By Erin Oliveri
A long line of college rockers wearing hoodies, hats and Converse sneakers stretched outside afterHOURS Saturday night. The mostly homogenous crowd was there to see pop-punk bands Aston, The Morning Light and All Time Low.
The bands performed for more than two hours with sounds in the vein of Fall Out Boy, All-American Rejects and My Chemical Romance. The acts kept the energetic audience on their feet for the duration of the event.
Boston-based band Aston kicked off the concert. Lead vocalist and guitarist Dan Altieri, a sophomore music major, scored the spot for his band after the original opening act dropped out. Altieri said he was excited to have the chance to play at his own university.
“It was sweet,” Altieri said. “My roommates and friends from class all came out.”
With extended introductions and a strong rhythm section, Aston had many fans picking up its CD after the performance. The band was a crowd-pleaser, especially when they played a punk version of Mariah Carey’s “Always Be My Baby.”
The Morning Light, hailing from Pittsburgh, is similar in style to power-pop band The Rocket Summer. Acoustic guitars, keyboards and a lead vocalist with a somewhat feminine quality to his voice produced a softer sound than Aston’s.
The four-piece headliner, All Time Low, jumped around while they feverishly played each song. The audience reflected the band’s high energy level, which rejuvenated the fans after the more low-key set from The Morning Light. Several times the band had the crowd clapping and singing the lyrics with them. All Time Low calls Baltimore home, but the band enjoyed playing at Northeastern.
“Boston is one of our favorite places to play,” said lead singer and guitarist Alex Gaskarth during a break between songs.
All Time Low’s best features, its catchy lyrics and strong guitar melodies, pulled in many diehard fans who came only for their set. They concluded the night with a cover of Blink 182’s hit song “Damnit.” The crowd loudly reacted to the nostalgic rendition.
Dan Shea, a freshman undecided major, came to see All Time Low.
“[My favorite part of the show was] the cover of ‘Damnit,'” he said.
Tasha Henderson, assistant director of student activities and afterHours manager, said the decision to bring the bands to campus was a combination of suggestion, scheduling and staying within the budget.
“It was just a nice fit all around for a good show,” Henderson said.
Aston, The Morning Light and All Time Low proved to be a successful line-up for a Saturday night show. Each band brought in their own gang of fans, creating a boisterous crowd that filled the small club. Before leaving, many concert-goers snagged CDs, T-shirts and other band merchandise to commemorate the event.
