Photos by Abby McNatt
Review by Chris “Oberrated” Ober
Made up of four 20-something-year-olds from Australia, Luke Hemmings (lead vocals/guitar), Michael Clifford (vocals/guitar), Calum Hood (vocals/bass), and Ashton Irwin (vocals/drums), pop-rock band 5 Seconds of Summer brought their 2023 World Tour, The 5 Seconds of Summer Show to the Blossom Music Center in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio on August 25, 2023. Along with them, they brought over 10 years of music to serenade the legions of fans in attendance on this beautiful summer night.
Upon arrival to the beautiful outdoor/indoor venue, the energy was already buzzing. The air was filled with the sounds of surrounding excited and nervous chatter and the quick shuffling of feet navigating crowds to get to the merch tables or seats. If there was ever a time for someone to capitalize on this energy, it was now, and it was going to be done by openers, Meet Me at the Altar.
Meet Me at the Altar is a pop-punk band from Florida that undoubtedly complimented the energy and style of headliners, 5 Seconds of Summer. The ever colorful lead, Edith Victoria, came running onto the stage along with bandmates Téa Campbell (bass) and Ada Juarez (drums). What followed was nothing but great vibes and a proper setting of pace for the rest of the night. This especially came after MMATA did a quick roulette of throwbacks in the form of “Since U Been Gone,” “Complicated,” and “Burnin Up.” Mixing these legendary sing-a-longs with some of MMATA’s most well-known songs, surely capitalized on the excited energy filling this large venue. Next up was the portion of the night that no one is ever truly ready for, especially when it comes to these fans. That portion of the night is the moments beyond when 5SOS graces the stage.
WOW, it was so nice of 5 Seconds of Summer to bring their concert to the 5 Seconds of Summer sing-a-long. For real though, from the moment the kabuki dropped to the finale of the night, the legions of 5SOS fans were singing every single word right along with their favorite band and as loud as they could. It was absolutely deafening and truly an experience that I won’t forget.
The night started out with “Bad Omens,” a track from their latest album, 5SOS5. The dreamy intro quickly built up into its anthem-like lyrical progressions which had the audience in a state of instant euphoria. All of those performances from behind the steering wheel, were now paying off as fans from all over were now together sharing the experience and singing the same songs they’ve had on repeat for months and years. If this was the pace for the rest of the night, I knew that I was in store for one incredible show.
As I said before, this night was a night to celebrate 5 Seconds of Summer and their sprawling discography covering over 10 years of their music. The variety of music choices were mixed in perfectly where the crowd got to bask in the musical vibrations of latest hits like “Blender,” “Easier,” and “Me, Myself & I,” as well as hopping in the time machine to revisit albums like 2014’s self-titled debut album and 2015’s “Sounds Good Feels Good.” One hilariously comical moment was when the band brought out a giant six-sided die with lesser played tracks on it. To which the legacy fans were going manic while screaming out their favorites on the die in hopes that it will land on their choice. The die was then launched into the crowd and the crowd’s mission was to pop the die up in the air, crowd surfing style, and get it back to the stage. Once it returned, it took one final turn off of “Heartbreak Girl” and onto “Heartache on the Big Screen.” This choice was met by several hundreds of people elated by the selection and also several hundreds of other fans having their own heartbreak as their song was turned away by fate.
As the comical event of the dice subsided, 5SOS would go on to mix and blitz through numerous other songs and the crowd never faltered when it came to keeping up the same energy that they started the night with.
5SOS is great at showcasing the talent, vocal and instrumental, of each of their members. This is shown by giving each member the spotlight and picking songs for the setlist that show their true talent. As we approached the final part of the night, an impressive moment came by way of guitarist, Michael Clifford taking control of the mic. After a brief and touching back and forth with the audience, we transitioned into the very Michael-forward song that is “Jet Black Heart,” which features him heavily and serves as a prime example of this exact growth not only he, but the band as well, has gone through in the means of sheer talent.
The time came for the best and worst part of the night; the finale/encore. Yet another hilarious brief show-themed skit was shown where the band was “checking into” a hotel after a successful show. The skit prompted ear-shattering chants and screams to which 5SOS returned to the stage, sporting the bath robes they were wearing in the skit leading to the encore.
Ending the night with a two-song flourish, 5SOS performed “Outer Space” and “Youngblood.” As one final confetti explosion slowly fell to the Earth, the realization that the night was coming to an end set in. 5SOS bid adieu to their adoring fans, the post-concert depression began to run its course, and the show was officially over. Despite ending, the ripping instruments and the beautiful lyrics would continue to echo in everyone’s memory as yet another 5 Seconds of Summer show left its mark on these fans as nothing short of incredible. It wasn’t just a performance; it was a shared celebration of music that transcended time and space. If you ever have the chance to witness 5SOS live, don’t hesitate – it’s an experience that will resonate with you long after the final chord fades away.
