All Time Low is no stranger to the islands. The powerhouse band has played Hawaii over a half dozen times throughout the years. They’ve played so many times that guitarist Jack Barakat joked about having children on the islands. With the help of BAMP Project ATL once again performed in the Islands to a sold out crowd at The Republik, a smaller venue than they would normally play.
The band, hailing from Towson, Maryland formed while members were in high school. Although they began as a cover band, ATL quickly released their first EP in 2004. The band gained popularity in 2007 after their second album So Wrong It’s Right was released. Since then they has released five more albums including their latest Last Young Renegade which was issued in June of 2017. The band is a veteran of the Vans Warped Tour, having played five times since 2007. Since their inception the band has become the flag wavers for the modern power pop-punk scene.
Before the band entered the stage the lights dropped and Queen’s anthem “We Will Rock You” blared through The Republik’s speakers. As the song ended, the band came out swinging with “Damned If I Do” and backed it up with “Everything Is Fine.” From the beginning it felt like you were going to a party. ATL’s infectious hooks and anthemic pop-punk style transformed everyone in The Republic into angst driven teenagers hoping to forget their woes.
The band kept the energy flowing throughout their set by playing a perfect mix of old and new songs. The band even included their most recent releases from June 2018; “Everything Is Fine” and “Birthday.” The band crushed every song and engaged with the crowd at every chance. ATL had the crowd sing “Happy Birthday” to a lucky fan and joked about the girl getting a pony for her birthday. To the delight of the crowd the joke evolved into the band improvising Ginuwine’s song “Pony.” Jack Barakat also put on one of the over a dozen bras that were thrown on stage. He quickly removed it, complained that it was restrictive to his bowling technique. The band ended their set with “Good Times” and returned with a three song encore to the delight of the fans.
After rocking out Honolulu the band traveled on to Australia for a festival slot. The band will end the year with shows in Chicago and Milwaukee. Don’t make the mistake of missing this show when it reaches your town.
Damned If I Do (damned If I Don’t) / Everything Is Fine / Stella / Dark Side Of Your Room / Weightless / Backseat Serenade / Life Of The Party / Therapy / Do You Want Me (dead) / Something’s Gotta Give / Six Feet Under The Stars / The Irony Of Choking On A Life Saver / Kids In The Dark / Good Times / E: Birthday / Lost In Stereo / Dear Maria, Count Me In