Pop-rock band All Time Low (ATL) always uses interesting names for their tours; however, a pun out of their new single seemed slightly strange coming from a band with tour names such as “Gimme Summer Ya Love.’” As ATL promptly states, their “A Love Like Tour,” named after their single, “A Love Like War,” has been visiting what frontman Alex Gaskarth considers “a bunch of cities [they] don’t get to play very often.” The band, alongside Man Overboard and Handguns, visited Cleveland on April 25, a city they do not visit very often. The Cleveland date was one of the first sold out shows; therefore, the band took the large crowd for a ride of hilarious comments and exciting effects.

All Time Low, although compared to bands such as Fall Out Boy, Mayday Parade and We are the In Crowd, showcased multiple differences in the way they perform. The two openers in “A Love Like Tour,” Man Overboard and Handguns, established their qualities while simultaneously picking up some new fans. Musically, both delievered. “Love Your Friends, Die Laughing” portrayed Man Overboard’s casual-cool vibe while simultaneously firing up the crowd even further. The band ended with “Rare” and an impressive guitar solo not included in the recorded version of the song. Handguns started the show with “Porch Light” which proved as a great way to get the crowd excited for what was to come. Handguns did not take it personally when the crowd could not sing along; they constantly asked how the crowd was and if they were excited for Man Overboard and All Time Low.

ATL began in small hometown venues and brings that experience to every show, regardless of venue size. After the first few songs, the band started off with a “hello, how are you all?” to the audience and continued the conversation from there. They explained their previous experiences at The House of Blues Cleveland (Guitarist Jack Barakat broke his nose there in 2008). They called out an audience member holding a large flamingo and told everyone facts about flamingos — during “Time Bomb,” the band brought up five fans on stage to sing and take pictures, which made the audience both jealous and excited to be seeing a band with much personality. They engaged with the audience in a way many bands do not—they appeared as real people. Their audience connectivity encourages one to look up to the band as they appear interesting and genuine.

On the other hand, the sweaty venue was problematic; everyone’s sweat meshing together in the hot ballroom of the House of Blues Cleveland not only disgusted the audience, but it made everyone extremely antsy and irritated prior to All Time Low coming onstage. As soon as ATL appeared, however, most forgot all about the heat.

In regard to the musical aspects of the show, they entirely delivered. Starting their set with “Do You Want Me (Dead)?” was a good choice on the band’s part; the song riled everyone up, making the audience insane with excitement. “Vegas,” a song Gaskarth noted as one the band very rarely plays, was one of the most exciting. The song is one of the bands lesser popular songs so one could tell which fans had been with the band for a long time. The lyrics showcase the band’s love for their fans and each other which was wonderful to experience alongside individuals who one could tell felt the same way. “A Love Like War,” originally sung with Vic Fuentes of Pierce the Veil, was the best musically. Gaskarth hit high notes most of the audience listened to in awe; drummer Rian Dawson displayed drumming skills not yet heard throughout the show and bassist Zack Merrick implemented techniques that showcased his skills considering their original sound. Their final song, “Dear Maria, Count Me In” is played at every ATL show. All Time Low’s energy toward their first, popular single continued as the audience exuded their final jolt of excitement. One could tell no one was bored or sick of hearing a song that some had already seen as many as ten to fifteen times live.

As for lighting and mechanics, the audience could tell All Time Low tried to be different. Big beams on the stage emitting light were an interesting touch; however, the best part of the show was the strobe lights. Although strobe lights might be generally seen at an EDM or pop concert, the lights provided a different touch to a pop-punk show that the audience really seemed to appreciate. The stage’s set-up was proficient and there was still enough for Gaskarth and Barakat to jump around the stage.

While the show was full of sweat and there was never enough water, All Time Low performed a fantastic show. From the music to the atmosphere of the show, the audience was engaged throughout and there was never a dull moment.