BY CAITLIN RUSS Boys Like Girls performed at The Ritz last week to a packed venue. The band ended the “Speaking Our Language” tour at The...
BY CAITLIN RUSS
Boys Like Girls performed at The Ritz last week to a packed venue. The band ended the “Speaking Our Language” tour at The Ritz with a new album in tow. “Sunday at Foxwoods” is the first album they have released since 2012. The album includes a new punk rock anthem, “The Outside.” It gives a nod to punk kids who felt like “outsiders” growing up in the mid-2000’s. But it’s okay because BLG reminds fans “we are the life of the party.”
The Massachusetts natives kicked off their set with “Love Drunk,” a 2009 hit song from their self-titled second album. Boys Like Girls delivered a nostalgic set all night long including a medley of classic covers like “Born in the USA” by Bruce Springsteen and “Faith” by George Michael. Lead singer, Martin Johnson, noted that the band’s first time playing in North Carolina was back in 2006. Instantly, every O.G. fan felt ancient, me included. To add to the sting (but all in good fun), Johnson talked about illegally burning songs off LimeWire onto CDs, writing on the front of the CD with a permanent marker, and sticking the mix into a sleeve on the visor of a beat-up sedan. Millennials sighed in remembrance of the good ole days.
In case you don’t know because you weren’t there, the good ole days didn’t include cellphones with the ability to record videos. Boys Like Girls closed with their most popular song to date, “The Great Escape.” They asked everyone in attendance to take out their phones and record before they started playing the last song of the night. Fans obliged and pulled out their phones. After the chorus, Johnson asked fans now that they had recorded the song to put their phones away and enjoy the music. Everyone was present and in the moment for the last hoorah- the balcony floor shook from all the jumping and fans sang louder than I have ever heard in The Ritz.
Boys Like Girls brought fellow punk performers, Senses, LØLØ, The Summer Set, and State Champs with them to conclude their tour for the year. Senses set the tone for the night by covering the one and only Fall Out Boy. Canadian singer, LØLØ, brought out even more energy to the stage! She sang her original, “u turn me on (but u give me depression)” which I feel like most of us can say we’ve related to at some point in our lives. The Summer Set ended their time on stage with an obvious crowd favorite; “What Makes You Beautiful” by One Direction. State Champs played “Secrets,” and “Everybody but You” from their 2022 album, Kings of the New Age. Lead singer, Derek DiScanio, gave a shoutout to superfan “Maddie” for attending 100 of their shows! All in all, it was a millennial’s dream night out; punk bands playing originals and covers that make us feel nostalgic.
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- CAITLIN RUSS
Caitlin Russ is a Florida native currently residing in North Carolina. She is an English teacher by day and freelance entertainment journalist by night. Caitlin enjoys reading, hiking with her husband and 3 children, and attending as many concerts as she can. Her all-time favorite music artists include John Mayer, Tyler Childers, and Paramore.
Read Caitlin's posts here.
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