Posted July 3, 2018 by Kailey Howell Concert Reviews & Galleries

Paramore – DTE Energy Music Theatre – 6.29.18

Paramore, Foster the People, Soccer Mommy
DTE Energy Music Theatre – Clarkston, MI – 6.29.18
Photographer: Kailey Howell

Paramore has been making waves in the alt rock scene since their 2005 debut album All We Know is Falling. Vocalist Hayley Williams is a female alt rock icon, fronting a band that advocates acceptance, individuality, and the importance of mental health. The dedicated fan base packed the venue, with the front row of fans donning colorful hair, glitter and various Paramore merchandise.

This summer the band is trekking across North America for a final celebration of the After Laughter era (Tour 5). In support of the band is Foster the People and Soccer Mommy.

Soccer Mommy, a “bedroom pop” band from Nashville, TN opened the evening. Their soft indie sound was a great way to start the show. They opened with their song “Henry” off of their 2016 collection, For Young Hearts.

Vocalist Sophie Allison transcended the crowd with her smooth vocals and quaint lyrics. Accompanying her on tour is guitarist Julian Powell and bassist Graeme Goetz.

Their set included many songs off of their most recent album, Clean, such as “Cool”, “Last Girl” and the closer, “Scorpio Rising”. Soccer Mommy wraps up their support on the After Laughter Tour (Tour 5) on July 1. The band Jay Som will continue the tour.

Foster the People brought a change in pace when they took the stage, opening with “A Beginners’ Guide to Destroying the Moon” off of their 2014 album, Supermodel.

The neon sign glowing the words “Sacred Hearts Club” set the mood for the band’s set, as the smoke created a haze that the sun beat down through. Front man Mark Foster was charismatic as he danced across the stage, taking a seat at the keyboard occasionally for songs.

The band included many tracks off of their 2017 album Sacred Hearts Club including “Pay the Man” and “Sit Next to Me”. The band’s instrumentals were intricate, leaving the crowd captivated by their sound. For a surprise, the band covered The Romones’ “Blitzkrieg Pop” which was followed by the band’s most known song “Pumped Up Kicks”.

Finally, the wait was over and Paramore entered the stage to a roar of applause from the crowd. Williams was full of smiles and the entire band radiated happiness. The band broke into “Grudges”, a track off of After Laughter that pays homage to the return of original drummer Zac Farro.

The band transitioned into “Still Into You” off of their 2013 self titled album, a song that seemingly every member of the audience sang back.

The band didn’t leave fans waiting to hear their favorite songs. Quickly after, they played “Rose-Colored Boy”, one of the most streamed tracks off of After Laughter.

The band’s stage set up was unique. Rather than having flashing lights and a neon screen behind them, a row of mirrors reflected the crowd. This created a more intimate feeling for the large venue.

The band included many hits from their iconic 2007 album RIOT! such as “That’s What You Get” and “crushcrushcrush”. For “Misery Business”, one of the band’s most well known songs, fans were welcomed on stage to share the mic with Williams. During “Ignorance”, Williams used a small megaphone to give a unique sound to the chorus.

The acoustic portion of the set left the crowd in an emotional trance. After a cover of Drake’s “Passionfruit”, the performance of “Misguided Ghosts” and “26” brought tears to some fan’s eyes.

Paramore ended their set with a three song encore that included “Told You So”, a cover of HalfNoise’s “All That Love Is” and the hit single off of After Laughter, “Hard Times”. Paramore gave a tremendous performance that I truly find to be one of the best live sets I have seen.

The After Laughter Tour (Tour 5) continues through the end of July. Check out the gallery of photos from the show below.

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