Review by Ella Donovan. Photos by Madalyn Schaller.
On April 2, 2024, The Driver Era had their first show of tour at The Roxian Theatre in McKees Rocks, PA. With a line of crazed fans wrapping around multiple blocks of the small Pittsburgh town, this show was bound to be absolutely insane.
I walked down the street to find the end of the line, and it just kept on going. It ended maybe 4 or 5 blocks down the road from the venue’s front doors. As I walked, I noticed the dedicated fans who had been camping out all day. There were blankets, lawn chairs, and MANY umbrellas and ponchos left behind. The weather was horrendous; Pittsburgh was flooding and many roads and parks were under the river water. This did not stop The Driver Era fans though, as they powered through the torrential downpour throughout the day. Their spirits were not hindered; I felt the energy flowing up and down the line the moment I walked up to it.
Once everyone was inside, I went to my seat in the balcony where I could see the enormous amount of people shuffling into the venue. The show was sold out, and it was obvious. I watched as fans giddily took photos with their friends in front of the stage, made new friends in the crowd, and talked about what songs they were most excited to hear. They were ready for a night of dancing and cheering.
VALÉ
The opener for this tour was VALÉ, an extremely talented vocalist, songwriter, and performer from Barranquilla, Colombia. She got the crowd amped up with her strong Colombian rhythms, strong vocals, and extroverted performance style. Not only did she get the crowd dancing, but she got them singing along, too. For her 2023 song, “lo tengo mal,” she taught everyone in the venue the phrase that the song is named after. Even those who had never seen VALÉ were singing along because of her enticing stage presence.
THE DRIVER ERA
As the lights went down and the music turned off, the crowd began to scream. And when I say scream, I mean SCREAM. I haven’t heard a crowd get that loud in quite some time! It felt almost comparable to the screams of One Direction fans at their concerts. After hearing that, I knew that the show was going to be fun.
The Driver Era walked onto stage, and instantly started the show off with “Back to You,” and then went into their newest release, “Get Off My Phone.” Right off the bat, you could tell that the band has practiced together tirelessly. Performing was second nature to them, and that gave each band member the room to have even more fun.
Lead singer, Ross Lynch, quickly got down low to the floor of the stage to interact with the fans at the barricade. He was dancing during the entire show, clearly having the time of his life. His brother Rocky had more of a chill vibe, balancing out the energy on stage. He made sure to acknowledge all of the concertgoers up in the balcony throughout his performance, making them feel just as close to the band as those in the pit. Both brothers make music together effortlessly, and have a presence on stage together that you don’t get to see often. Families performing music together have their own special chemistry.
A few songs into the show, a fan gave Ross their pink cowboy hat, an iconic part of his performance. He made sure to work that hat! He was dancing and jumping around all over the stage. It was especially clear that he was having fun when he attempted to breakdance on the floor, and just spun in circles on his back. He didn’t master this move yet, but I’m sure by the end of the tour he figured it out.
Not only did the crowd get to see the iconic moments in Ross’s performance, but they also got to hear “All Night,” a cover of a song by the Lynch’s previous band, R5. This brought lots of nostalgia to the fans, especially those who had seen R5 in concert many years ago. Fun fact, I actually saw R5 in Pittsburgh at Stage AE when I was in middle school! It was so long ago, but seeing the band play this old song felt like a full circle moment for sure.
At the end of the show, I saw the exhaustion on the fans’ faces from going insane for the band. It was fun to go to a show where everyone in the venue was thrilled to be there; it brings a different feeling to a concert when everyone is so excited. Not only that, but The Driver Era and opener VALÉ were phenomenal, each putting their all into their performances. The Driver Era’s concert at The Roxian proved once again music’s ability to bring people together, creating an unforgettable experience among fans.
If reposting, please credit Almost Famous Zine, Ella Donovan (@elladxnovan), and Madalyn Schaller (@madalyns.photos).