That’s right folks, with restrictions lifted and the vaccine getting distributed, that means live music is actually happening in front of people’s faces again! I, for one, could not be more happy that I can physically start going back to shows. Sure, the livestream concerts were good, but they were really just a means to an end, and ultimately just an expensive video. But that’s not the point, the point is…CONCERTS!
Kicking off this concert season is one that I saw pop up and immediately contact my friend. Reaching back to early 2000s nostalgia, we were granted a tour with O-Town, Ryan Cabrera, and remaining LFO member, Brad Fischetti. The crowd was…older, but no less hyped to see these major pop acts in action. And sure, the O-Town members might be living in their 40s now, but that makes them no less talented with constant dancing and simultaneously singing. I’m lucky I can talk when I walk!
Several years ago now I was invited to see the band at a small venue not too far away, and while I reluctantly accepted, it was my friend who got the last laugh because I genuinely enjoyed myself! I mean, the same as then and now, I really only know three songs by heart and one of them I don’t even really care for, but their energy is infectious and their interaction with the crowd is almost unparalleled. Yes, the venues are smaller, but I think that suits them just fine. I really gives them a chance to connect with their core fanbase, and nothing’s better than that. Especially since they’ve been around for quite some time.
The show opened with their very first hit single “Liquid Dreams” and ended with their second hit single “All or Nothing,” but the rest of the set was peppered with tracks off of their most recent 2019 release, and the one several years prior. Regardless of what time in their career they were pulling from, the crowd went nuts for every single song. Personally, I was most excited when LFO’s Brad Fischetti joined the band onstage in the middle of the show. When he came up, there were about five hit songs from LFO’s career that O-Town helped out on, and it also served as a really touching tribute to members lost (both Rich Cronin and Devin Lima both died of cancer).
While it’s not the first concert I would have picked to go back to, I’m glad I got to go back at all! It was a nice reminder of why I enjoyed O-Town the first time around, and it was nice to experience that with my friend again. It only goes up from here people, so be on the lookout!
