The MAC became punkrock central on July 30 as All Time Low’s (ATL) Gimme Summe Ya Love tour came to the University.
Fans jumped and sang along to ATL as well as opening acts We Are The In Crowd, Mayday Parade, and Starting Line. Concert goers also partied to the beats as a mosh pit grew near the stage while fans crowdsurfed to the stage only to be denied access by security.
Before the show, ticketholders and fans waited outside the MAC in a line that stretched to the baseball diamond. According to Jon Vena, Marketing Director of AEG Live NJ, about 3,400 people showed up for this.
Waiting for the show was Dominick Falco, a senior at Red Bank Catholic, who has followed ATL for the last five years. When asked about his hopes for the show, he said their “past music was good, so I hope it will be just the same.”
A DJ on stage played a number of different chart hits to fill the air with music as the stage was getting prepared. The DJ continued playing current songs like Katy Perry’s “Last Friday Night” and oldies like Bon Jovi’s “Living on a Prayer” throughout the sets.
The crowd roared as We Are The In Crowd started the show. Despite no introduction, fans and music lovers got excited as vocalist Taylor Jardine, guitarist/vocalist Jordan Eckes, guitarist Cameron Hurley, bassist Mike Ferri, and drummer Rob Chianelli, brought forth their energy.
Jardine’s strong voice matched with the band’s punk attitude and generated a loud presence that rocked the house through numbers like “Calendar Babies.”
The band also interacted with the crowd like when Jardine joked around by saying whoever could make it to the stage would get a kiss.
Mayday Parade presented a less punk but equally strong rock attitude. Under a blue spotlight, Bundrick tested out his drums, which sounded like a rallying cry for his band. Soon, vocalist Sander was bopping his head to the notes while standing out to the crowd like a musical preacher.
Besides Sander, the guitarists and bassist swung their instruments around their bodies and would catch them to return playing in “OLOL.”
Their playlist consisted of “Kids in Love,” “Black Cat,” “OLOL,” “Anywhere But Here,” and “Jersey.” Bundrick, during this performance, did well in keeping the beat to each number, making sure there was always a rocking backdrop to keep the songs moving.
The band used their instruments as an extension of themselves to generate the music that got the crowd raising their hands. As they concluded “Jersey,” the band continued with all their energy and it showed as the bassist held onto his last note.
The Starting Line, whose members are Kenny Vasoli (vocals and bass), Matt Watts (guitar), Mike Golla (guitar and backup vocals), Brian Schmutz (keyboardist and backup vocals), and Tom Gryskiewicz (drums), started their show with intensity and used it to keep the MAC rocking.
Their punk mixed with rock to showcase their particular sound. They began lightly with their first song under a yellow spotlight but eventually the band was hopping up and down on stage.
While most of The Starting Line’s songs were heavy rock numbers, they also made sure to include a heavy ballad to balance their playlist out. “Stay Where I Can See You” had a way of calming down the band without losing their edge to sound like a heavy anthem to punkrock.
The Starting Line moved around less as Watts and Golla stood aside Vasoli while Schmutz and Gryskiewicz were keeping their band leader in check.
Also during The Starting Line’s set was the light show that added more to the show. This helped make the event less of a concert and more of a show.
For example, in their second song, a blue spotlight shined on the band, which also made the instruments look purplish, but changed as the song continued.
The Starting Line played more than the other bands, but did not take this opportunity lightly. By the end, the crowd was either standing up, singing along or a part of the mosh pit.
When ATL appeared on stage, screams showered over vocalist/rhythm guitarist Alexander Gaskarth, lead guitarist/backup vocalist Jack Barakat, bassist a/backup vocalist Zachary Merrick, and drummer Rian Dawson.
They began with “Do You Want Me Dead” where the band played together, but also acted out as if having a duel with their instruments. Their excitement was helped by a light show that was more sporadic and chaotic than the Starting Line as strobe lights and quick flashes matched their punkrock tunes.
Their other songs were “Don’t Forget About It,” “Remembering Sunday,” “She’s So Beautiful,” and “Therapy” where fans belted out the lyrics. In fact, after “Therapy,” Gaskarth said, “I think that might have been the biggest fing singalong ever.”
The showstopper was “I Feel like Dancin’ Tonight,” which had such a strong beat one could feel it in their chest. The song’s smooth rock chorus worked well with the punk melody and increased during the music’s running time.
While ATL rocked, they also displayed quieter numbers like “Remembering Sunday” with a gentle pace. On an acoustic guitar and under a light purple spotlight, Gaskarth added a feeling of soulfulness to the moment.
ATL also interacted with the crowd by mentioning a show they played at Starland Ballroom five months ago. They also took time to acknowledge their previous acts.
Yet, ATL did goof around using the square lights above the stage to spell out ATL, ASS, and SEX. Gaskarth even teased the crowd with a cover of Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believin’” before beginning “Guts.”
They concluded with “Dear Marvin” as guitars ripped their chords for the final beats and
Dawson drummed until their music erupted.
After the concert was over, people waited in line to buy merchandise, waited outside and talked with each other or jumped in their car to head home.
All the bands realized this concert was for their fans or first-time listeners and did well thanking them.
When Frank Fucci, 18, of Barnegate, who was seeing ATL perform live for the first time, was asked why he liked them, he said, “Their music, it’s not generic. It’s its own genre” and found the concert to be “awesome.”
He did say he would have liked to have heard different songs from other albums.
As for David Gall, 18, of Barnegate, he said, “How can I put it into words? I’m not a big All Time Low fan, not until today.”
His favorite ATL song was “Remembering Sunday” because it was “nice,” “smooth,” and “relatable” yet also enjoyed hearing The Starting Line and We Are The In Crowd.
Renee Ruiz, 17, of Brick, marked this as her fourth or fifth concert. She said she liked the show overall and enjoyed hearing We Are The In Crowd, Mayday Parade, and The Starting Line live for the first time.
Ruiz said she enjoys ATL because their sound is like “all the genres are put together.” Ruiz also said of ATL, “Every time, it’s something new, energetic.”
PHOTOS COURTESY of Jim Reme
