Boys of Zummer Tour

July 17th 

Wiz Khalifa

Fall Out Boy 

I took my younger brother to the Boys of Zummer Tour last week. I had really wanted to go to the concert, but nobody was super pumped for it. Then I found out Dylan was going to be spending that weekend with me so it seemed like the perfect opportunity! So with only a week to go, I snagged a pair of lawn seats at Aaron's Amphitheater.

I tried to get us there for the opening act, Hoodie Allen, but we struggled with traffic, parking and timing. I know a few Hoodie Allen songs and I really enjoy them, so I hate that we missed him. We could hear him singing "All About It" as we were picking up our tickets at will call, we literally just missed him. So with the lag before Wiz Khalifa we grabbed a few drinks, laid out our blanket and settled in.

I do enjoy Aaron's Amphitheater, it's actually a pretty cool experience sitting on a blanket with your group of friends. The only thing that sucks is that you can't see the stage very well. Usually that's okay, but neither of the acts used the screens on either side of the stage. You could hear perfectly fine and you could see their bodies, just not really what they were doing.

Something that I did love about this concert was how short the wait between acts were. At least it felt short because they had people entertaining us between sets. There was a DJ just before Wiz came on to get us hyped. Right before Fall Out Boy came on they brought out MAX to sing his single "Gibberish" that Hoodie features on. Dylan didn't know what it was, but I've had it for a while and it was really exciting to see them bring him out for the one song. I think it's great when artists help out other artists they like and enjoy working with.

Wiz Khalifa was amazing. I already liked a lot of his big songs, but seeing him in concert made me a fan. I will be buying his latest album and I would gladly see him in concert again. My brother was really excited for him and he knew more songs than I did. I just can't describe his stage presence, he was everywhere. He was really invested in the crowd.

And then there was Fall Out Boy. I've listened to them since Sugar We're Going Down. They're iconic. They've been around for what, 10 years? They still have multiple singles making it onto the radio waves. Pete Wentz was on One Tree Hill, that's how awesome they are! I've actually seen them in concert once before, my sophomore year of high school I think. I was so excited to hear them preform, I bought their newest album and I really think they found themselves again.

They started strong with Sugar We're Going Down and then played hit after hit after hit. Being with my brother I felt no shame in screaming along to all of their songs and literally jumping up and down. It's probably one of the funnest concerts I've experienced based solely on the jam sesh. Dylan knew most of the songs too, because like I said they have a million hits on the radio.

The only complaint I have is with the acoustic set they preformed about halfway through the concert. I LOVE acoustic sets. When bands bring out the acoustic guitars, or a piano or sing acapella, I live for it. That's why I was so sad that I could barely hear them singing. I guess the mics weren't turned up enough or something, but I could barely hear what they were singing. They also played a few songs I don't really know, so that didn't help. Speaking of complaints, I was sad they didn't sing "Grand Theft Autumn/Where Is Your Boy Tonight."

Back to the positives, when they were making their way back to the main stage their drummer had this massively impressive drum showcase (I guess you could call it). They played a bunch of rap songs on the speakers and he just drummed along to them. It was really cool, and not something I've seen before. Another highlight was when they sang "Uma Thurman" and Wiz came out and preformed with them. That's another reason I love live concerts. When the artists collaborate on stage it brings all new life to some of your favorite songs.

It was really an amazing concert that will stay with me for years to come. It was high energy and it felt so nice to get lost in those songs. Fall Out Boy and Wiz Khalifa may seem like a weird combination, but honestly they worked so well together.

xx Kristen