It feels like it was a lifetime ago when The Chainsmokers and 5 Seconds of Summer announced they’d be going on tour together – and stan Twitter was in shambles. For many people, The Chainsmokers and 5SOS being on the same bill was a very unexpected pairing. Many were uncomfortable with the concept, but others kept an open mind of what could transpire.
Me being a huge fan of both bands, it somewhat broke me to see so many people dismissing a show they hadn’t even seen yet. I had faith in it, and I let time do it’s thing.
Time flew by so fast, and on Sunday night I was at Viejas Arena for the World War Joy Tour… with a broken foot!
So I’ll start off by addressing that. Last Tuesday I was walking downstairs at home and instead of stepping on the last step, I slid down to the ground on my right leg and heard a crack. I was in more pain than I’ve ever felt in my life and right away I knew I had broke a toe. This was the first time I’ve ever broken anything in my life but I mean stuff happens. I went to the hospital to get checked out a few hours later and sure enough I had not only broken my big toe, but I also broke some other bones in my foot. It was so hard to walk. I was given crutches and my mom was pushing me around in a wheelchair that looked a little like those vertical shopping carts.
The ONLY thing I could think of in those moments was… omg so I have a few shows coming up that I’m supposed to be shooting. How am I going to make this work? Because I’m not backing out. No. Way. I’m the type of person who hates passing up on good opportunities because I can’t bank on them ever happening again. You can’t tell me “there’s always next time” because what if there isn’t? So no. I wasn’t gonna stay at home being miserable.
So this is how it worked…
On Friday I had a follow up appointment with the orthopedist and he basically said it was going to take 4-6 weeks to heal. I was given a little boot, but on the day of the show my folks encouraged me to not wear it. I left the crutches at home too. I was able to walk very slowly, and I was limping – but I was still in a ton of pain. I couldn’t drive, so my parents dropped me off.
I got to the venue before the doors opened to talk to friends, then I waited to check in with all the other photographers. Lennon Stella is one of my favorite pop girls, so I was geeked to be able have the chance to shoot her set and create that content (peep it here). She glowed y’all.
Then the struggle started becoming very real. With the way the arena is set up, there was only one option for ADA seating, which was all the way up at the very top. I am prone to getting insanely dizzy when I’m looking down from high up. So during 5SOS I definitely went outside to breathe fresh air more times than I wish I had to…
The guys opened up with “She Looks So Perfect”, and made a smooth transition into “Easier”. While their performance did feel a little rushed at times, 5SOS effortlessly managed to keep the crowd hyped up the entire time. Their humor was well alive too – at one point, Ashton Irwin asked the crowd, “Who has not given a single fuck about 5 seconds of summer in their lifetime?”
And then… after about 25 minutes of waiting, it was time for The Chainsmokers!
I’ve seen The Chainsmokers live 3 times before, but I had never gotten to see them at their own show/tour for a bazillion reasons. There’s so many Chainsmokers songs that hold a ton of meaning to me – especially the Bouquet EP. Their music is fun to listen to and has always put me in a good mood and comforted me if I was feeling alone.
Nothing was going to get in the way of me enjoying their set, and I did what I had to do to be able to enjoy it to the max. Every single expectation I had about their set was completely scrapped.
I lost my chill, and I had zero reason to be ashamed. The moment Alex Pall, Drew Taggart, and Matt McGuire took the stage, I was like a kid on Christmas morning who got everything they wanted. Here’s the thing about The Chainsmokers – they step it up every single time they put a show together. They started off just doing (very hype) dj sets, then they added a live component and began to play instruments. And now… you certainly get the best of both worlds, but their production is nothing less than spectacular.
Seriously… these guys had a globe of death on the stage. When the sphere initially descended from the rafters, Drew entered to sing “Sick Boy”, climbing all around the insides of the metal structure. Later on, a bike made it’s way on stage, and ultimately, three bikes entered the sphere to do the stunts. I didn’t see any of this coming, and I’ve definitely never seen this at any other concert I’ve been to.
There were plenty of ladders for Drew to climb as well. During “Everybody Hates Me”, he enthusiastically ran up a ladder leading to a platform that hovered above the crowd.
5 Seconds of Summer returned to the stage to sing “Who Do You Love”, their collaboration with The Chainsmokers. Boy, did it sound great live!
And it just wouldn’t be a Chainsmokers show without fire… and tons of it. Besides the typical pyro, drummer Matt McGuire also took the time to play using drumsticks that were on fire. If you’re a pyromaniac, this was definitely a show you would have enjoyed!
Drew announced a few times throughout the night that he was hung over. Regardless, the guys were on their A-game and it was a night to remember. I’m so thankful I had the chance to see The Chainsmokers up close, and I hope the pack (what they refer to their fans as) has gotten bigger!
