#jaeyrae

Hours before the doors were scheduled to open at The Rave on May 29th, an impressive line of skinny jean wearing, hair-dyed teenagers was already stretched around the block in anticipation of the sold out All Time Low concert. The 29th marked All Time Low’s 14th time performing at this venue, and it was actually a make-up show; the band originally was supposed to stop into Milwaukee on the 16th as part of their Future Hearts tour, but had to reschedule. It was clear these fans didn’t mind the slight inconvenience, as they stood outside cheerfully sharing past concert stories or chatting about what was served at their middle school for lunch that day.

However, the sense of camaraderie came to a halt as the openers took the stage and these dedicated die-hards soon let out all their pent-up, preteen aggression. Have you ever watched the Discovery channel and seen a pack of vicious wolves descend on an animal carcass? That’s how a lot of these sweat-soaked little monsters were acting toward the stage. A relentless wave of pushing and shoving from every direction was as impressive as it was ridiculous, given that the crowd consisted mainly of young girls.

At the front of the stage stood a squadron of security guards - who surely do not get paid enough for the incredible work that they do - tasked with taking care of a steady influx of crowd surfers throughout the night, as well as rescuing those unfortunate fangirls who nearly passed out from heat exhaustion before the openers even set foot on stage. For those who didn’t enjoy being repeatedly elbowed in the gut by a 14-year-old who smelled like wet garbage, the outer ring of the audience was the place to be. Away from the dizzying heat, boundless teenage aggression, and the overbearing scent of gym socks mixed with bad weed, it was possible to actually enjoy the show for what it was; a beautiful display of electrifying pop punk music.

The two opening bands each performed vivacious sets that got the already excited crowd even more fired up for the night. First onstage was Chicago-based Knuckle Puck. They played a fiery, spirited set for the group of rowdy youths, and were followed by another Illinois pop punk band; Real Friends. Real Friends also had a fun and lively set, and at one point they gave a shout-out to Wisconsin’s famous cheese, to which the audience responded with enthusiastic cheers.

Then, greeted by deafening screams and applause, All Time Low took the stage, opening with the song “Satellite” from their latest album Future Hearts. Like magic (or because they were simply exhausted at this point) the unruly youths in the crowd seemed to end their crazy jostling and unite together, still remaining boisterous and dancey yet in a much more tame manner. The band launched straight into a fun-filled show for their adoring, screeching fans. The term “crowd-pleaser” could sincerely be applied to every song on the band’s high-tempo setlist. All Time Low’s infectious energy kept the crowd dancing, screaming, and grinning from ear-to-ear song after song after song. They seemed to really enjoy being on stage, and even their expletive-laden, innuendo-filled between song banter was somehow charming. A few highlights of the night were “Weightless”, an upbeat track from their album Nothing Personal, and “The Reckless and The Brave” off of their album Don’t Panic. “Missing You”, the sweet, heartfelt tune from Future Hearts, was also one of the more outstanding points of the night. Throughout the night, there was just the right mix of new and old songs, as the band blended their classics in with their newer work.

As an added bonus just for Milwaukee fans, All Time Low put on a short acoustic performance during their set, which was meant as a consolation for having to reschedule the concert. In a drastic change of pace, fans stood almost completely still, as if mesmerized by the performance, during the emotional songs “Remembering Sunday” and “Therapy”. The band also played an acoustic version of their songs “Jasey Rae” and “Coffeeshop Soundtrack”, which made all the diehards who were packed into The Rave absolutely ecstatic. They ended their acoustic interlude with a cover of Sia’s “Elastic Heart”, then brought back out the electric guitars for a few more songs. By the time All Time Low closed their set with the explosive hit “Dear Maria Count Me In”, there had been three separate confetti cannons. The colorful bits of paper rained on the jubilant pop punk fans, sticking to their sweaty, smiling faces. 

As everyone filed out of the venue, it was clear that the band’s high energy and positive vibes had had a great impact on their mood. If there’s one thing that All Time Low proved that night, it’s that they know how to put on an incredible show.