Last night, emo/pop-punk band All Time Low packed out Prague’s SaSaZu for their Everyone’s Talking! tour.
They were joined by emo legends Mayday Parade and up-and-coming pop-punk singer Taylor Acorn. All Time Low and Mayday Parade on the same bill is already unbeatable, in our opinion, but add in a little pop-punk feminine energy and you’ve got the perfect evening.
Taylor Acorn was up first, warming up the crowd with her powerhouse vocals and unmatched energy. After opening with “Poster Child” and “I Think I’m In Love”, technical issues took center stage. There was a lot of static and the microphone wasn’t working, but she tried to chat with fans and get them singing another song while we waited for things to get fixed. Then, it was smooth sailing for the rest of her set — highlights included “Crashing Out” and “Shapeshifting.”
When renowned emo band Mayday Parade took the stage, the crowd went so insane you would almost think they were the headliners. Lead vocalist Derek Sanders’ energy was genuine and pure as he moved his signature long hair out of his face and launched into “Under My Sweater.”
The band made the stage their own, with Sanders carrying the mic stand almost everywhere he went while rhythm guitarist Brooks Betts explored the entire stage as he played. And let’s not forget the gorgeous vocal harmonies pulled off by Sanders and bassist Jeremy Lenzo — these are always a highlight of their live performances for us.
Sanders took a moment to address the current state of the world, and of America specifically, before picking up his guitar for “Piece of Your Heart.” He then brought the energy back up and excitedly announced that “we’re playing emo music in Prague!”. This was their second show ever in Prague, and it was a sweet moment that let us know how excited they were to be here.
“Oh Well, Oh Well,” particularly, was a highlight of the set for anyone who’d been with them since the early days, while “Jamie All Over” served as the perfect upbeat closer.
All Time Low took the stage to plenty of fanfare, the floor carpeted with black and white checkered fabric and a diner-style neon graphic behind them reading “Everyone’s Talking!” in support of their newest album. Lead guitarist Jack Barakat, known for his goofy, nonchalant attitude, hyped everyone up as lead singer Alex Gaskarth walked on, wide smile on his face and red hat perched atop his head.
The band opened with one of their latest singles, “SUCKERPUNCH,” before throwing it back to 2009 with “Weightless.” Pleasing fans both new and old right from the get-go, they immediately brought the party and had the whole room jumping. The first third of their set was a great mix of older classics and new hits, with “Damned If I Do Ya (Damned If I Don’t)” and “Backseat Serenade” hitting especially hard.
The band stopped occasionally to make jokes with fans. Gaskarth commented on how the crowd seemed to have doubled since the last time they played in Prague, expressing awe and gratitude for their growing Czech audience. He even tossed in a cheesy “making Prague-ress” joke, much to fans’ delight.
The middle third consisted mostly of songs from their newest album, Everyone’s Talking!, and their 2015 album Future Hearts, continuing to blend together the best of their discography. Gaskarth and Barakat continued their signature bits, giving each other grief on stage and letting fans know how much they loved exploring Prague. Gaskarth had fans going crazy when he teased a set at this year’s Rock For People: “What if we came back for a certain festival in June?” This was met with excited screams, of course, and he continued to mischievously hint that it was something that “I can neither confirm nor deny today” throughout the rest of the set.
Taylor Acorn joined them for an electric performance of “Remembering Sunday” before the stage went dark and everyone seemed to disappear. An interlude of “Good Night, C’est La Vie” played mysteriously over the speakers before the band finally returned, complete with an outfit change and renewed energy, for the final third of the show.
Gaskarth kicked it off by asking if anyone had checked out the new album before launching into the title track, “Everyone’s Talking!”. They then leaned heavily into some of their more electronic and danceable tracks. The neon graphics elevated the atmosphere as fans danced to their more recent hits. It felt more like a party than a concert at this point, and we were loving it.
Hinting again at a Rock For People set, Gaskarth told us how excited he was to be back in Prague for Barakat’s birthday in June. Barakat made a birthday celebration proposal: to get one glass of chardonnay with everyone in the room. A mosh pit had also opened up, and they commented on how the entire crowd from their last show in Prague could fit inside that mosh pit. Gaskarth used this as an opportunity to remind fans to look out for each other, whether you’re in the pit or crowdsurfing.
All Time Low then launched into “Hate This Song”, a collaboration with renowned post-hardcore band I Prevail. Gaskarth’s signature vocals had been smooth and flawless all night, but when he sang “Hate This Song,” we learned that he can scream, too. We were shocked and impressed by his performance — and now we’d love to hear what some heavier All Time Low would sound like.
Gaskarth then claimed “Now I have to tell you guys a lie, and that lie is that this is our last song.” He teased the crowd, saying “you know it’s not, but we’re gonna treat it like it is” — and that’s exactly what we did. All hands were in the air as fans went wild for “Monsters.”
The gap between the show and the encore was just long enough for fans to start chanting and for Gaskarth to change clothes again. When they returned to the stage, Derek Sanders of Mayday Parade came with them for a performance of “The Weather.” They then wasted no time moving directly into “Lost in Stereo.”
And then, it was actually time for their last song, with Gaskarth saying, “you guys know this one so sing along” and encouraging people to open up the pit. As soon as the first notes of “Dear Maria, Count Me In” played, fans went wild for the final time of the night. It was a celebration of everything that had come before as well as an anticipation of the neither-confirmed-nor-denied fact of All Time Low’s return to the Czech Republic in June.
Even after the last song ended and the venue’s playlist began, Gaskarth stayed on stage throwing guitar picks to fans and waving and dancing as people began to leave. It was clear how much fun he had on stage, and it made the connection with the crowd that much stronger.
Overall, All Time Low gave us an absolutely flawless performance. The music itself sounded amazing — after over 20 years playing music, they’re seasoned professionals and it shows. In addition, their energy as a band was pure, positive, and fun. Their stage presence oozes friendship, from teasing and thanking the crowd to the banter between Barakat and Gaskarth. They had people’s hands in the air the entire time, and even had people on each other’s shoulders at one point. It was a genuinely infectious atmosphere that we hadn’t experienced at a show in a very long time.
The night felt very wholesome, from the first note Taylor Acorn sang and Mayday Parade’s relaxed yet very emo set all the way through All Time Low’s dance party. There’s no doubt that fans are already awaiting All Time Low’s next show, including a Rock For People announcement (fingers crossed).
If you haven’t caught them live yet, you still have a few more days to do so. Tickets to the remaining dates of their EU/UK tour are available here.
Remaining tour dates:
Feb 10 — Zurich, CH @ X-Tra
Feb 12 — Munich, DE @ TonHalle
Feb 13 — Bergamo, IT @ ChorusLife Arena
Feb 15 — Barcelona, ES @ Razzmatazz
Feb 16 — Madrid, ES @ Riviera
Keep up with All Time Low: Facebook // Instagram // TikTok // YouTube // Website // Spotify
Keep up with Mayday Parade: Website // Facebook // Instagram // TikTok
Keep up with Taylor Acorn: Instagram // X // Website
