It was the soundtrack of our summer in 2006 when Boys Like Girls released their first album into the world featuring their hit song “The Great Escape”. After the release of their third album, Crazy World, in the year 2012, the band went on a hiatus that lasted for what seemed like a lifetime. The year is now 2023 and Boys Like Girls has headed out on their Speaking Our Language Tour ft LoLo, State Champs and a rotation of bands depending on the tour date. Orlando’s House of Blues in Disney Springs was fortunate enough to host a sold-out show on September 24^th. The show was wall to wall packed with millennials that grew up screaming their lyrics after they had downloaded the songs from LimeWire and burned them on a CD.

First to take the stage was LoLo. It was nice to have her introduction poke fun at those who ask, “Who is LoLo?” As a band, their stage presents were spectacular as they all radiated energy the moment, they took the stage which made their set very enjoyable to watch. LoLo’s music is very fun and upbeat with dark lyrics that talk about anxiety and mental health. She has the early 2000s Avril Lavigne vibe going on, especially when she has her chant in “Debbie Downer”. She also incorporated popular songs into her songs She also played her new song “Face Plant” which had an homage to The Killers song “Mr. Brightside”. She also paid homage to Green Day by incorporating their lyrics to “Basket Case” into her song “The Floor is Lava”. After her set, I went immediately to Spotify and added all her songs to my workout playlist.

For this tour, each date has a different band that will be apart of the opening acts. Orlando’s date was fortunate to have Four Year Strong. I have covered their shows many times before and every time I am blown away by them. They’re always so energetic and their fans match their energy every time. They had the crowd singing, moshing and, of course, crowd surfing. Out of all the bands that played this evening, they are definitely the heaviest, but they fit in to this tour perfectly. Their sound was on point. You could hear the vocals clearly and feel the base and drums travel through your veins. Four Year Strong puts on a killer show and I am truly great full that they were a part of this tour.

Following Four Year Strong was State Champs. They are so much fun to watch and every time I see them, I’m always blown away by their performance. They are super energetic on stage and never stand still. I think sometimes they forget how loyal their fan base is as they have released new music last year and everyone already has each word memorized. There was even one attendee that had a sign that this was their 100^th State Champs show. Their pop punk sound always lights up a venue and just sends positive vibes throughout the place. They also have crisp sound to where you could hear every word that was sung. It was nice to watch lead singer Derek DiScanio ask his band mates how they are doing and listening to their replies. It was during this set that my camera decided to pretend it was tired and I went to their merch table and enjoyed the rest of their set from the line. The line for merch was so long when everyone first entered that most attendees watched most of the opening sets from the line itself. People lined up for all the bands but those that got their early were able to get their hands on the exclusive day of State Champs x Lost Bros shirt and sweater.

To put in perspective on how excited everyone for Boys Like Girls to make their way to the stage, the moment they lights turned off, House of Blues Orlando exploded into cheers. I admit, the anticipation was killing me as well. I have loved this band since 2006 when they have released their first album. I had the opportunity to see them last year at the When We Were Young Festival in Las Vegas. And now, I am sitting here in my new Boys Like Girls sweater reliving this show as I type these words. At long last, the band takes the stage and opens with “Lovedrunk”. The talent that radiates off these four individuals is captivating. The vocal range that lead singer Martin Johnson has is unmatched. In fact, they played with all their hearts and souls that they blew their sound a few times. That did not stop them from playing (even though all we could hear was the drums) nor did it stop them and the audience from singing to stay on beat. This happened 3 different times throughout their set but honestly, it never killed the vibe. Their set consisted of 30 songs and each song brought a wave of nostalgia. I definitely cried a few times, especially while screaming the lyrics to “Broken man”. Their set list consisted of their three albums blending together and then their new singles from their new album Sunday at Foxwoods. I never thought they could write a ballad that made me cry as hard as Thunder (which was also my first love song dedicated to my first boyfriend 15 years ago) but “Cry” seriously takes the cake. There was a moment where Martin noticed my shirt, which was a Tourzilla shirt. That was their first headlining tour in 2007. He even called me out on the mic right before “Life of the Party” blasted through the speakers. As the show came to a close, Johnson had everyone take out their phones, played the first verse of “The Great Escape” and right before the chorus, they stopped playing. It was then Johnson asked everyone to put their phones away and just be in the moment for the song that started it all. I was truly in the moment as I ran down to the pit and crowed surfed.

As a whole, this show was something I will never forget. Being able to see new upcoming artist play with bands I have grown to love and a band I have grown up with really was something special. I had the honor of meeting Boys Like Girls drummer John Keefe and their guitarist Jamel Hawke and telling them that I have been listening to their music since 2006 and it was an honor to have covered their 2023 North American Speaking Our Language Tour all these years later. Be sure to listen to their singles “Cry”, “New Love”, “Blood and Sugar” and “Speaking Our Language” wherever you stream music and pick up their new album Sunday At Foxwoods on October 20^th. Tickets are still on sale but selling out fast, so be sure to check out their tour dates and see the Speaking Our Language tour in a city near you.