ALL TIME LOW PLAYS SOUND ACADEMY

The evening of January 17th was probably one of the coldest of this year’s winter, so far. I arrived at Sound Academy, layered and bundled up for the anticipated wait in line outside of Sound Academy, which of course there was. However, I was shocked to see that I was one of the only people wearing my winter coat and mitts; most of the kids in line were clad in only their skinny jeans and a t shirt or sweater. Although I felt bad for how cold their were, I remembered fondly the anticipation of knowing that it would be worth not having to hold onto your jacket when you just wanted to dance to your favorite band, even if you were freezing in the line outside. Some kids were huddled together with their friends trying  to stay warm while they waited, with their mom or dad a few people back in line as to not let on that they were chaperoning their kid’s evening. Finally, we were let in. I went to the back to secure a table for myself, as the crowds of teenagers shuffled over to the merch table to get something to remember the evening by.

The show was all ages, and the small 19+ section at the back of the Sound Academy looked uncharacteristically large for being usually packed with people. However, this was unsurprising as the majority of the show attendees looked to be in their mid teens, which the rest of the venue was filled with. I was joined by a few older adults, parents maybe. They nodded along to the music, beer in hand, and I remembered my mom doing the same for me. The first band,  Fireworks, began playing soon after the venue was filled. The pop punk five piece band from Detroit, Michigan got the crowd warmed up for the two opening acts, whom they may have seen along with All Time Low at the Toronto Warped Tour stop in July 2012. They played close to ten songs from their repertoire as the crowd danced along approvingly, but the most excitement  during the set was when the lead singer asked the crowd if they were ready for Yellowcard and All Time Low. They most certainly were.

Fireworks finished their set, and the crowd was buzzing with anticipation. The lights went down and Yellowcard began their set. The Jacksonville, Florida pop punkers are no stranger to touring Canada, having come here numerous times since the release of their first hit, Ocean Avenue, in 2003. The band have a clearly devoted fan base after eleven years of touring, lineup changes, and album releases. Vocalist Ryan Key engaged the crowd talking about their love of Canada, their hometown of Jacksonville, and  got them going in a rambunctious circle pit, challenging the fans to a better pit than the previous night’s show in Montreal. Not one to turn down a challenge, the crowd delivered a circle pit worthy of praise. They played songs off of all five of their albums, especially their most recent release, 2012′s Southern Air.The crowd, including myself, sang along to hits such as Lights and Sounds, Only One, and of course, Ocean Avenue, which Yellowcard ended their great set with.

The fans were good and ready by the time All Time Low took the stage at close to 9:30. They asked Toronto how they were doing before kicking off their fifteen song setlist with the first single off their latest release, Somewhere in Neverland, off the album Don’t Panic. The four piece from Baltimore, Maryland packed a punch ; although all of the band members are long since graduated from high school, they sang about partying, girls who cheat, and having fun while you are still young with the energy of seventeen year olds. Alex Gaskarth, vocalist for the band, flirted with the girls in the crowd, even suggesting at one point that the show wasn’t Canadian if the females didn’t “show [him] their boobs.” Although I’m sure the was much to the chagrin of many of the parents in the crowd, the girls loved it, and there were numerous bras hanging from the ends of each band member’s guitar by the end of the set. For a group that started out as a bunch of high school kids who just wanted to be on the Warped Tour, they have definitely come a long way and achieved the much sought after rock star status. They played songs off their latest release, as well as their first EP and subsequent three LPs, all which have been released between 2003 and now. All Time Low played a great mix of upbeat dance and sing alongs and slower ballads, including the emotional song Therapy off of 2009′s Nothing Personal. They ended their set with Time Bomb, a raucous anthem for the teenagers in the crowd, and left the stage to chants of encore. Of course, the band indeed returned to the stage to play three last songs before saying their final goodnights to the excited, happy crowd. The show was obviously a success, and from all the chatter I heard after the show ended, it’s clear that All Time Low fans will be ready and willing again as soon as the band plays here next.

Somewhere In Neverland

Forget About It

For Baltimore

Heroes

Stella

If These Sheets Were States

Damned If I Do Ya (Damned If I Don’t)

Coffee Shop Soundtrack

Therapy

Lost in Stereo

Backseat Serenade

Time Bomb

Encore:

The Reckless and the Brave

Weightless

Dear Maria, Count Me In

Photos by: Genevieve Lui

Words by: Sheila Hart-Owens