Side Summer Tour - The Norva, Norfolk, V.A. - 8/24/21

Let’s get this straight: All Time Low never misses. As a fan of All Time Low since 2010, I have had the pleasure of seeing them a few times over the years. Prior to COVID, I had the opportunity to see All Time Low in January 2020 at The Ottobar in Baltimore for $5, which felt like they were the local Baltimore band playing for a bunch of friends. That same energy was given last night in The NorVA. For many in this area, it was their first show back. You could feel the vibrant excitement both from the crowd, the crew, and the band.

Grayscale opened up the evening. As this was the first time seeing them, I was excited to take in their energy and see what their shows were like. They are majorly coming up in the pop-punk scene and their latest release, Babylon (Say It To My Face), has been in heavy rotation and hearing that live was absolutely fantastic. They tore up the stage getting the crowd MOVING. They played a personal favorite of mine, Atlantic, as well as other tracks like In Violet and Painkiller Weather.

The Maine followed and to be expected, they smashed their set. The Maine is consistent and classic when playing live. They played lots of gems for fans new and old. The Maine opened with a nod to Sweet Caroline that seamlessly lead into their song, Sticky, which has a nod to Sweet Caroline. They also did an amazing mix of new songs like High Forever, paired with older gems like Everything I Asked For.

All Time Low’s pre-show included an automated, Siri-meets-Jarvis type of robot that made jokes and got the crowd going. Their set list included lots of fan favorites including TikTok’s favorite song, Dear Maria (Count Me In), Six Feet Under The Stars, as well as never gems like Once In A Lifetime and Dirty Laundry. The band kept up their energy in the hot & sweaty room full of fans: young and old. Following their stage exit the automated voice and electronic beat to the tune of Dear Maria, the crowd obviously chanted “One More Song” when All Time Low returned to perform not one, but two - Monsters and ofcourse, Dear Maria.

This was the first show back at The NorVA and they staff handled COVID protocol incredibly well. The crowd was SO excited and carried their energy and voices from start to finish. All three of these bands really made it feel like home and really make the year plus wait to see a live show worth it. This line-up honestly is not one to miss if you have the chance to catch it or them at Sad Summer Fest featuring other amazing bands like The Story So Far, Movements, and PinkShift (who are replacing Destroy Boys).

All photos by Allie Crump - reviewed and photographed through Artist & Allie