5 Seconds Of Summer
April 21, 2014 // The Fillmore // Silver Spring, MD
Photos and Words by Cara Bahniuk
I first heard of 5 Seconds of Summer when they were announced to open for One Direction on their summer 2013 tour. At this time, 5SOS only had one “official” song out on YouTube, Try Hard, and were completely unknown in America. Before my show, I took a listen to Try Hard, so I would know what to expect. In a way, I wish I didn’t. I became slightly obsessed at that moment. Good beat, catchy choruses, reminiscent of my ~youth (ala All Time Low) – what is there not to like?
5 Seconds of Summer has to be one of the fastest growing bands at the moment. The amount of success they have worked hard for in the past year is incredible and they have to be recognized for it. They went from being unknown, to having radio play, attending award shows and a constant hashtag of #finallya5SOSalbum in under a year. (Their album was released in their home country of Australia on June 27th and will be released in America on July 22nd.)
I’ve been to the Fillmore Silver Spring many times, but arriving the evening of April 21st I was caught so off guard. The line wrapped around the block for about a half a mile and I heard a few girls waiting over 24 hours outside the venue. Once I was inside, I noticed that the floor was split into two barricades, the normal next to the stage and one a few feet back splitting the crowd in half.
Everyone had been waiting what probably felt like ages that when 5SOS took the stage, the excitement roamed through the whole venue. They played a total of 15 songs, including a cover of “Teenage Dream” and “What I Like About You”. At the time of this US tour, they only had the She Looks So Perfect – EP released in America. This EP contained only 3 out of those 15 songs, yet the crowd knew the words to every one. If anything, this shows the fans excitement and dedication towards this band. During the set, I noticed the traits they have picked up from their idols, such as Mayday Parade and All Time Low, down to the way they move around stage and Michael and Calum’s synchronized jumps.
5SOS are definitely a group to keep your eye on. Although it seems that they have appeared out of nowhere, they’ve been a group since 2011 and have been perfecting their craft since. If you’ve been hearing about them and don’t know what to think, I highly suggest checking out their upcoming self-titled LP and, if you can, catch a show. Whatever pre-conceived notions you have of them will go right out the door when you see them in the zone on the stage doing what they do best.
