Boys Like Girls Bring the Soundtrack of Your Life Tour to Milwaukee
Milwaukee got its first official Live Nation owned venue earlier this year, and its name is Landmark Credit Union Live. It’s located conveniently and maybe not so conveniently during busy months, right between Fiserv Forum and Turner Hall in Downtown Milwaukee. This was my first time stepping inside of it and getting to adventure into new venues as a concert photographer is always exciting. There were some bumps as far as obtaining my photo pass and getting through security, but it’s still very new, so I imagined there would be some hiccups from the get-go. Once inside and able to take it all in, it is very reminiscent, if not identical, to The Sylvee in Madison. There is a general pit standing area just a couple of steps down from the main floor, which is surrounded by bars on all sides. The lower step down is a great separation of those who want to maybe mosh and those who just want the center view without the anticipation of what comes with pit etiquette. I’m honestly here for it because sometimes I want the great view without the shoving. Then there is balcony seating. I was not granted any permission up there, so maybe another time. Overall, it’s a pretty cool place, very modern in comparison to some of the older venues in the area.
Venue Provided PhotoI have seen Boys Like Girls several times now, from the back of the room to the front center barricade to the photo pit. This was my second time covering them. This tour was to highlight two very special albums in their career, as one was celebrating twenty years and the other was fifteen. I imagined it was going to be album play-throughs; I was mostly correct. But first, Arrows in Action stepped out to warm up the room. I knew a handful of people in the crowd, and they had informed me that they were mostly at the show for this band. I can’t say I blame them; this group has steadily made a name for itself by opening for major bands in this scene, including Magnolia Park, The Home Team, and now Boys Like Girls. Vocalist Victor Viramontes-Pattison definitely works the crowd with some sexy magic, strutting around on stage, flexing, and tossing his long locks around. I’m sure almost every woman in the room was swooning over him.
After that, I Don’t Know How, But They Found Me, aka IDKHow, was ready to play. I had never seen this band live and wasn’t super familiar with their music. The name was definitely prominent, as several friends had told me they were big fans of this group, so my expectations were high. They did not disappoint in the energy, and their frontman, Dallon Weekes, also knew how to work some magic on the audience. He danced all over that stage, shaking his hips and holding the mic stand over the crowd, encouraging them to scream the lyrics as loud as possible.
Finally, as per usual, the entire room was darkened for the arrival of the headliner of the night. There were televisions set up all over the stage, and they flashed different scenes before the band slowly took the stage. This band is full of divas because they do so much. Drummer John Keefe and Guitarist Jamel Hawke almost always enter on stage with a lit cigarette before putting it out. Bassist Gregory James, sporting a red bandana wrapped around his head, came out to even more cheers. Then, finally, the man, Martin Johnson, as the band kicked in the first track of the album, Love Drunk, with “Heart Heartbreak.” The entire room was jumping at the start, screaming and singing along. Johnson danced around the stage and had a tambourine in hand.
All Photos By: Carrie BerganAt some point during the first three songs, he even had a pair of maracas. The lights were bright, and there was so much smoke, but these boys did not come around to just play; they came to put on a show! Between each song, Johnson made a point to talk about the history of the band and some of the songs they played, expressing how much this tour really meant to them. After the last song of Love Drunk, they left the stage, and a ten-minute countdown was shown on all the TV screens. Short intermission in case you needed the bathroom, I guess. I enjoyed the brief moment to sit on the floor and rest my feet a bit. I personally enjoy the album that was going to be played second a little more, which is their self-titled album, Boys Like Girls. This album kicks into high gear with their standard encore song, The Great Escape, and by then, the entire room was a frenzy. This song is one of their top hits and still remains there even as they release new music.
They played the album through, and that was it. No encores, as album play-through nights are for that, to highlight the album and nothing more. So here’s to Boys Like Girls making the soundtrack of my life and giving us a wonderful night of nostalgia to remember for years to come.
