Young Reporter: All Time Low get an all-time high at Banquet, by Orisa Thandi

2015 has been an exciting year for the Pop-Punk band, All Time Low. Formed in Baltimore in 2003, the band consists of vocalist and rhythm guitarist Alex Gaskarth, lead guitarist and backing vocalist Jack Barakat, bassist and Backing vocalist Zack Merrick, and drummer Rian Dawson.

After releasing their debut EP (The three words to remember in dealing with the end) in 2003, the band have gone on to release 5 albums, as well as a live album (titled ‘Straight to DVD’). Their new album is titled ‘Future Hearts’, and three singles from the album have already been released: ‘Something’s gotta give’ , ‘Kids in the Dark’, and most recently, ‘Runaways’.

After the success of Don’t Panic! (Their 4th album) and the release of the singles, the band embarked on one of their rarest (and most sought after) tours yet. With more than 60 dates across the world on the horizon, there is no doubt that the Baltimore boys are very excited to play the Future Hearts Tour! I was lucky enough to attend one of the first dates on the tour: an intimate acoustic concert in the heart of Kingston, at the Hippodrome (set up by Banquet Records).

I arrived at 7:00 with my friend Nadja, and we were both pleasantly surprised to see that the army of fangirls that were queuing around the door had disappeared. This allowed us to enter straight into the Hippodrome- an aloof, kooky, intensely-packed venue, with a miniscule stage placed precariously at the front. Surrounded by fans, we both waited anxiously for the show to begin (after the support act)- and boy, were we in luck…

At exactly 08:00, the four boys walked out on stage. The place was lost in an uproar of noise, as the guitar tech handed the boys their guitars. The band launched into an upbeat, opening favourite, called ‘Dammed if I do ya’, and then moved swiftly onto ‘Somewhere in Neverland’. The blend of Alex’s and Zack’s (rarely heard vocals) paired with the precision and smooth melody of Jack’s guitar, layered over Rian’s soft drumbeats gave these two fan-favourites a unique and memorable twist.

Famous for their on-stage banter, the band cracked a few terrible jokes whilst preparing for the next song: ‘Hey guys, I’m Alex from All Time Low. Tonight, you’ll learn many things: You’ll learn that I’m a fantastic Tambourine player, you’ll learn that Zack can actually sing, and, you’ll learn how truly bad Jack is at acoustic guitar. Oh, and this is Rian…”

In-between snippets of Alex chuckling and Jack accidently forgetting a chord, the serenade of sound continued. From the laid-back, feel-good melody of ‘Backseat Serenade’ to the infamous ‘Therapy’, the band continued to play amazingly well, as the entire crowd sang with them. They even showed they had a few sly tricks up their sleeve, such as when they revealed American country singer Cassadee Pope to sing Juliet Simms’s part in ‘Remembering Sunday’ (which got a huge audience reaction).

Finishing with the highly anticipated new track ‘Something’s Gotta Give’, All Time Low conquered the Hippodrome and lit up the night with their music. All in all, the experience was ethereal and surreal, and something that I can never forget. In the perfect setting, I was able to do something others could only dream of: Witness my musical heroes in the comfort of my favorite local record store.