Last Wednesday night, “Bill and Trav’s Bogus Journey” tour made a stop at The Roxy for a memorable concert. The show featured up-and-comers Hey Monday and Carolina Liar as openers, with We the Kings and The Academy Is… as headliners.Hey Monday welcomed concert-goers with their set, which started as fans entered the venue and was cut short due to doors opening later than expected. The band played three tracks off their debut release Hold On Tight and truly made a lasting impression while playing live. Lead singer Cassadee Pope’s liveliness gave the set an extra boost to fans that haven’t become familiar with the band yet.
Swedish band Carolina Liar immediately followed. Although much of the audience seemed unresponsive throughout the set, the band seemed submersed in their music. A band completely into their own music must receive some recognition and they seemed happy to play the venue. I give more respect to the band after talking with the lead singer (and only non-Swede), Chad Wolf, after the show. He was completely gracious and excited when he found out that Carolina Liar is on rotation at WTBU.
The anticipation built as the time came for We the Kings to play. Their set met expectations, with the band delivering an upbeat and noteworthy performance. Noteworthy performances include their cover of Gorillaz’s “Feel Good Inc.” and Cassadee of Hey Monday coming on stage to close their set by singing their hit song, “Check Yes, Juliet,” with the band. Although the band was great, they brought few variations to their set from the two times I’ve seen them play before. Hopefully the band’s soon-to-be released EP will help their live performance improve their already-catchy tunes.
Lastly, The Academy Is… closed the night with an unforgettable performance. The band varied the set with tracks from all three of their albums, giving fans ample memories from the night. Lead singer William Beckett’s absolute animation while performing brought the set to a whole new level, proving why they were the headliners of the tour. The band didn’t need any fancy stage gimmicks to excite fans; their music and pure stage presence excited them enough. They simply owned the stage and thrilled fans with their live music.
Carolina Liar’s album Coming to Terms is currently on rotation at WTBU.
-Adam Azahari
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