Words and photos by Lucas Aymard.
On September 9, 2024, The Driver Era stopped in Lyon, France as part of their X Girlfriend Tour, in one of the most wonderful venues of the city: Le Transbordeur. Fans were already queuing hours before the show, with the bravest being there since the early morning.
My best friend and I arrived at 1pm, and the waiting area was already packed. It’s no surprise since they’re a very popular band from the United States, and such shows are pretty rare here in Lyon. Props to the venue for their commitment to providing an opportunity for people to attend these kinds of shows!
Fans dressed to the nines for such a special occasion: from dress shirts and ties to lipstick kisses on cheeks, which felt very on brand (a reference to the band’s “A Kiss” song). Also, the venue was not missing out on the pink cowboy hat, because what would this concert be without The Driver Era’s signature emblem? Of course dozens of fans had to wear the iconic pink hat! Then, at 4pm, about 3 hours before the doors opened, a heavy rain started — which would unfortunately not stop until all the fans were gathered inside the venue.
Your Favorite Color
It was now time for the show to start! Your Favorite Color opened the night, an emerging indie pop rock band from California. The band is composed of 5 members: lead singer Matt, guitarists Luke and Cam, drummer Foz and keyboardist Nick.
Despite not being known by the crowd yet, it didn’t stop them from being confident and winning over the audience with their top notch stage presence. The crowd emboldened them by clapping along the beat, and by screaming and singing during the performance’s highlight moments. “Boy Toy” — one of the bands many bops, lured us in with its playful and sexy sound. Matt then leaned over the stage to hold a fan’s hands. A beautiful moment! We loved their interactions with the crowd throughout their performance.
Almost Monday
As the night unfolded, we had to say goodbye to Your (now ‘our’) Favorite Color as the next treat of the night got on stage. Almost Monday — a fellow California based band, is comprised of three members: Dawson the lead singer, Cole the lead guitarist and Luke on the bass.
Let me tell you that straight away, they were the highlight of the night! Their indie pop-infused songs completely blew away the crowd. The atmosphere and energy was unparalleled — something i’ve rarely witnessed. They could have easily be the main act of the night!
This band has it all: an absolutely amazing stage presence (Dawson is literally doing karate figures while singing, like excuse meeee?!), a sprinkle of sassiness, a storming confidence, and lyrics to sing along. Mix all of that together and you get Almost Monday. What a delight! They were born to be on stage — Almost Monday showed masterfully and powerfully that they are true performers.
The band played brand new songs from their debut album Dive, which was released on September 25. It is a gem of sun-bathed songs that will immediately make you remember your best summer!
Then, the lights turned orange as the warm connection between the band and the crowd became apparent. Almost Monday completely stole the show, and I sure dived into their vision of pop! We wish them luck for their upcoming headline tour and we can’t wait to see them there!
The Driver Era
And now came the moment we were all waiting for: The Driver Era entering the stage. Their silhouettes were sculpted by white flickering lights and fog under a roaring crowd and a round of applause. Magic begins instantly and the band delivers a stunning performance. The energy in the pit is electric, with thousands of fans are singing the lyrics, all known by heart, with Ross Lynch and his pristine voice.
We can spot fans holding signs for him, with some saying ‘Give me a hug’ or ‘Better than Troye’, to name examples. Their stage presence is undeniable; the brothers are true professionals, as they put on a long and energy-filled show rocking guitars, hitting notes and dancing. A beautiful moment of brotherhood was exchanged on stage, when Rocky joined Ross and Riker next to the piano, giving room for a more emotional part of the show.
By the way, I just want to give a shoutout to the lighting team, because they did wonders and the light design was heavenly!
However, one point is still to be noted: we wish that there was more interaction from the band with the audience. It would have been super cool to see Ross Lynch engaging more similarly to the way that’s seen in viral videos on TikTok.
In sum, The Driver Era in Lyon was a blast, and we truly hope that the three bands felt very welcomed!