Photos by Abigail McNatt
Review by Chris “Oberrated” Ober
Yungblud’s world tour made its way to Stage AE in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania for a hot and humid July 12th evening. On this night, the masses prepared to be treated to the one-of-a-kind musical sound that is Yungblud and his music. People of all walks of life showed out in support of the British rocker, painting the crowd in vibrant colors of pinks, purples, oranges, and of course… black, putting together one big happy, emotional family.
Opening up this wild and crazy night was Games We Play, sexy strutting all the way from Miami, Florida. I have seen this band a number of times now and let me tell you, their set just never gets old. The lead, Emmyn, is smooth on the mic, transitioning from pop-punk jams to comedy sessions in between songs. Whether the crowd knew Games We Play or not, they made it easy to jam right along with them. Especially when they hit their cover of “Mr. Brightside” famously performed by The Killers, because c’mon, who doesn’t belt that out in the shower as if you’re performing your own concert? The vibes were right and on came the next act.
Allll the way from Los Angeles comes the punk rock band, The Regrettes. If I could say anything about The Regrettes, it would be that they fit perfectly into the line-up by way of being truly unique to themselves and their style of music. Fusing together the likes of unapologetic punk rock with melodic and groovy rhythm and lyrics, The Regrettes create a sound and set that is easy to fall in love with while also wanting to kick and scream in a mosh pit.
Finally the moment that everyone was waiting for had arrived. Yungblud came bursting onto the stage quite literally, as he ran about 100 miles per hour across the stage then back again. Ladies and gentlemen, let me tell you, he kept that same pace up for the duration of the headlining event. Yungblud’s infectious energy bled all over the crowd and they reciprocated that exact energy back for him. It is undeniable that Yungblud’s stage presence and performance is so much fun to watch. He is incredibly interactive with the fans, he owns the stage throughout his entire set, and he puts on a show.
One of the most memorable moments of the night came from that exact kind of fan interaction. Yungblud (also known as Dom) brought up one lucky fan from the audience to share the stage with him, share some kind words between each other, and even have the fan choose the next song! That fan was sweet Ky who had the choice between “Die for the Hype” or “Medication” to which the choice was “Medication” and the crowd continued to go absolutely manic.
Another key moment from Dom’s set is when he came down to perform with the fans and stood on the barricade and belted out his lyrics right there along with them. He then proceeded to grace a number of audience members with kisses, undeniably making that a pinnacle second of their lives. An opportunity that only some fangirls can dream of.
As the night would come closer to a close, it was wrapped up in a tight little bow as “Lowlife” and “Loner” erupted from the stage and the mouths of the army of Yungblud fans, for what became the loudest sing-a-long of the night. It was safe to say everyone had a rocking time.
Looking across the crowd, there were smiles, laughter, and even some tears. The legions of Yungblud fans were given exactly what they wanted, some for the first time and others for their latest hit of their favorite musical drug. If anything could be drawn from this night, it was that the ones regarded as the strange, the misfits, and the broken belong somewhere and it’s right on this Earth among this crowd and music scene. ?
