rock Band 5 Seconds of Summer Returns to Pennsylvania
Australian pop rock band, 5 Seconds of Summer(5SOS), stopped by the Great Allentown Fair during their “Meet You There Tour” on Sept. 1st to perform for fans all across the state. With the opening band, The Aces, an all-girl indie rock/pop band from Utah, 5SOS wowed the crowd with a fresh performance.
After taking two years off from touring and making new music, 5SOS returned with a fresh sound and style. Hearing the band’s new sound was an experience that most were afraid of. Artists who usually change their music style tend to fade out of the spotlight due to fans disliking the new sound. 5SOS, however, took that as a challenge and released their new music with their third studio album, Youngblood on June 15, 2018. This album would become #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, surpassing Beyonce and Jay-Z.
Not knowing who The Aces were, my friend Samantha and I were prepared for the “typical” girl group. We looked up one of their music videos and we not thrilled with the song, so we were thinking that the opening of the concert was going to be terrible. However, The Aces proved us wrong and made the opening act of the show fun. I personally think they’re better performing live. The Aces kicked off the opening act of the show with plenty of energy to spare. The lead singer jumped and danced around the stage, while belting out the lyrics to their songs. Playing their most popular songs, the band pumped up the crowd for the main event.
After The Aces finished with their performance, the stage crews worked quickly, but carefully to set up for 5SOS. The energy was high while the crowd waited impatiently for the band to run out on stage. When 5 Seconds of Summer did step onto the stage, they were met with screams and applause.
5SOS started their performance with the last song on their new album Babylon. The crow
d went crazy. With more energy than The Aces, 5SOS performed with all they had. Singing songs from all three of their albums, 5SOS showed the crowd their heart and soul in their performance. They ended their set with the title track of the new album, “Youngblood.”
While playing a popular slow song from the first album called “Amnesia,” Calum Hood, the bass guitarist and vocalist of the band, stepped back from his microphone at the beginning of the song because the crowd was singing so loud they could hear it. With smiles on their faces, the group kept exchanging looks with each other. After “Amnesia,” the band played two more of their slow songs, “Lie To Me,” and “Ghost of You,” both off their new album. Luke Hemmings, the lead singer and guitarist of the band, also stopped singing at certain points in the songs because the crowd was singing so loud. Hemmings had a giant smile on his face while he played the piano for the songs.
5 Seconds of Summer played a total of twenty songs during their set. With a perfect mix of new songs with the old, the group showed the event’s crowd just how much they appreciated everyone showing up.
Ashton Irwin, the drummer and vocalist of the band, stated, “We’re actually really surprised to see as many of you here that there are. We appreciate you all sticking with us while we figure out who we are music wise. It’s been two years since we last made new music. Thank you all for supporting this new album and making us break records with it.”
I have been a fan of
5 Seconds of Summer for years and have been to see them in concert for their previous two tours. I was expecting a great performance like usual, but once again, this band surprised me. They took it up a notch. They interacted with the crowd more. They showed a lot more energy. They had a lot more stage presence as well. They had more confidence than in previous years. I was blown away with how much they improved and how relaxed they were while performing.
My friend Samantha was seeing the band preform for the first time. She was so excited and I could not blame her. This was a whole new sound and look for the band. I was just as excited to see what they would do. They did not disappoint either of us.
“I felt alive. I felt a rush going through my veins and it was laid back and chill,” Samantha commented, on seeing 5 Seconds of Summer perform for the first time.
If you’re interested in hearing more about 5 Seconds of Summer, follow them on Twitter, Instagram, and Spotify.