Take Action Tour @ HOB Sunset Strip
Sunday night at the House of Blues was a solid pop-punk showcase, and all that fun and music was for a good cause. The Take Action tour is giving 10% of proceeds from ticket sales to Driving for Donors, which already amounts to upward $4k. I went to LA date and got to see Stereo Skyline, There for Tomorrow, A Rocket To The Moon, Mayday Parade and We The Kings work that well-lit stage.
I met all my favorite Buzznet girls before the doors opened and I think we got early entrance just by being mildly clueless. We were just standing there talking, and someone came up and started scanning our tickets. Well, cool. We got a sweet spot in the balcony, which was IDEAL for the celeb sightings the rest of the evening.
Stereo Skyline was up first, and I really dug their cover of “Build Me Up, Buttercup” and their harmonies. Everyone in the band sang, which kinda gives them a pass as far as movement on stage goes. Skinny white boys in skinny black jeans with a unified “strong wind from behind” scene hair style.
Next was There for Tomorrow, who I enjoyed mostly because the lead singer is a dead ringer for Gerard Way AND he’s a sharp dresser. Only the drummer in this band has scene hair. “Deathbed” was my favorite song, but I wouldn’t yet place them in my favorite bands section of any profile.
A Rocket To The Moon was as charming as ever, and I was more into their set because I bought On Your Side like 6 weeks ago. Shoeless Nick Santino looked perfectly at home as the band opened with “Dakota” followed by “Give a Damn.” Then comes the peculiar part of the set, wherein Nick dedicates a love song to his friend Brian Dales (The Summer Set), who happens to be at the show with his ex-gf. Does “Baby Blue Eyes” have an underlying meaning in such context? Dales came outo to sing part of “Like We Used To” right after that, though. I don’t know the song they played after that, but Brandon of Eye Alaska came out wearing what LOOKED like a rug and sang a bit. They ended the set with “Mr. Right”, saddening me quite a bit because “Life of the Party” is my fave tune off that whole album.
In between sets there were whisperings that a Jonas Brother was going to be in the House (pun intended), so we kept our eyes peeled. it was Jonathan Cook’s neon green beanie that really commanded most of the visual attention upstairs, though.
The intro music for Mayday Parade wafted in and for like 10 solid seconds Kayla and I tried to place it. And then I was like DEXTER!!! Badass. I love that show.
Set list:
“If You Can’t Live Without Me”
“Kids in Love”
“Take Me Home”
“I Swear This Time I Mean It”
“When I Get Home You’re So Dead”
“Anywhere But Here”
“Get Up” (BEST crowd song, the energy is so synergistic)
“Jamie All Over”
I really don’t know Mayday’s songs word for word, but they’re so flipping entertaining, I’d probably still watch them if they were singing in like, German.
Set List:
“She Takes Me High”
“Skyway Avenue”
“We’ll Be a Dream” featuring Demi Lovato
“Stay Young”
-Some story about a Lakers bobblehead that I didn’t quite grasp
“Promise The Stars”
“All Again For You” (during which Nick Jonas was seen enthusiastically air-drumming in the balcony)
“The Middle” (Jimmy Eat World cover that is on the Take Action 9 compilation)
“Story of Your Life”
“Secret Valentine” (The audience sang the whole end of this song while the band walked off stage)
Encore: “Heaven Can Wait” and “Check Yes Juliet”
Seen from the Scene:
Demi Lovato, Nick Jonas, J-Cook and Kyle from Forever The Sickest Kids, DeLeon and Marshall from The Cab, Jon and Nick from Runner Runner, Brandon from Eye Alaska, Chelsea Staub… who else?
