Photos by: Abigail McNatt
Review by: Chris “Oberrated” Ober
As legions of fans seeking a trip down nostalgia lane travelled into McKees Rocks and entered the lovely Roxian Theatre. All who entered had not only the common interest of music with each other, but they also shared this likeness; they all wanted to scream lyrics of a simpler time into the air in tandem with one of their favorite bands – Boys Like Girls as they tour the nation on their “Speaking Our Language” tour along with LØLØ, The Summer Set, and State Champs.
The night began with LØLØ, who came onto the stage with an ever-commanding presence which started as soon as she let her pop-rock vocals rip through the venue. While garnering the attention through the first two songs, for me, it was when LØLØ played “THE FLOOR IS LAVA!!” that their set truly came alive because after that, it was simply banger after banger. Consider the night started as LØLØ knew how to ignite the spark for this fall night in Pittsburgh.
Following LØLØ, it was time for moment number 1 to begin on the nostalgia filled night, with The Summer Set taking the stage. As the members of the band entered one by one, the crowd’s excitement took hold of them as the screams and cheers erupted from all corners of the venue. The familiar chords of “Street Lightning” began to play from their 2022 album Blossom, and the jam session began. As if this crowd needed any extra motivation to have a good time, The Summer Set decided it was a good choice to cover “What Makes You Beautiful” by a little-known band called One Direction which had the crowd losing their minds. The always charismatic band was fully invested in giving the crowd what they wanted and interacting with them, making this night extra special for so many. It was impossible to not dance and sing-along as if no one was watching.
In case anyone needed some extra motivation, the punk-rockers from New York were set to take the stage by the name of State Champs. Now I’ve been to a couple of their shows in my time, and I cannot recall one single moment that a State Champs set was boring or unexciting. With that said, the audience reciprocated the endless energy the band was giving out, and from not only lead vocalist Derek, but from every single member of the band. For their set, not only did they hit on just about all their top bangers like “Secrets,” “Criminal,” and “All You Are is History,” but they jammed to a number of their brand-new tracks from their album Kings of the New Age like “Act Like That,” “Fake It,” and “Everybody but You.” 11 song set or not, State Champs knew how to bring the energy and somehow inject this crowd with even more adrenaline from thier lively set.
Finally, it was time to bring in the closers. As the lights went out and the white noise music was cut from the stereo, the crowd started to yell in feverish anticipation. However, this darkness stayed for quite a long time. The audience was getting antsy… so antsy, that they said screw it, here’s “Wonderwall” and they began singing it. After the crowd’s brief rendition of “Wonderwall,” the darkness only remained for so much longer and members of the band began to appear, sparking the tinderbox that was this crowd and causing them to erupt into euphoria.
Boys Like Girls wasted no time. After playing their intro track to the like-titled recently released album, “SUNDAY AT FOXWOODS,” the familiar tune of “Love Drunk” started playing and the roof practically blew off the Roxian. This truly was the moment everyone was waiting for. As if the band just stepped out of a time machine, Boys Like Girls felt as fresh and alive as ever, and man were they ready to rock. Also let me tell you, they looked the part as well. Each member was basically dressed head to toe in all leather, presenting the appearance of true to the core rockstars. Which, I mean, duh, because they are.
While starting off with one of their most iconic tracks, Boys Like Girls had prepared a setlist of a lifetime, literally. Boasting well over a 20 song+ setlist, BLG spanned their entire discography from their most notable tracks like “Love Drunk,” “Five Minutes to Midnight,” “Dance Hall Drug,” and “Hero / Heroine;” they also covered plenty of their newer songs including ones from the brand spanking new album SUNDAY AT FOXWOODS like the insanely catchy “LANGUAGE,” and “BLOOD AND SUGAR,” and especially “THE OUTSIDE,” to which BLG brought our Derek from State Champs and Brian of “The Summer Set.” All of them featured on the OUTSIDERS VERSION of “THE OUTSIDE.” Fans of all ages sang along to every word, proving that Boys Like Girls’ music has truly stood the rest of time.
Lead singer, Martin Johnson worked the crowd from start to finish. Signaling and gesturing to individuals or groups of fans that were feeding his energy right back to him. The more they answered back, the more Martin and the band was giving all they had, surely creating a memory most will not soon forget.
When it comes to nights like these, they create special places in hearts and memories. This music was a part of an age of time that is becoming more and more of a distant memory. So, when special bands like The Summer Set and Boys Like Girls put on one more show or rip one more tour, those that basked in this music during its original time of release, jump on the opportunity to belt out these lyrics, not only with the band, but also in unity with fellow fans creating a one-of-a-kind community. With that said, I think we all have these incredible bands to thank for bringing us all together again and especially Boys Like Girls and the Speaking Our Language Tour for giving us the chance to speak the love language of music. With a career-spanning setlist that covered all the hits and fan favorites, this tour was more than just a concert, it was a heartfelt reunion with the band that provided the soundtrack to our lives.