Baltimore-based band All Time Low brought their signature
pop-punk sound and witty banter to the Loft Tuesday night, playing to a crowd
of skinny jeans-wearing teen scenesters and causing several 12-year-old
audience members to form a mosh pit.
Opening acts included Valencia and Chicago-based The
Audition, who clearly took themselves and their hair too seriously, failing to
deliver a cohesive set and thrashing their instruments without any musical direction.
Headliners All Time Low, however, seized the stage and gave the overplayed
genre of pop punk a fresh twist with a tight set, clever lyrics and playful
antics.
Formed while they were still in high school, All Time Low
has been performing since 2003. After recording with Emerald Moon Records, they
signed with Hopeless Records in 2005. Their latest CD, So Wrong It's Right, was released this fall. Now, with the album on
sale at Target and their video in rotation on mtvU, All Time Low has hit it big
with mainstream audiences.
With his husky croon and shaggy locks, singer Alex Gaskarth
is the obvious hearthrob of the band; one young fan gave him a necklace and a
chalice emblazoned with the words "Lookin' for Booty." Guitarist Jack Barakat
and bassist Zack Merrick violently flung themselves and their instruments
across the stage, while drummer Rian Dawson pounded his kit ferociously. With their
explosive onstage energy, it is not surprising that All Time Low has gained a
national following.
During Tuesday's hourlong set, the band performed a few
songs from their new album and almost all of their older fan favorites. The set
opened with new song "Dear Maria, Count Me In," and was followed by "Jasey
Rae," a song from their 2006 EP Put Up Or
Shut Up, perhaps one of the best of the set.
Barakat and Gaskarth razzed each other between every song,
mostly about bodily functions and how much their supporting acts smelled.
"These people think we're stupid — we should play a song," declared Barakat at
one point. Their nervous but cocky attitudes seemed to mask their shock at
being successful before they can legally drink.
Consequently, the biggest complaint about the set was that
the constant banter eventually became tiresome; Barakat admitted this flaw at
one point: "We're probably the only band who talks more than we play."
The band members' ability to laugh at themselves, however,
was evident when Gaskarth broke into his own rendition of "Bootylicious" during
the song "Running From Lions."
The highlight of the set was "Remembering Sunday," a
partially acoustic song which also allowed Dawson to showcase his ability on
drums.
Audience participation was encouraged and even expected as
the band demanded that the entire crowd squat during their performance of "The
Girl's A Straight-Up Hustler."
The final song of the set and the most well received was the
band's new single, "Six Feet Under The Stars," which paired heavier pop-punk
riffs with slow, tension building breakdowns.
For an encore, they covered Blink-182's "Dammit," a song
which fit perfectly with their theme of youthful rebellion. Gaskarth attempted
to swing from the ceiling as members of supporting acts appeared onstage for
the final number.
Whatever All Time Low lacks in musical ability, they make up for in stage presence and raw energy. Catchy songs about being young, in love and making it big make audiences want to get up and dance. In a genre
dominated by lackluster bands who all sound the same, All Time Low set themselves apart with their determination and dedication to providing an energetic performance. This young band promises to deliver a playful and highly entertaining live show.
