My Monday morning started off suspiciously too well; unbeknownst to me, I was in for some personal struggles that were nicely sprinkled in my day. A few mishaps in my preparation for work, a long day at the office, and finding the surprise road closure a couple of blocks away from the venue made for a day filled with minor inconveniences. Somehow, I’ve been able to brush off a lot of these little inconveniences lately, and ending the day with a personally highly anticipated show immensely helped. Boys Like Girls was headlining The Fillmore with a strong support lineup and it was just what I needed to get my week back on track.
Opening the night was Canadian singer songwriter LØLØ. I’ve seen LØLØ open once before at The Fillmore (opening for New Found Glory) and was curious to see how she has evolved over the last couple of years. Fans were steadily trickling in as LØLØ kicked off her short by sweet set. Right off the bat, LØLØ worked in her catchy reimagining of classic scene verses and choruses in her original songs. Similar to the last time she was here, LØLØ made a point to connect with the crowd, and as her set passed more people started to pay attention. Overall, it was very clear that LØLØ has started to find her groove in her live performances; her stage presence was lively, her connection to the crowd was palpable, and her voice sounded strong. Even though I don’t enjoy bills with more than three bands on them, I was happy to make an exception for this rendition of a set from LØLØ.
Next up for the night was a band I’ve listened to but the stars never seemed to align with seeing them live until now. The Summer Set went full speed ahead into their set, setting the bar pretty high for the bands to come later in the night. Even though lead singer Brian Logan Dales had been battling bronchitis for the last few days, no one in the crowd would have noticed; his vocals were on point, the band’s energy was radiating from the stage and intensified with each passing song. Arguably the largest reaction from the crowd came about midway through their set, when the band did a short medley of verse and chorus covers (including “Dance Dance,” “The Middle”, and “Semi-Charmed Life”) before landing on a full cover of One Direction’s “What Makes You Beautiful.” While I’m sad it took me this long to see The Summer Set live, the wait proved to be completely more than worth it.
The penultimate band for the evening was pop-punk powerhouse State Champs. The band came out with a bang to an eager crowd, carrying the same energy from The Summer Set into their performance. It has been a few years since I’ve seen State Champs live and although I miss the coziness of their set in a smaller venue, they had no problem filling The Fillmore full of pop-punk energy. The band blazed through their set in what felt like the blink of an eye; their eleven songs flying by in a whirlwind of energetic fervor the crowd ate up at nearly every turn. In what could be a completely biased observation since this is my favorite record of theirs, the handful of songs from their album Around The World And Back received the biggest crowd response and I wish a few more tracks were snuck into their set.
Last but certainly not least, Boys Like Girls took the stage. The lights went down, the house music stopped and for a minute or two, there was nothing to be heard but the chant of Boys Like Girls from the crowd, as they waited in anticipation for the band to walk onstage. Two of the four members were smoking cigarettes as they come on one by one, all members of the band walking out in attire that was giving off a strong 80’s vibe. The first song of the night set the tone for the rest of their time on stage, starting out strong with their hit “Love Drunk” before moving to “Five Minutes to Midnight” and a newer song “BLOOD AND SUGAR.” The band made a vow to the crowd early on to play all of the songs they came to hear, and they did not disappoint. Even with a couple of covers and acoustic songs sprinkled into their set, Boys Like Girls delivered on their promise, with their hits from their self titled debut and sophomore album Love Drunk garnering a huge singalong party with the crowd. Similar to The Summer Set, Boys Like Girls was a band that had evaded my concert experiences in the past, and seeing them live for the first time was everything I could have wanted it to be and more.
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