The Driver Era is the current two-man iteration of the band formally known as R5, which consisted of siblings Ross, Rocky, Rydel, Ryland and Riker Lynch. Ross Lynch is a name some of you may have heard before after he took his claim to fame for his pivotal role as Austin in “Austin & Ally.” After his stint in Disney, he followed his music passions in 2018 to form the band we know today: The Driver Era.
As many of you know, on April 15, The Driver Era graced the stage in Bangor’s very own Cross Insurance Arena. This concert was arranged by the University of Maine Student Government (UMSG), providing free tickets for UMaine students. As one of the students who attended this event, I am happy to recount it for those unfortunate enough to not be in attendance.
Before touching upon the music I would like to acknowledge the skill and technical ability of the lighting and sound technicians at the Bangor Cross Insurance Arena. Beyond the impressive lighting apparatuses present, the band Almost Monday opened for The Driver Era, the members of which performed a number of dance routines loosely inspired by The Beach Boys that were really impressive.
I sat on the top balcony, about as far from the music as a person could be. From my perch I found one of the most engaging parts of the concert to be the impassioned fanbase. During the opening act those in the mosh pit stood nearly still. From time-to-time they might have swayed in place, but all that changed when the lights dimmed and silence consumed the auditorium. The anticipation in the air was palpable as myself and the other attendees waited with bated breath for the night’s main act. These minutes of excited unease ticked, and, just as I was beginning to lose hope, the man himself, Ross Lynch, strutted confidently to center stage. The arena erupted with excitement. Before the first note was even played, everyone in the pit had their cell phones raised to capture him in video.
The two women to my right exploded with excitement: before they sat through the opening act, but now they ran to the edge of the balcony and leaned over the railing with a white grip. “Take it off!” “Take off your shirt!” said Mazy Karuzis, fourth-year ecology and environmental science student, among many others. I had never been to a concert that stirred this much raw power from the audience, especially in the nosebleeds. I realized I was not prepared for the Lynch brothers’ influence and I was wholly out of my comfort zone.
The Driver Era’s bass was overpowering, and my diaphragm rattled with a slurry of vibration until my voice felt like a frog guiro. The resonance blurred the lyrics, making them incomprehensible for me to effectively understand. This, however, did not stop much of the audience from singing along. Some highlights on the song “A Kiss” include:
Why is it that you’re so scared? / Or is it that you’re unaware? / Just let me have my face / I didn’t grab her by mistake
What that’s meant to imply, one can only imagine. Another one of my favorites, and all time classic, comes from the song “Get Off My Phone,”
Get you off my phone (do, do, do, do, do) / Get off my phone (do, do, do, do, do) / Need to get off my phone (do, do, do, do, do) / Get off my phone (do, do, do, do, do)
I have on occasion been accused of being a cynic and pretentious, so I do wonder if my general negativity is a condition of the soul that may cloud the ineffable quality of the Lynch brothers. The testimony of those around me may have proved my accusations right, however. Those around me swayed and danced, yelled and sang along. The lights were beautiful and the audience’s enthusiasm was high-energy and enthralling the entire time.
I would like to thank the student government for putting in the effort to make these events happen, despite my nitpicking. It is a tricky task to organize an event this large with such notable headliners, and as such deserves appreciation. While The Driver Era is not for me, I appreciate the love from those who grew up with Austin & Ally, or perhaps liked the lascivious “My Friend Dahmer.”
