Concert Review: Boys Like Girls (Ritz Raleigh)

BY MAUI CABRAL

Let's take a trip down memory lane at The Ritz for the night. You could tell this crowd came ready. Not just to watch but to sing. A room full of people who grew up on this music, now all packed together again like no time had passed at all.

Arrows In Action opened the night with a burst of energy that immediately got people moving. Their sound blends modern pop-rock with that early 2000s influence of catchy hooks, big choruses, and just enough edge to keep it interesting and fun! They played like a band that knows how to win over a crowd fast. Tight, upbeat, and confident. You could see people who walked in not knowing them leaving as fans. Exactly what an opener is supposed to do.

Then came I DONT KNOW HOW BUT THEY FOUND ME (IDKHOW), and The Ritz transformed. Their set felt like stepping into a different world. Groovy basslines. Quirky energy. A performance that felt just as visual as it did musical. They didn’t just play songs they built a mood. And the crowd locked into it instantly.

And then... the homies in Boys Like Girls! The second they stepped on stage, it was over in the best way possible.

Formed in the mid-2000s, Boys Like Girls became one of the defining bands of that pop-rock/emo-adjacent era. Songs like “The Great Escape,” “Love Drunk,” and “Thunder” weren’t just hits, they were soundtracks to our lives.

And hearing them live now? Still hits just as hard. The crowd didn’t hesitate. From the first chorus, it turned into one massive sing-along. Every lyric shouted back like muscle memory. Like no one ever really stopped listening to these songs.

Martin Johnson held the stage effortlessly, feeding off the crowd and giving it right back. There’s something about bands like this, they don’t have to prove anything. The songs already did that years ago. They are just backing it up!

From the pit, this show felt different. Less chaos. More connection and I LOVED IT. You’re not just capturing movement... you’re capturing reactions. Smiles, so many emotions. People screaming lyrics with their friends. That moment when a song hits and suddenly everyone’s 16 again for a few minutes. Those are the moments that stick.

Arrows In Action brought the energy. IDKHOW brought the style and uniqueness. And Boys Like Girls brought the memories.

Some songs don’t fade. Some moments don’t leave. And some bands... will always feel like home. And at The Ritz Raleigh, for one night, everyone got to relive it together.

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JOSH "MAUI" CABRAL

Hey! I'm Maui. Originally from Queens, New York, now making Raleigh, NC my new home. I'm a touring photographer and Nomadic Motorcycle Rider, obsessed with seeing the world through different lenses!

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